How we use the University of Washington Wind Model

[Time]

An invaluable site serving Northwest Washington and Southwest BC.
Probably the best info available for hourly predictions.

[monkey boy]

I frequently work on the water and use it for marine fieldwork. I find the hourly wind forecasts to be incredibly useful.

I'm also a diver and surfer and use the wind forecast for planning these activities.

I also know plenty of other marine people (surfers, sailors, marine scientists) that access the wind forecasts.

I typically find it to be more useful then what is supplied by the Environment Canada marine forecast.

[sharkdiver]

check it all the time.

[Drifter]

Everyone I know checks Big Wave Dave before they go fishing or boating. This is a very important safety feature and it would be a shame to lose access. Life without Big Wave Dave would be....unpredictable.

[mhjackson123]

As a paddler, I check the BWD model page before pretty much every trip - so once a week or more.

[240]

I have told and have received great feed back about the model from fishermen to people who just like to keep in touch with weather. I use it almost every day.

[Uberhoust]

I am a ocean kayaker and I use this site every weekend to check the wind predictions. I use it for two thing primarily:
1) It gives a better predictions than the Environment Canada Site, Environment Canada overpredicts so often that people tend to ignore the site in terms of taking EC's warnings seriously. But if this wind prediction is high and the EC's prediction is high then it is a good indication that one should not take novice padders out.
2) Again the site is more accurate for wind prediction. For those kayakers that like to play in rough water this site allows us to plan our rough water paddling trips more effectively.

Overall I use the wind predictions extensively before planning any trip and would be at a loss without them.

[MartyD]

I use the model on a daily basis. It is more accurate than EC and I plan my kiting around it. It is also a great tool for scuba planning. I would be at a huge loss without the predictions.

[JB]

I am a Captain with BC Ferries sailing out of Tsawwassen and can attest that Big Wave Dave's wind model is the most trusted and consistently used resource on the internet. We would be seriously dissapointed to loose this valuable information. Please keep Dave around!

[o8andholding]

I'm not going to say that I use the wind reports EVERYDAY. I just use it EVERYTIME I am thinking of going on the water, which is LOTS. I rely on your site FAR more than Environment Canada.

[zfish]

I have been using BWD for weather info as long as it has been around. The wind model is definately the most accurate wind predictor for our area and I check it with varying frequancy, depending on the day's outdoor activity plan. I use it to plan kayak fishing (ya sorry, kayak fishing is something you can do in light or no wind only, laffs) sailing, and even use it obliquley for winter mountain sports as well.

[mstarling]

HI

Just to let you know that myself and my fishing partner check the forecast daily as we find the information accurate which saves us from going out in stormy or windy conditions needlessly and is helpful when we plan a trip ahead. thanks for your work.

[Cetacea]

I have not read all the replies, so don't know whether I am repeating what has already been said, but, as far as I know, every sailboat racer in the southern VI area uses this site regularly. I look at it every day, and actively use the information at least twice a week. And especially for those running races and having to chose courses, it is invaluable. We would be at a great loss if this site no longer had access to the model it is now using.

[Searover]

Big wave Dave is my favorite site for planning, sailing outing for scouts Canada. Would be a shame to lose the forecasting on this site.

[mhjackson123]

I wanted to follow up on behalf of the Sea Kayaking club SISKA. As a director of the club, I can attest that many of us (150 members) use BWD's forecast page when planning our outings. Paddle leaders use the site to prepare for the paddles they lead and it is one of the key weather resources we recommend to our members in courses and clinics. Everyone I have spoken to in the club says they use BWD in their paddle planning. Thanks for keeping up the service!