VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

Environment Canada has contacted me and wants to get some feedback on how we use their Light Station Reports and the Pressure Slope data. They are wondering who uses this information, what we use it for and, most importantly, would we miss it if it were not available. I have sent them a reply and agreed to post this here to get some more feedback. They will be monitoring this post so please vote in the poll and please provide some feedback, otherwise we may lose these valuable tools.

FYI, the light station report page is here and we are only talking about the online access to these sites: Trial Island, Carmanah Point, Lennard Island, Cape Lazo and Tsawwassen. If you use these reports on the BWD Latest Reports page then please vote, otherwise we may lose online access to them.

The Pressure Slope page is here and is linked to on the BWD Latest Reports page.

So please vote and post on how you use the data and what you use it for, and also if you would care if it were not available.

Thanks for providing feedback, and thanks to EC for letting us comment.
dave

Thanks Dave ... I feel that Env. Canada would be negligent if they removed the light house reports & pressure slope data from the internet . This information is integral to monitoring both the current weather & tendency . example: The 'discussion' used by NOAA forecasters today said to 'keep an eye on Race rocks' ... I use the pressure slope to analyze the changing wind direction & strength as per 'The wind came all ways' ... The page http://www.weatheroffice.pyr.ec.gc.ca/m ... ope_e.html is also a great introduction to would be forecasters looking for more information, including purchasing books & cd's from env. Canada ...In addition I use the data @ work driving ferry boats around !!!

I certainly use them, a lot. They provide information that helps to decide whether to drive to a venue (and saves gas/carbon input whenever a wasted trip is avoided). this is especially true in the summer when the pressure slope is a very good indication on whether a westerly will fill in. It is also very helpful to look at the "latest reports" then go to the island map to get an idea what the overall wind pattern is doing at any one time. If we lost these lighthouse reports it would make the maps much less useful. Cape Lazo and Tsawassen in particular give much better coverage of the edge of our area. Carmanah I don't use so much, but maybe others do? Trial needs more frequent reports, not none! And Sheringham (can't remember if thats on the list) is often a much better indicator of what the wind is doing in the J d F Strait than the Gordon's Beach BWD station, which is in the bay and a bit flukey. These reports also provide a safety buffer of sorts; if Smith and East Point are raging SE but Discovery and Trial aren't and the pressure slope is off the scale, I know to procede with caution and expect the wind to pick up quickly, and keep my tacks short and close to land.

I really want the lighthouse reports and pressure slope information to remain available. I race sailboats every Sunday with a crew of 4, we depend on the reports from stations to make safety decisions on going out. We also use the information to help predict if a seemingly pleasant morning is likely to turn nasty in the afternoon. If anything we would appreciate getting reports from Trial Island hourly instead of the 4 hour schedule now in place.
Roger Nelson

I almost always use this data for sailing, surfing and canoeing decisions. Not only would I be lost without it, in some cases, my safety would have been at Risk.

These are some of the more important tools available to the sailing/ocean users community.

Thanks,

I too use both the lighthouse and pressure slope. My hobbies aside I also need this information to confirm weather forecasting and reporting for watercraft operations and fish harvesting. Please retain our internet information sources. I would also concur that EC would get not only negative press as well as exposing themselves to liability as people have come to rely on the information available. Thank you! And thanks for asking!!

Just took a quick look at the list. the two that I would miss are:

Trial island and Entrance. Both are useful for making a call on heading out to go windsurfing. It would be great if the reports were every hour

I depend on this information for my personal safety. While I admire the forecasting skills of the local weather people, I need to do my own forecasting to double check. Often I find I prepare differently for both sailing or windsurfing than I would if I just listened to the forecast. For example I put extra equipment on board or I take different sails. Because all the information is centrally available on BWD it makes the job of determining what the weather is going to do a lot easier. As I sail the west coast of the Island I use it frequently, and the consequences of being wrong are more serious than if I was inland.

Thanks everyone...any more comments or is that it?

EC is hoping to get feedback ASAP and make a decision by next week. So if you care, vote or comment.
thanks

I too use both. Like MF4 I think it is useful to have reports from the periphery of our core sailing area. The "Island Map" is really useful to get an idea of when an approaching system will arrive. Cape Lazo information is useful for prediting what is happening at Columbia Beach.

I think we could use even more detailed information from EC! As others have said, hourly reports would be great for those stations that only are reported every 4 hours. But why not have even more frequent reports from all locations? Perhaps every 15 minutes? For instance, more frequent reports for Entrance Island would give us a better idea of the trend for sailing locations like Pipers Lagoon that are not covered by a BWD live weather station.

I have no idea of the technology or steps required to get the information from the stations to the web, so I don't know if this is feasible.

Pressure slope always factors into my decision whether to go to Nitinat. Lennard Island always factors into my decision to go to Combers, Long Beach, or Chesterman. Wish it updated more often.

I adopt the submissions of my learned friends above.

I use both as well.
Please keep them around.

I'm also a Victoria area sailor (race against Muggs as often as possible). Trial Island reports are a key piece of necessary information to figure out if the forecast is on track or not, and how the timing is working out (forecasted gale arriving ahead of schedule???). As Fleet Captain at a local sailing club, i like as much info as possible to base race course selection on -- in winter racing it's very much of a safety issue. We want our boats off the water before it gets really gnarly (then you can go home and grab your real sailing gear!), or we might postpone the start of a race -- all about making safe decisions.

I used to use the Pressure Slope stuff a bit -- it's good for the big picture, but it's not gospel, and not that great at the local scale. Don't use it much anymore as i've found it can be misleading.

MM5 model output combined with real time data as "ground truth" seems to work best. EC's Marine Forecasts are generally very very good.

As an ocean kayaker, windsurfer, and kitesurfer, the elements of wind and weather are naturally vital when translated carefully into useful information. I support all efforts by Environment Canada in their progressive effort to provide and convey that information. Specifically, I use many of the weather station reports from a large part of the BC coastal areas, at different times, but only the local pressure slopes frequently, and very frequently the local (Victoria, Sooke) wind reports.