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Wind - Coggle Diagram
Wind
Wind against paddler
0-3 Beaufort or less than 10 knots. At these speeds, wind may have an effect on your paddling, but it is not enough to prevent you from having a good time out on the waer
At force 4 or 11-6 kts, larger waves form, and this is often too much for a beginner kayaker. 15 knots of headwind will slow down a paddler by about 1 knot
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Force 7 and 8 or 28 to 40 knots, almost all recreational boats will be at harbor. Some expert sea kayakers may say this is no problem, but they are probably exaggerating
Global Patterns
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Convergence
Intertropical Convergence Zone
Where south east and northeast trade winds converge at a low-pressure system, +/- 5 degrees from the equator. This creates an area of generally calm winds but also creates extreme thunderstorms.
Sub-Tropical High-Pressure Belt, the air cools, sinks, and creates a high-pressure area at about 30 degrees latitude. This is the origin point for both Trade Winds and Westerlies. Generally also creates an area with less precipitation.
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Frontal systems
Fronts are areas where air transitions between warmer and cooler temperatures. This transition or boundary can be very gradual or sometimes sharp.
Types of Fronts
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Warm Front
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Northeast of the cold front, and often east of a low pressure area
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Occluded Front
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This happens when a cold front catches up to a warm front, as the colder air travels faster than the warm air. The two sections of colder air join and force the warm air up.
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"Cross Winds Rule"
Northern Hemisphere
Start with your back to the wind, be sure that you are feeling the true direction of the wind, not a deflection off of nearby obstructions.
Next, look up towards the clouds to see upper level wind patterns.
If the clouds are moving from your left side, then the weather will likely get worse. This means that a lower pressure system is moving in.
If the clouds are moving from your right side, the weather will likely get better. This means that a higher pressure system is moving in
If the clouds are moving in line or parallel to your back, then the weather is unlikely to change.
Southern hemisphere, reverse right and left for the rule.
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Wind against tide
High-pressure systems can push down sea levels, and low pressure systems can create higher tides than predicted
Strong winds blowing towards the shore will pile up water and cause higher water than predicted. Strong winds blowing from the shore will cause the opposite affect.
Wind blowing the opposite direction to strong current can quickly cause a change in conditions. Steep waves may begin to form seemingly out of nowhere.
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Sources
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Watts, Alan. Instant Weather Forecasting: A 24-Colour Photograph Guide to Weather Forecasting from the Clouds ... Sheridan House, 2001.
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