Understanding Wind and its Effects on Paddling
Below is the outline given to participants of our dry land wind workshop. While it covers a lot of information, there is a lot more that was discussed in the workshop, so feel free to email us with questions if you have any!
Wind for Paddlers
When paddling on the coastline, or across any open body of water, it is crucial to understand what the wind will be doing, and how that will affect both surface conditions and the travel of your boat. When considering wind forecasts, we have to consider both the speed and direction of the wind.
Wind Speed
Wind speed is (in the U.S.) usually measured in either miles per hour (mph) or nautical miles per hour (knots, or kts).
A nautical mile is about 1.15 land (statute) miles, so a reading in kts will be a bit higher when converted to mph.
Many weather apps give values for both sustained and gusts.
Sustained winds are the average speed given over a duration of time, often two minutes.
Gusts are higher than average wind speeds, and typically last for 20-30 seconds.
Of the two, sustained winds offer more of a concern, though gusts at a high enough level also warrant paying attention to.
When looking at sustained winds, the following ranges are helpful in determining the level of paddling required. They are based on novice paddlers on recreational equipment. They do not take into account wind direction.
0-5 mph
Blissful! Call out sick and go paddling!
5-8 mph
Moderate- a little work but nothing crazy.
8-12 mph
Increasingly difficult- will have sections of challenging paddling.
12-15 mph
Challenging- route plan should take into account shoreline topography, rest options, etc.
15+ mph
Advanced- don’t paddle out unless significant experience or significant shelter from wind.
Different craft and different levels of experience will change these ranges for a paddler.
Recreational paddleboards often move slower than recreational kayaks, which in turn move slower than sea kayaks.
More experienced paddlers will feel more comfortable going out in a higher range of wind speeds.
You can stretch your comfort zone by paddling in winds that are slightly outside of it, but only if done so with another experienced paddler or instructor, and with an easy escape plan.
Wind Direction
There are two different ways we categorize wind. The first is compass direction, and can be sourced directly from weather apps.
Compass Direction
Wind is named based on the compass direction it is blowing from.
A northeast wind blows from the northeast to the southwest.
A northwest wind blows from the northwest to the southeast.
On a weather app, when shown as an arrow, the tail of the arrow shows where it is coming from, and thus its name. The head of the arrow shows where it is blowing to.
Weather Apps
We use a number of different weather apps, with each offering something a little different which we can use in different situations.
Storm- Shows hourly wind forecasts, and is easy to view at a glance, but does not give gust speeds. Also no longer has a wind map.
Apple Weather- Shows sustained wind speeds as well as gusts in an hourly forecast. Graphs are relatively easy to read at a glance, though they take more steps to get to that information. Contains a wind map which makes it easy to see how the wind relates to the area you’ll be paddling. (we’ll cover this more shortly).
Windy.app- A fantastic app with a ton of information and a wind map, but may feel overwhelming to novice paddlers.
Onshore vs. OffShore Winds
Knowing the compass direction of the wind is helpful, but only if you can relate it to the area you’re paddling in. For this, we compare the compass direction to the area in which we’ll be paddling, and describe the wind as onshore, offshore, sideshore, or a combination thereof.
Each type of wind has its own advantages and disadvantages.
If wind is blowing from the ocean and onto the shore, it is known as an onshore wind.
Advantages: When leaving the beach, the wind is against you, meaning the hardest paddling is first. You will then be blown back toward shore once you’re ready to come in.
Disadvantages: Onshore winds blow across a large surface area of ocean (known as fetch) and so have plenty of opportunity to generate waves, making for choppier conditions.
If wind is blowing off of the shore out to the ocean, it is known as an offshore wind.
Advantages: Because wind passing over water adjacent to the coastline has not had a chance to build waves, surface conditions tend to be flatter and calmer.
Disadvantages: Wind will blow paddlers away from shore. Since it is blowing against their back as they leave, it is harder to recognize the strength of the wind until turning around to paddle back, at which point it may be too strong to paddle against.
Identifying onshore and offshore winds will help determine if conditions are safe.
Generally, you can paddle at higher winds on an offshore wind day because you will have more shelter. However, if you leave the protection of the immediate coast, you can very quickly get into trouble, and may find it difficult to return to where you launched.
Because onshore winds cause the seas to build, you will typically find that you have a lower threshold for wind speed that you feel comfortable going out in.
Route Planning Based on Wind
Strategies for dealing with wind.
Determine what conditions will be like at launch and landing, and where wind will be against you, and where you will find shelter. Is the wind generally onshore of offshore?
Paddle against wind first, easier time on the way back
–or–
Using shoreline topography to find shelter from the wind (use Salem Neck as example).
How Wind Affects the Control of our Craft
Once on the water, we want to understand how the wind is blowing in relation to our boat or board. We use the terms headwind, tailwind, and crosswinds.
Headwinds- blow directly against us. While they create the most resistance, they keep us directionally the most stable, allowing you to paddle evenly on both sides.
Tailwinds- blow from behind us. These can increase your paddling speed, but may also lead to your craft feeling “squirrely” as any wind driven waves push your stern (or tail) around. This may be felt more on kayaks than paddleboards, because fins on the latter will help stabilize the tail.
Crosswinds- blowing on either side of your board or kayak. These are different effects depending on your craft.
Kayaks will tend to turn toward the wind. Known as weather cocking, this occurs because the bow of your kayak is “pinned” by its own bow wave.
Paddleboards will tend to turn away from the wind. Known as lee cocking, this occurs because the tail of your board has a big fin that “pins” it in place, allowing the nose to move more freely.
There are several strategies for dealing with a crosswind on your kayak.
Since your kayak will want to turn into the wind, performing sweep strokes on your upwind side will help maneuver your kayak back down wind.
Edge your kayak into the direction of the wind, which will use the properties of its displacement hull to turn in the opposite direction.
Leaning back slightly can help “unpin” the bow, allowing it to be blown more easily downwind.
Use a rudder or skeg to help maintain a straight tracking course.
There are also some strategies for dealing with a crosswind on a paddleboard.
Since the wind is trying to turn your board downwind, perform sweep strokes on the downwind side to turn the board back toward the wind.
Moving forward slightly on the board will raise some of the fin out of the water, causing it to pin the tail less, and will likewise weight the nose of the board, making it more resistant to being blown downwind.
The concept of tacking may be useful, where you alternately paddle at an angle slightly into the wind followed by slightly downwind so that you can more easily switch sides that you're paddling on.
In windy conditions of any type, kneeling on the board is a great option to lower your wind profile and allow you to perform strokes more confidently without fear of falling in.
