Who's weather report is the most accurate

[JoseGaspar]

Common sense would tell me that the marine forecast coming out of the National Weather Service would be the most accrate compared to weather.com, or wunderground.com.  My local news (Tampa Bay area) doesn't provide marine forecast expect for the evening prior, so they aren't much help in planning.  The NWS is reporting for Saturday...Southwest winds around 5 knots. Seas 2 feet. Bay and inland waters smooth. Scattered thunderstorms.  Weather.com is reporting Southwest winds at 14MPH.  That difference in reported windspeeds translates into a big difference in the gulf.

Any thoughts on which is typically more accurate.
JG

[MarshMarlowe196]

http://www.noaa.gov/

You can enter your zipcode in the top left box, then it takes you to a detailed forecast of that specific area with a map on the right.  On the map, you can click on which area you want the forecast (like offshore or in the bay).  The forecast actually gives a time for things like a thunderstorm to approach or clear.  

It's cool because when you click on land, you get windspeed in MPH; when you click on a body of water, you get windspeed in knots, along with waveheight and other nautically pertinent stuff.

[lynnstrick01]

Weather forcaster is the only job in the world where you can be wrong 50% of the time and stll keep your job,  Therefore I do not really trust any of them, but the one I use the most when attempting to plan a trip is weather underground, they tend to be as accurate as any.  I am in Tampa too. Sunday should be great,(ifthey are right) full moon winds 5 knots or less,,, I have GOT to be in the water Sunday night.  here's the link:   http://www.wunderground.com
put in your city and state, then click on Marine.

Good luck and have fun...

[Capt. Bob]

Got to go with Bad on this one.
A lot of people badmouth  NOAA but they got the juice and I've been using them for years.

When hurricane season starts I use Crown Weather Svc. http://www.crownweather.com/?page_id=29
This guy puts a lot of stuff out during the season using NOAA as support.  

[JoseGaspar]

Guys, as always, thanks for the feedback.  The weather is important for me as it determines if my kid is going to be fishing or supply the chum.

JG

[lynnstrick01]

A lot of people badmouth  NOAA but they got the juice and I've been using them for years.

Sorry Capt Bob......I meant no offense, not really badmouthing, more joking actually,.... Predicting the weather is just an inaccurrate science.. Nobody can really get it right all the time.... I've just been out there too many times when forcast was for seas 2 feet or less and found myself facing 4 footers.  I will try Bad's suggestion too, see if it gets me anything better.  

[Capt. Bob]

A lot of people badmouth  NOAA but they got the juice and I've been using them for years.

Sorry Capt Bob......I meant no offense, not really badmouthing, more joking actually,.... Predicting the weather is just an inaccurrate science.. Nobody can really get it right all the time.... I've just been out there too many times when forcast was for seas 2 feet or less and found myself facing 4 footers.  I will try Bad's suggestion too, see if it gets me anything better.  

I didn't mean you Lynn, it was directed at my boating friends here in the Panhandle. I will admit, the weather up here can get funky fast.

You would think that with all the high tech gadgets the Feds have, they would be spot on but sometimes like you said, you really don't know till you get out there. I guess if it was easy, everyone would do it.  

[JoseGaspar]

Well, I'll have to give the no.d to NWS.  Today in the gulf of Clearwater/Dunedin, it started out 2 -3 foot seas, but by noon, it had calmed down to under 2 feet 12 miles out.  No keepers today (I think the water is too warm), so we'll head for 20 on the next trip.
JG

[captben31]

Don't rely on 1 service to get your forecast. Each one has pros and cons. It's important when you're out boating that you become your own amateur meteorologist and learn some weather basics. Learn about seabreezes, tides, wind vs. tide, lunar phases, and cloud formations. No one can tell you what the weather is more accurately than a person that is outside and knows what they're looking at. Also, it's very important to know your boats limitations and your own limitations.  

Each morning, I use 3-4 different services to establish my own and more accurate forecast. I usually check out NOAA, Intellicast, and Wunderground...then I go a surfing website to get real time buoy data and visual wave heights. It takes me five extra minutes in the morning, but I haven't been surprised by the weather since Sept. of 1998.

[lynnstrick01]

I learned this week-end that some of the old sailors qoutes are soooo accurate...  If you are going out for the day... Be up at sunrise and look at the sky.   "Red sky in the morning sailors take WARNING Red sky at night sailors delight."

We went out sunday afternoon late and saw the most gorgeous red sunset at the SKYWAY bridge in St. Pete, and it was a beautiful night, fished all night and had a great time.  We were stll out at sunrise on Monday morning, It was one of the prettiest sunrises I have ever seen but it was RED.  By 8 am the rain was coming down in buckets, we got back to the ramp and it was raining so hard we tried to wait it out inside the cabin, but with no wind blowing and no end in sight and another Aquasport waiting to put thier boat in. We finally loaded in one of the heaviest rains we have seen all season and got the heck outta there.  I was not looking forward to crossing that bridge in the bad weather, But By the time we hit the  top of the bridge headed home it seemed to have quit, but I think the rain was just behind us and headed back toward Tampa.