Anyone with a recent sailing conditions report from Fiji?. A couple of us are contemplating a visit there in early September.
T.I.A.
Would anyone know of a site or sites that have current wind conditions on and around Fiji?
http://www.met.gov.fj/aifs_prods/0642.html
Here's the Fiji met chart. The high is currently in the right position for SE wind at Nananu-i-ra. They recently had successive highs loitering in that position for 4 or 5 weeks straight of good wind. The isobars don't have to be as close together in the tropics as they do further south to produce good wind.
howdy
Fiji does suffer a little from Wind graphs...partly because the following have readings that are protected...
windguru - coral coast - damp and wet mostly.....
Weaterbuoy - vanua Levu..mounted in a hallow...
We use www.met.gov.fj as Ian commented. He just returned from 2 weeks Windsurfing with us at Safari Lodge, ask him his feedback...
We have been having strong S.E. trades since June ..with only one stretch of 5 days off (where we got in some lovely fishing and outer reef snorkeling!!) We are back into a stretch of Wind, as Ian suggested...this should continue right through until january..like it does every year.
Sail sizes...today 5.5m, yesterday 5.8m, day before 5.3m..has varied from 4.5 through to 6.4 rarely...
HOWEVER....a meeting with Fiji telecom onsite at Safari Lodge in July will lead to a 2meg broadband tower being erected on Safari Lodge property for a WiFi service also allowing a CAMERA to be mounted and Weater Station to be connected....so stay tuned..it will get a whole lot easier....all on Fiji time of course!!
Rgds
Warren Francis
Howdy
... means its not very accurate..and pretty useless on any day for us here on Nananu-I-Ra.
We're out there blasting on 5.0m sails and the Windguru graph says a lovely 10-15 knots...NOT HERE.
However, Fiji Telecom have almost completed negotiations for a tower and a 2meg Broadband WIFI network on Safari Lodge Island property, meaning you can all have access to a WEBCAM in no time at all. This will be a lot easier than interpreting graphs, etc
Hope thats clearer on the dots....
Another lovely 25 knots already and its only 6.30AM the beauty of a true Trade wind..ALL DAY ALL NIGHT.
Rgds
Warren Francis
Hi
the following is todays www.met.gov.fj MARINE warning
Marine Weather Bulletin
Issued from the National Weather Forecasting Centre Nadi
at 11:00am on Tuesday the 12th of August 2008
Situation:
A moist easterly windflow continues to affect the group.
Forecast to midday tomorrow for Fiji waters:
Easterly winds 15 to 20 knots and upto 25 knots especially through
the Vatu-i-ra passage. Moderate to rough seas.
The point to NOTE is Vatu-i-ra passage. This is exactly where we are located and you will find a funnelling affect in this passage that lies inbetween the two main islands of Fiji, viti Levu and vanua Levu.
So...you can be down at beautiful Beachcomber Island or Plantation island on a 15 knot day and having a blast on a 16m+ kite OR you could be up here like yesterday blasting on a 7 or 9 or 10m kite....easy choice i reckon...
Hope that helps with Wind readings...the www.met.gov.fj is usualy really good and combined with an interpretation of the satellite images and weater maps where they show you the isobars and where the pressure cells are located can give you an easy read of wind in the Pacific....
Rgds
Warren Francis
