WEATHER
Sydney Weather Forecast Apps
Sydney Harbour is classified as Sydney Enclosed Waters.
You can download Sydney Weather Forecast Apps (for wind, wave/swell, tides, rain, UV level, sunrise, sunset) to your phone.
The most popular water-sports websites are:
1. Bureau of Metrology (BOM).
http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/meteye/?loc=NSW_MW004
The BOM app is excellent and can be downloaded to your phone.
The link has MetEye (Your eye on the environment). Type in Kurraba Pt or Seaforth and select 'detail' for temperature, wind direction and knots,
It gives forecasts at 3 hour intervals.
http://www.bom.gov.au/nsw/forecasts/sydneywaters.shtml
2. Willy Weather
https://wind.willyweather.com.au/nsw/sydney/fort-denison.html
It shows graphs of forecasts and real time for wind. The green and blue arrows show calm conditions.
3. Seabreeze
www.seabreeze.com.au/weather/wind-forecast/sydney
Observations for Fort Denison:
It is good to be aware of the conditions you experienced, for this look at Sydney Latest Weather
http://www.bom.gov.au/places/nsw/sydney/observations/fort-denison/
If forecasts are showing winds above 15 knots, then think twice about paddling out unless with a very experienced kayaker. Wind gusts can be 40 percent stronger than the average speeds presented on the map.
Most of the risk in kayaking is taken away by understanding the weather and knowing your own paddling limits
Wind gusts can be 40 percent stronger than the average speeds presented on the map.
Judging the Knots
A knot (one nautical mile/hr) is about half the land km/hr wind speed (eg a 20 knot wind is about 37km/hr).
Calm, <1 knot!