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Adapted by Tom Holtey for Tourers and Kayak Sailors alike. A table to help you estimate windspeed by observing the water conditions; or estimate water conditions by listening to windspeeds in weather reports.
1
Knot = 1.15 MPH
|
Beaufort |
Rounded to even figures: |
Original Beaufort Scale: |
Nautical Terminology |
Appearance On Water |
Appearance On Land |
Notes |
|
0 |
Less than 1.15 |
Less than 1 |
Calm |
Sea surface smooth and mirror-like |
Calm, smoke rises vertically |
Best for beginners. |
|
1 |
Up to 3.5 |
1-3 |
Light Air |
Scaly ripples, no foam crests |
Smoke drift indicates wind direction, still wind vanes |
Easy for beginners. |
|
2 |
Up to 7 |
4-6 |
Light Breeze |
Small wavelets, crests glassy, no breaking |
Wind felt on face, leaves rustle, vanes begin to move |
Easy for beginners. |
|
3 |
8-11 |
7-10 |
Gentle Breeze |
Large wavelets, crests begin to break, scattered whitecaps |
Leaves and small twigs constantly moving, light flags extended |
OK for beginners. Suitable for sailing. |
|
4 |
12-18 |
11-16 |
Moderate Breeze |
Small waves 1-4 ft. becoming longer, numerous whitecaps |
Dust, leaves, and loose paper lifted, small tree branches move |
OK for intermediate paddlers. Best for sailing. |
|
5 |
19-24 |
17-21 |
Fresh Breeze |
Moderate waves 4-8 ft taking longer form, many whitecaps, some spray |
Small trees in leaf begin to sway |
OK for advanced sailing. Advanced paddlers only. |
|
6 |
25-31 |
22-27 |
Strong Breeze |
Larger waves 8-13 ft, whitecaps common, more spray |
Larger tree branches moving, whistling in wires |
Small Craft Advisory is issued. |
|
7 |
32-38 |
28-33 |
Near Gale |
Sea heaps up, waves 13-20 ft, white foam streaks off breakers |
Whole trees moving, resistance felt walking against wind |
Paddlers should be off the water. |
|
8 |
39-46 |
34-40 |
Gale |
Moderately high (13-20 ft) waves of greater length, edges of crests begin to break into spindrift, foam blown in streaks |
Whole trees in motion, resistance felt walking against wind |
|
|
9 |
47-54 |
41-47 |
Strong Gale |
High waves (20 ft), sea begins to roll, dense streaks of foam, spray may reduce visibility |
Slight structural damage occurs, slate blows off roofs |
|
|
10 |
55-63 |
48-55 |
Storm |
Very high waves (20-30 ft) with overhanging crests, sea white with densely blown foam, heavy rolling, lowered visibility |
Seldom experienced on land, trees broken or uprooted, "considerable structural damage" |
|
|
11 |
64-72 |
56-63 |
Violent Storm |
Exceptionally high (30-45 ft) waves, foam patches cover sea, visibility more reduced |
||
|
12 |
73+ |
64+ |
Hurricane |
Air filled with foam, waves over 45 ft, sea completely white with driving spray, visibility greatly reduced |
Wave heights posted above are for open waters with considerable fetch. (Fetch is the distance that wind can blow over the water.) The longer the distance the wind blows across the water the higher the wave height can be. Strong winds blowing across a short distance of water will not produce sizable waves. Wind swell can be “surfed” with skill and the right boat, local “storm surf” is usually not preferred for regular surfing and wave riding. Small Craft Advisories are issued by the USCG and other boating authorities. While it is possible for expert kayakers to paddle in a SCA, all small boaters should make for land and/or stay off the water until the advisory is lifted.
