For offshore anglers, checking the weather isn’t simply about determining whether it is going to rain.
A good offshore weather check is about understanding what the ocean may look like when you leave the inlet, what could change while you’re fishing, and what conditions could be waiting for you on the ride home.
That becomes increasingly important when a fishing trip takes a boat 30, 50, or more than 100 miles offshore.
Before leaving the dock, captains should look at several pieces of weather information together rather than relying on a single forecast.
Start With the Marine Forecast
The marine forecast establishes the big picture.
Pay attention to expected wind speed and direction, wave conditions, frontal boundaries, advisories, and how the forecast changes throughout the day.
A forecast calling for manageable conditions early in the morning doesn’t necessarily mean those conditions will remain through the afternoon.
The return trip matters just as much as the ride offshore.
Wind Direction Matters
Wind speed gets most of the attention, but direction can be equally important.
A change in wind direction can dramatically change conditions around inlets, shoals, and areas of strong current.
When wind opposes current, seas can become steeper and more closely spaced. That can turn what appears to be a manageable forecast on paper into an uncomfortable or potentially dangerous ride.
Captains should therefore ask two questions:
How hard will it blow?
and
Which direction will it blow from?
Look Beyond Wave Height
Wave height alone doesn’t tell the entire story.
Wave period—the time between waves—is an important part of determining what the ocean may actually feel like.
Longer-period swells can often be considerably more manageable than short, steep seas of similar height.
Wind waves combined with an underlying swell can also create confused conditions.
This is why experienced offshore captains evaluate the complete sea state rather than focusing on one number.
Watch What’s Developing Around You
Once offshore, conditions can change rapidly.
Summer thunderstorms are a perfect example.
A storm developing 40 miles away may not immediately affect your fishing location, but understanding its movement, intensity, and lightning activity can help a captain make decisions before the storm becomes a problem.
Having graphical weather information available on the boat can add an important layer of situational awareness.
SiriusXM Marine provides satellite-delivered weather information on compatible marine multifunction displays. Depending on the selected service plan and hardware, available information can include graphical weather radar, lightning, marine-zone forecasts, wind and wave information, storm information, and sea-surface temperatures.
Because the information is delivered by satellite, it can remain available offshore where cellular coverage may be limited or nonexistent.
Radar and Lightning Tell Different Parts of the Story
Weather radar helps show where precipitation is occurring and how storm systems are developing.
Lightning information adds another piece of the picture.
For offshore boaters, seeing lightning activity associated with a developing storm can help identify areas that deserve additional attention or avoidance.
Neither should replace good seamanship or official warnings, but together they can provide useful information when evaluating changing conditions.
Keep Checking the Weather
One of the biggest mistakes offshore boaters can make is treating weather as something that gets checked once at the dock.
Weather monitoring should continue throughout the trip.
Conditions at 6 a.m. can look considerably different at noon.
Captains should periodically reassess:
- Wind speed and direction
- Radar
- Lightning activity
- Marine warnings
- Wave conditions
- Developing fronts
- Conditions along the route home
The objective isn’t to wait until conditions become dangerous.
It’s to recognize the trend early enough to make a good decision.
Know When Fishing Isn’t Worth It
There will always be another fishing day.
No tournament, tuna bite, king mackerel, or billfish is worth putting the boat or crew into a situation the captain isn’t comfortable handling.
Technology provides today’s offshore captains with access to an extraordinary amount of information, but technology doesn’t make the decision.
The captain does.
Use forecasts, satellite weather, radar, VHF weather information, onboard observations, and experience together.
SiriusXM Marine identifies its weather information as supplemental and advisory rather than something that should be relied upon as safety-critical information.
That’s the right way to think about any weather technology.
It’s another set of eyes helping the captain understand what’s happening around the boat.
And offshore, better information can lead to better decisions.
