PredictWind is very pleased to be partnering with Sofar Ocean
by PredictWind 16 Oct 2020 14:53 PDT
PredictWind - Sofar partnership announcement © Nick Olson
PredictWind is very pleased to be partnering with Sofar Ocean. Sofar owns and operates the largest real-time ocean intelligence platform powered by hundreds of Spotter Buoys across the Pacific Ocean and beyond.
The unique data set this network produces is now available in the PredictWind App's Observations display and the PredictWind Offshore App so this data can be obtained while at sea over Satellite and SSB connection.
What is a Spotter Buoy?
The Sofar Spotter Buoy is a basketball-sized unit that lives on the ocean. It's high-quality build and rugged design enable it to withstand some of the harshest elements on the planet. Low power draw and solar panels make this unit the Albatross of weather data collection, enabling it to spend extended periods at sea wandering the ocean.
How Does it Work?
The Spotter measures Wave, Wind & Sea Surface Temperature. By using the full spectrum of wave data which is processed in a proprietary algorithm, the wind speed and direction are estimated in a highly accurate manner. This innovative method of gathering wind speed and direction has been thoroughly tested and validated against NDBC weather buoys. You can read more about the technology here.
Why is this technology so good for PredictWind users?
When planning a voyage, information is king. The more high-quality information you add to your planning process the better the outcome. Being able to see the real-time wind speed and direction will give you a clear picture of the situation and validate the forecast data that you are looking at. The same applies while at sea. With the PredictWind Offshore App you can get the Spotter buoy data along with your weather routing and weather forecast GRIB's to give you the complete picture, adding to the great array of unbeatable weather resources that the PredictWind Offshore delivers over Satellite and SSB connection.
Please see the coverage for Spotter Buoys with hourly updates. We highly recommend watching the demo video for an insight into the Spotter Wave Buoy technology.