THE BEAUFORT SCALE

By kiteskool on Sunday, July 19th, 2009
THE BEAUFORT WIND SCALE

One of the first scales to estimate wind speeds and the effects was
created by Britain's Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort (1774-1857).  He
developed the scale in 1805 to help sailors estimate the winds via
visual observations. The scale starts with 0 and goes to a force of 12.
The Beaufort scale is still used today to estimate wind strengths.
kite selection using the beaufort scale
Starting out for most beginner's it's a balancing act force 3 to 6 is
perfect using up to 12m kites.
It goes really on rider wt what size kite/board that you use.
Most people start with one kite so check its stated wind range.
eg 10m f-one 2010 bandit 3 12knots to 28knots for an average 65kg kiter
So at 12knots it's just enough to fly and go down wind slowly
at 25/28 is for an expert only.
                                 WIND RANGE FOR 2010 BANDIT 3








Wind Range - Based on 65kg / 165lb rider








Model




Knots




Mph




Beaufort (Force)








5.5




30+




34+




7+








6.0




26+




29+




6+








7.0




24+




27+




6+








8.0




18-38




20-43




5-8








9.0




15-30




17-34




4-8








10.0




12-28




13-32




4-7








11.0




11-24




12-30




4-6








13.0




9-22




10-25




3-5








15.0




8-18

The Beaufort Scale
Beaufort scale number Descriptive term Units in km/h Units in knots Description on Land Description at Sea
0 Calm 0 0 Smoke rises vertically Sea like a mirror.
1-3 Light winds 19 km/h or less 10 knots or less Wind felt on face; leaves rustle; ordinary vanes moved by wind. Small wavelets, ripples formed but do not break: A glassy appearancemaintained. 
4 Moderate winds 20 - 29 km/h 11-16 knots Raises dust and loose paper; small branches are moved. Small waves - becoming longer; fairly frequent white horses.
5 Fresh winds 30 - 39 km/h 17-21 knots Small trees in leaf begin to sway; crested wavelets form on inland waters Moderate waves, taking a more pronounced long form; many white horses are formed - a chance ofsome spray
6 Strong winds 40 - 50 km/h 22-27 knots Large branches in motion; whistling heard in telephone wires; umbrellas used withdifficulty.  Large waves begin to form; the white foam crests are more extensive with probably somespray
7 Near gale 51 - 62 km/h 28-33 knots Whole trees in motion; inconvenience felt when walking against wind. Sea heaps up and white foam from breaking waves begins to be blown in streaks along direction ofwind.
8 Gale 63 - 75 km/h 34-40 knots Twigs break off trees; progress generally impeded. Moderately high waves of greater length; edges of crests begin to break into spindrift; foam isblown in well-marked streaks along the direction of the wind.
9 Strong gale 76 - 87 km/h 41-47 knots Slight structural damage occurs -roofing dislodged; larger branches break off. High waves; dense streaks of foam; crests of waves begin to topple, tumble and roll over; spraymay affect visibility.
10 Storm 88 - 102 km/h 48-55 knots Seldom experienced inland; trees uprooted; considerable structural damage. Very high waves with long overhanging crests; the resulting foam in great patches is blown indense white streaks; the surface of the sea takes on a white appearance; the tumbling of the seabecomes heavy with visibility affected. 
11 Violent storm 103 -117 km/h 56-63 knots Very rarely experienced - widespread damage Exceptionally high waves; small and medium sized ships occasionally lost from view behind waves;the sea is completely covered with long white patches of foam; the edges of wave crests are blowninto froth.
12+ Hurricane 118 km/h or more 64 knots or more The air is filled with foam and spray. Sea completely white with driving spray; visibility veryseriously affected

News Archive

goofy or regular May 18th, 2010
THE BOARD WATERSTART May 18th, 2010
KITESKOOL OPENED FOR NEW SEASON! March 24th, 2010
THE BEAUFORT SCALE July 19th, 2009
f-one bamboo now available for demo! June 12th, 2009
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