7/23/2023 0 Comments Land breeze vs sea breezeIt can be worth waiting for an hour or so to check how the wind is building so that you can know which size kite to take. Alternatively they may even need to self-rescue when the wind drops completely. The wind can go from very low speeds, or even nothing, to blowing 20 – 30knots in a matter of minutes. As they can so unpredictable kitesurfers can get caught out as their kites suddenly become too big. Sea breezes affect kitesurfing with positive and negative consequences. It takes time for the gradient conditions for a sea breeze to develop, but once it occurs the effects are quick and can result in a rapid and drastic increase in wind speed. It is important to recognise the conditions that may result in a sea breeze as the increase in wind speed may require a reduction in kite size. Sea breezes tend to start in the late morning/midday and can continue until sunset. It takes time for land to heat up and a temperature gradient to form. It can result in winds 1.5 or even 2 times the forecast strength. When the wind is already blowing onshore, the combination of the original wind and the sea breeze means that the wind strength will increase dramatically. If a strong offshore wind is present that is greater than 8 knots, the sea breeze is not likely to develop. Its speed depends on whether it is assisted or hampered by the prevailing wind, and the strength of the thermal contrast between land and sea. The strength of the sea breeze is proportional to the temperature difference between the land and the sea. This cool dense air is higher pressure than the air over land causing movement of the air mass (wind) from high pressure to low pressure. Oversea, the air remains more dense and cool because the sea is cooler than land. You can often spot this by the appearance of cumulus clouds. The warm, less dense air rises and causes a decrease in pressure over land. As the temperature of the land increases, the air above it heats by convection. On a sunny day, solar radiation causes the temperature of land to rise creating a temperature gradient between land and water. It takes longer for the sea to warm than it does for land to warm under the sun due to their comparative size.
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