Equipment:
Kestrel Anemometer
by Jonathan Hanson

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The unit arrived without instructions; nevertheless, it took only a couple of minutes to figure out the sequence in pushing the two buttons to access current wind speed, maximum and average speeds, and to switch the display between miles per hour, kilometers per hour, meters per second, feet per minute and knots. The Kestrel anemometer reads wind speeds up to 78 knots, a limit that, while somewhat lower than other anemometers, should be academic for any kayakers who aren’t trying out for a BCU instructor’s certificate.
Although not as compact as the tiny, lithium-powered Skywatch meter (reviewed in Sea Kayaker’s February ‘95 issue), the Kestrel offers many more functions, and has a replaceable battery. The lithium cell of the Skywatch is said to be good for thousands of readings; however, once it dies, the unit is trash. The Kestrel is fully waterproof, and floats as well; the slide-off outer case protects the impeller and display screen. Of course, I keep it in a waterproof pouch anyway.
While I like anemometers and use them often when I have one, I have a difficult time thinking of them as a necessary item of kayaking gear. I can’t imagine a situation in which I’d base a decision whether or not to paddle solely on the meter reading: if conditions looked too rough to go out but my anemometer said the wind was only blowing 20 knots, would I change my mind and launch anyway? Heck no. However, it’s interesting to compare your gut-level feelings with a real number, and it’s fun to test your instinctual anemometer against the solid-state version—I pass well on lower wind speeds, but tend to exaggerate a bit past 40 knots. On a practical basis, you could use the averaging feature to confirm a sense that the breeze was increasing or decreasing over time.
The other situation when a wind meter might come in handy is if you’re with a group of gung-ho companions who are trying to goad you into launching when you feel like lounging on the beach. I found that, with hyperventilation and an all-out effort, I could blow through the Kestrel hard enough to register a 28-knot reading on the “maximum” function. You could show this to your friends and attempt to convince them that conditions are just too marginal for safety—best to make another pot of coffee and get out the Thermaloungers. Be careful with this strategy, however— when I tried it on my wife, she asked why my face was so red.
Jonathan Hanson is a writer in southern Arizona. He has operated his own touring business for several years.