So close, yet a world away ..
Across Florida Bay: Flamingo to Long Key Roundtrip Adventure

http://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea...trip-adventure/

Google Earth has visuals.

Insects on th flats at night ?

Ready for the Tortugas run ?

GOOD DAY TO GO !

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php...3&map.y=378

hi datakoll, you shouldn't find (I should say they shouldn't find you) any bugs that far away from land..
Did you go this week?

Happy Holidays!
-Flex

I'm in prep. There's a water bag keel down system to sewup.
Here's one analysis...

Weather arrived before the search began.
On 12/25/12 with a strong western front interacting with Gulf warmth/moisture over Alabama/Mississippi.

NOAA>
Today: Northeast winds near 5 knots...becoming east to southeast and increasing to near 10 knots this afternoon. Bay waters smooth... Becoming a light chop.

Tonight: Southeast winds 10 to 15 knots. Bay waters a light to moderate chop.

Wednesday: Southeast to south winds near 15 knots...becoming southwest in the afternoon. Bay waters a moderate chop. Isolated showers.

Wednesday Night: Southwest to west winds near 15 knots...shifting to north after midnight. Bay waters a moderate chop. Isolated showers.

Thursday: North winds 10 to 15 knots. Bay waters a light to moderate chop.

Thursday Night: North to northeast winds 10 to 15 knots. Bay waters a light to moderate chop.

Friday: Northeast winds 10 to 15 knots...becoming east by noon. bay waters a light to moderate chop.

Friday Night: East winds 10 to 15 knots...becoming southeast after midnight. Bay waters a light to moderate chop.

Saturday: Southeast to south winds 10 to 15 knots. Bay waters a light to moderate chop.

Saturday Night: South winds 10 to 15 knots...shifting to northwest to north and increasing to 15 to 20 knots after midnight. Bay waters a light to moderate chop...becoming choppy. Isolated showers.

The Florida Bay forecast.
Also from
http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/imagery/gmex.html
http://www.aviationweather.gov/adds/winds/

good for winter to spring ?

I enjoy the summer water if not the bugs. I tent INSIDE THE VAN.

Experience a near lightning spike rising from the water ?

The stats are available. I have several near land strikes over 25 years.

Long Key's zip code is 33001

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/key/?n=obs

Flamingo Florida is the western ramp for the trip area. Flam’s zipcode used for NOAA’s weather search is 33304.

Flamingo has an interesting Wiki.

Trip winds pulsing east then west are unavailable from a strong HI passing thru west to east.

It's the time of the season,
When the tide runs high,
In this time paddling can be easy!

And let me try,
With blistered hands ..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhMNHqO0aNI

A first correlation between Garmin Homeport and Google Earth for a Shark Point to Nest Key route went as expected: GE showed I had Garmin routed onto a mile long sandbar ! hahahahwhat ?

Birdseye GPS could be useful.

Go thru GE before paddling seeing the seascape in more totality than 1.5 feet up.

Another NW wind then E wind for this weekend, 15 knots with 1 foot seas and an outgoing tide from Nest Key.

The tide divisor may be the Shark Point area.

I called Garmin last Friday but Gar was lost due to the snpow storm.

Speaking with Gar this morning, Background said I should be more precise plotting routes with Gar's software re the sandbar.

Which is true. Gar Homeport/Bluecharts SD brought us within 2oo feet of an interesting cut thru the sandbar. Very accurate !

However, my concept of actually where I was qualitatively was very narrow until I watched from above with Google Earth.

CORRECTION ! 'winds are AVAILABLE' not unavailable. DUH