Hey, Parallax -- you're not paying attention here. See the previous posts in
this thread, which refer you to
http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/

which give you real time (OK, actually hourly updates) data for offshore
buoys.


http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/Maps/Florida.shtml
http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/Maps/WestGulf.shtml
cover the Gulf pretty comprehensively, buoy by buoy, for about forty buoys.

Now, forty buoys may not get you within close range of your boat -- but
that's not a problem with data distribution, that's a problem with buoy
location.

--
Jim Woodward
www.mvFintry.com


"Parallax" wrote in message
om...
Jere Lull wrote in message
...
Parallax wrote:

Why cant we have weblinks to data buoys that NOAA has offshore so we
can get real time info on conditions out there.


As you can see from other replies, they exist, so your idea was already
thunk up and found deserving.

Oh, I s'pose this is useless idea #3743


Hardly useless; in fact, probably one of the smarter things one can do.
I regularly consult the station sitting on our breakwater and a few data
buoys nearby to plan for a weekend. Comparing them to the weather
predictions often tells us to go one direction over another, sometimes
creating a downwind and down-current ride each way. Usually, we avoid
weekends where it's upwind and up-current both directions, so life is
lots easier.

Getting data "Every Sunday Afternoon" is hardly helpful for those of
us who sail on other days. Info for the west coast doesnt help here
on the gulf coast. I listen to NOAA weathr radio but it takes forever
for them to get around to the marine weather. There ought to simply
be a phone number or web site for each data buoy. Currently, I call
up the local sailboard club "windtalker" at the coast but its about 30
miles from my boat.