1. Look All Around You
Every sailor should learn to judge wind conditions when sailing just by looking at the water. When you look at the water, don't limit yourself to just the side or the front of the boat. Make sure you get a 360-degree perspective by looking at all sides including the front and the back.
2. Use the Beaufort Wind Scale
This is a system that measured the speed of the wind based on its effects on the sea. The Beaufort Wind Scale was devised in 1805 by British Rear-Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort. It measures wind based on wave height from zero to 45 feet. Zero feet means the sea is mirror smooth, which means the knot speed is under one. The World Meteorological Society would describe this as calm. Forty-five-foot waves means the sea is white with driving spray that fills the air with foam. Visibility is almost nil. The World Meteorological Society would describe this as hurricane conditions. Wind knot speed would be 64 and over. The Beaufort Wind Scale is divided into 13 levels from zero to 12. Zero on the scale is comparable to WMO's calm conditions, while 12 is comparable to the WMO's hurricane conditions. Use this scale to judge wind conditions for sailing after you've examined the water surface from all angles. If there are other people with you in your boat, you can discuss your observations with them to make sure you're all reaching the same conclusion.
3. Use Headsails to Guess Wind Speed
The size of the headsails of the other boats sailing in your area can give an idea of the typical wind speed. Large headsails mean there's wind speeds of 17 knots or lower. Medium headsails signal 17 to 22 knot wind speeds and small sails signals a wind speed of at least 22 knots.
4. Go High-Tech
The easiest way to judge wind conditions for sailing is to use a high-tech wind gauge that does all the work for you. Many are portable. Some are small enough to fit in your pocket. Others are specially designed so that you can see them at night. Wind gauges are also called anemometers. The work by measuring the force of the wind usually in miles. To convert the wind speed in miles to knots, remember that one mile is equal to just under 0.9 knots. A ten mile wind, for example, will equal about 8.7 knots. According to the World Meteorological Organization, this would be classified as a gentle breeze. It would show up on the water as two- to three-foot waves and scattered whitecaps. On the Beaufort Wind Scale, a ten-mile wind would be a Beaufort number force of three.
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