MSW ratings now way off?

[vibe surf]

Does anyone else think that since MSW changed to this new format, the forcast star ratings are way off? We have stars for 20mph on-shores in Scarborough but none when its very light cross-shore? I think the old format was much better, i wonder if the software used to predict conditions has changed? I also think the old spectral format was much easier to use?

[Chris F]

Stars have nowt to do with wind.

[vibe surf]

MSW looks at swell and wind to come up with the star rating, so it has everything to do with wind.

[vibe surf]

We have a 1 star rating for 5ft at 6secs with a 21mph onshore, yet when the swell improves 6ft at 7secs with 14mph onshores there is a no star rating, makes no sense whatsoever.

[Chris F]

MSW looks at swell and wind to come up with the star rating, so it has everything to do with wind.

No, the number of stars is to do with the swell. If they are coloured or not is to do with the wind. Call yourself a professional?

Have you ever read this http://magicseaweed.com/Star-Ratings-Content/2210/

[vibe surf]

Maybe you dont understand what i am getting at. I simply do not think the new ratings are consistant or as accurate as the old version. It really does not matter to me anyway, if i want to know what the surf is like i just look out of my window. And by the way I have never called myself a professional either so there is no need for you to add those stupid rolling eye faces, it just makes you look like a bit of a nob.

[meeeow]

anyone who rates surf by stars is clearly a downy.

[vibe surf]

anyone who rates surf by stars is clearly a downy.

Agreed!

[Chris F]

it just makes you look like a bit of a nob.

Bit like stupid postings whining that the forecast is shit, and then saying you don't use it anyway.

[meeeow]

it just makes you look like a bit of a nob.

Bit like stupid postings whining that the forecast is shit, and then saying you don't use it anyway.

fuck off chris

[Chris F]

Mind your own business you little twat.

[meeeow]

Mind your own business you little twat.

mind the stoke you fat bald prick

[Chris F]

Go stoke your mum.

And bald? Please, I may be many things but bald isn't one of them. Your density is verging on a scientific impossibility.

[henryg]

I take it you're admitting to being a fat prick then?

[vibe surf]

I knew i was right about the ratings being well off.

[Chris F]

I take it you're admitting to being a fat prick then?

Fat at the moment, a prick forever.

[vibe surf]

Friday 2.5ft at 7secs, in otherwords flat = 1 star. Today 4.5ft at 10secs, no star and a wave height of knee high when in fact it was lined up sheet glass and overhead??? I think it turns out i might be a professional after all. The tide times are correct though so at least thats something usefull.

[henryg]

It's been said before, but I'll say it again: the only thing the stars guarantee is a crowd.

[vibe surf]

It's been said before, but I'll say it again: the only thing the stars guarantee is a crowd.

Aye, surfed on my own yesterday and it was better, as soon as that star appeared for this morning there was about 20 out! Bastards.

[meeeow]

kooks dont know bout msw star ratings yo!

[surfguru]

Not been around on here of late but i after agree but see somethings havnt changed ie abuse
Yea the magicseaweed forecasts for North Wales and Mid wales are way out too.
Ben can you go back to using the old noaa model that runs with gfs rather than the new one for you info why are you not still showing both models.
Also wind guru have moved to the newer model and there forecasts are way out, so its not just the seaweed.
The inshore forecast for England Wales is perhaps the best guide for North and Mid Wales not sure how its working out for you guys down in Cornwall.
Best forecast is as always the wave buoys telling us what is gonna happen

Btw like you Daily reports for Scarborough Vibe surf shop more piccs please.

[vibe surf]

Glad someone agrees who knows what they are talking about, we have a star fo 1.5ft at 5secs!! its throwing everyone way off, i get calls all day from folk saying MSW is saying there are waves when there are none, we have had great waves all week with poor ratings? Ive not done the pics for a while but will get back on it

[Werwulf1919]

Yeah Carl...MSW was way off this weekend and so were the daily reports from James...glad i didnt have to travel to find out though...

[Monkey_Alan]

This may sound a little harsh but I find it hard to sympathise with anybody who travels for a 1.5ft@5 sec swell and is surprised there is no surf! It just highlights the fact that you need to use a bit of sense and intelligence rather than relying on a computer to tell you what to do

There is so much information available if you want to learn the basics of weather and swell prediction, if you don't it is just laziness and you dont deserve to get good surf

[Back to Top]

Trouble is the internet has made people (me included) lazy, when i started surfing quite a few years ago we never had the luxury of typing in a particular break and finding out if it was worth the trip. We used to watch Michael Fish et al., with his isobars, wind direction etc and just wishing the bu99er would move out the way so we could see further left! Various other methods were used , listening to Radio Devon!! at 6pm for the surf report was one and to be honest it was more fun.

There is nothing more exciting trying to work out when a decent (ish!) swell was about to hit and which beach, then jump in the van and rush off in search. The sense of anticipation as you near the beach, craning your neck to try and grab a glimpse of it before you got there, it was bloody fantastic.
Mind you, the amount of epic fails was a lot, but you learnt.

However, the times we got to the beach and the waves were good with just a few out was a excellent feeling.

Dont get me wrong, I use Magic as a guide to what to expect, especially nowadays with work and family commitments. Knowing more or less what i'm gonna get in the 2 hrs window i have to rush to the beach is priceless.
But put a little leg work in and ye shall be rewarded.

Does anyone remember Big G's surf forecast (or any of the other telephone based), this was more or less the pre-internet surf forecast??

[Black]

I remember that feeling of trying to will the weatherman to move over a bit!! I didn't use phone based forecast but some of the papers had weathermaps that included the atlantic and some just had the british isles and some had no map at all so you chose your paper accordingly.

[Back to Top]

I remember that feeling of trying to will the weatherman to move over a bit!! I didn't use phone based forecast but some of the papers had weathermaps that included the atlantic and some just had the british isles and some had no map at all so you chose your paper accordingly.

The telegraph was always pretty good, not that I ever bought it. Got banned from the local WH Smiths, apparently it's not a library!!

I used the phone forecasts about twice, they were always 0909 numbers at about £1 a minute and proceeded to waffle reallllllllllllly slowly to ensure you were on the line for about 3 minutes!

[Monkey_Alan]

I used to look at the Simon Alexander page on Ceefax (Page 429 IIRC)

[stephh]

Yep I remember the Big G thing, seemed like a costly rip-off to me. Agree with the above it isn't hard to learn the basics of how to read a synoptic chart and look at the forecast versions, which are readily avilable. You can then learn what set-up will be the best option for your local to be going-off, as said t'interweb makes us all a little lazy - even though I have exeperince of the weather world, plus being married to a forecaster I still look at the charts, msw and webcams.....mind you its only 15mins to the beach so if it all goes horribly wrong then its not that much of a crisis

[vibe surf]

Before i moved to the coast i used Ceefax and the saltburn version of Big G, used to cost a fortune as he would update 3 times a day and only tell you the surf size after a good 2 mins on the phone! Also the pressure charts in the newspapers were usefull, im lucky now, i can look out of my window at work and check it, i also get lots of people calling me for a forecast before heading over. MSW has a wealth of information which i wish i had 10 years ago, i think they should get rid of ratings and just have a swell/weather forecast instead.

By the way are ChrisF and Meeoow lovers or something?