Testing the Kestrel 2500 Wind and Weather Meter

On September 7, 2020
By Kimberly

Measuring Wind Speed Uses: Sailing, Drones, Shooting, Farming, Fire Fighting, and More

I have always wanted a wind meter. While I’ve historically relied on “feel” to gauge wind strength, or estimated wind speed by observing wave height, I do want to know how accurate my calculations are. What I really wanted was one of those tiny, portable, sleek Kestrel Wind Meters! I finally got one! Here’s how it performs.

After working thirty years as a sailboat captain, it seems I am able to pinpoint wind speed pretty accurately from millions readings of the boat’s wind speed indicator, and matching it with how that looks over water or feels on my skin.

Measuring Wind Speed on Land

But when I’m not on a boat with that wind indicator at my fingertips, I’d like to know what is the strength of the blow at home from an instrument to verify my guesstimate.

For my birthday this year, Bill gave me the Kestrel 2500. It’s jam-packed with features. Actually, Bill presented it to me nearly a week before my birthday – because a hurricane was passing by. What better time to put my new Kestrel thorough it’s paces! He could not wait, and I’m glad he didn’t!

Features

Here’s what this Kestrel 2500 device can do: report wind speed, temperature, and pressure. Calculate altitude, barometric pressure, pressure trends, wind chill, wind speed, and more, such as time of day, and backlight display for night use.

Some of the more expensive models have a few more features above and beyond measuring wind speed, like the ability to track data over time or heat index measurements. Less expensive models offer the basics like wind speed only. Higher-level models include night vision and even a farmer’s pesticide spray version and a firefighter’s model with additional fire weather meter measurements and Bluetooth connectivity for remote viewing.

Using the Kestrel Inspired Us

The Kestrel 2500 does everything I wanted. And more. Strangely enough, the very technicality of it has sent me back to consulting old-fashioned wind scales. Instead of increasing my reliance on gadgets; the Kestrel actually has re-ignited my interest in close observation and verifying my findings.

In the past, I used the Beaufort scale to confirm my wind suspicions. With its modified indicators; the scale really does give you a pretty good idea of wind speed.

Now that I have the Kestrel 2500, I find myself consulting the Beaufort scale even more often to vericate my observations. Vericate means to verify and authenticate – Bill and I use “vericate” to shorten the phrase.

The Modern Beaufort Scale

Back in 1805, an admiral in the British Navy, Sir Francis Beaufort, developed a scale to estimate wind speed by observing sails. Later, land-based indicators were added for use of the scale away from the sea.

Having the Kestrel 2500 device actually has inspired me to re-acquaint myself with wind speed range indicators. I really like the one below since it included land-based clues to wind speed.

From “Estimating Wind Speed” from Hawaii.edu comes this really great description of how to use the Beaufort Scale:

“Estimating wind speed
Use the scale below by observing the movement of objects on the land and at sea. Don’t look at the waves breaking right near shore to make your decision about wind speed –these are breaking because of the shallowness of the ocean floor near the shore, not because of wind. The wind speed you record should be an estimate of what the conditions were like during the entire time you worked in the field, so take notice both at the beginning and end of the field trip. Also, we sometimes have gusts, or shorter periods, of higher winds. These conditions can be noted like this: “Winds 4-7 mph with
gusts 13-18 mph.” Use the mph estimates, not the description.”

Modified Beaufort Scale With Land Signs

Speed (mph)	Description	Signs on land	Signs for sea
0-1	Calm	Smoke rises vertically	Sea like a mirror
1-3	Light air	Directions of wind shown by smoke drift but not by heavier items	Ripples with the appearance of scales appear, but without white crests
4-7	Light breeze	Wind felt on face, leaves rustle	Small wavelets, still short, but more pronounced. Crests have a glassy appearance and do not break.
8-12	Gentle breeze	Leaves and small twigs in constant motion; wind extends small flag	Large wavelets. Crests begin to break. Foam of a glassy appearance. Some scattered white caps.
13-18	Moderate breeze	Raises dust and loose paper; small branches are moved	Small waves, becoming larger; fairly frequent white caps.
19-24	Fresh breeze	Small trees begin to sway	Moderate waves, taking a more pronounced long form; many white caps. Chance of some spray
25-31	Strong breeze	Large branches in motion; whistling heard in telephone wires, umbrellas used with difficulty	Large waves begin to form; the white foam crests are more extensive everywhere. Some spray.
32-38	Near gale	Whole trees in motion; hard to walk against the wind	Sea heaps up and white foam from breaking waves begins to be blown in streaks along the direction of the wind.
39-46	Gale	Breaks twigs off trees; generally impedes walking	Moderately high waves of greater length; edges of crests begin to break into foam. The foam is blown in well-marked streaks along the direction of the wind.

Practice Makes Perfect

When you don’t have a device for measuring wind speed, or you want to vericate your own observations, these scales work well. We find now that we have the Kestrel, we match the signs with the speeds more often.

We make our estimates based on visual cues, then consult the Kestrel to see how accurate our predictions are.

Flying a Drone, Shooting, Fire Fighting, Farming Uses

With the increase in popularity of drone flying, an easy-to-remember visual clue to wind speed can be calculated using a flag. This method is so easy; you might want to take a photo of this graphic and mark it “favorite” to refer to the next time you’re somewhere that has a flag flying.

Better yet; bring your own flag to your location and take a measurement!

The range of activities that these wind speed measuring devices can assist are wide-ranging.

For instance; farmers can calculate spray drift and document wind speed and environmental conditions. This would be to avoid damaging other crops close to spraying operations, as well as harming livestock, people, wildlife and the surrounding community.

Sailing, Reefing, and Wind Speeds

For me, the question usually is when I’m sailing, and if I need to reef. I tend to reef often, and reef early. That joke about when you ask if you need to reef; you should have done it ten minutes ago – that’s never me. I’m that Prudent Mariner who reefs often and early.

Rule of thumb for me; 15-25 foot boats; I’m taking the first reef around 15 knots, second reef at 17 knots, and calling it a day if it gets over 20 knots.

On larger boats 30-40 feet, depending on displacement, I like to slap on that first reef around 17 knots, second around 19 knots, and if I’m teaching a class or running a charter; I don’t have much sail up when it rises over 20. Comfort of my passengers is my first priority.

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