A bit of history

Back in the day (around 1998) a couple of keen windsurfers - Greg Moore and Mark Suckling - created a service for the Auckland windsurfing community - a wind nowcasting service called 4WINDS - using current technology and a phone line:
0900 4WIND (0900 4 9463).

Four Winds was a "NOWCASTING" service was aimed specifically at Auckland Windsurfers. As opposed to forecasting which aimed to predict what will happen, the nowcast reported on what is happening now.

Fourwinds positioned wind anenometers and mounted them at the major windsurfing locations in Auckland.

It was possible due to the support of the local windsurfing community, local businesses and Sailing Clubs.

Way back then, access to 4Winds was by a pay-to-call phone number (voiced by Greg's wife Rebecca) 0900 4WIND (0900 4 9463)

As technology changed over the years, Greg and Rebecca created windsurf.co.nz which has over 3million users each year and 15 weather stations with cameras.

Again this is all helped by the local businesses sponsoring the camera sites, the sailing clubs and the surf lifesaving. Today the public can access the informaiton and images for free.

4WINDS became: windsurf.co.nz

 

 


 

 

The nowcast reported wind conditions every 10 minutes beginning with three key windsurf locations and them increased to the major windsurfing locations around Auckland from 1998-2008:

  • Pt Chevalier
  • Orewa
  • Takapuna
  • Bayswater
  • Shoal Bay
  • Tamaki Estuary
  • Manukau Heads.


The Four Winds Nowcast phone service provided customers:

  • Wind speed (average and gust) and direction over
    the last 10 minutes.
  • Wind speed and direction for previous
    2 hours.
  • Tide height and times for the day.
  • All updated every 10 minutes,
    24 hours a day.