bob116 said..

Just wondering who uses an anemometer to measure wind speeds and gusts?
Any thoughts on what is a good buy etc?
I often find I've rigged the wrong sail for the wind due to lack of experience, and this may be a solution.

Most people just sort of guess the wind. They have a pretty good idea of what sail will work for them in the available wind without knowing it's speed with any accuracy. An anemometer is useful to occasionally calibrate your guesswork and to verify the wind in unusual situations. I got one from Dick Smith. That's been pretty accurate.

I'm sure you could pick up one on ebay cheaper. I would just get a cheapy and compare it to others at the beach to check it's accuracy.

I was at my little sailing club yesterday and one of our club members mentioned his iPhone windspeed app- I kid you not. Turn it on and hold it with the mike direction towards the wind and it give a speed reading- select knots, kph, mph. I thought- can't be accurate so he asked the club president (small club) for the IYRU approved windspeed meter- held the 2 up side by side- one in each hand and it was spot on. Technology- what will they think of next.

I bought one of these many years ago. http://www.sunshinecoastsailboards.com.au/shop/accessories/windmeters

I probably don't use it much but will sometimes check the wind speed as rough water can make you think it's windier than it actually is.

It's also interesting to pull it out on a windy day when some are standing around guessing that it must be 30-35 knots when in fact it is much lower than this. People are always assuming it's much windier than it actually is.

It is handy if you want to build a data base of what gear you used and the actual wind speed was.

Cheers
Marty