Ryan Moody’s Best Weather Apps for Fishing in Australia

Understanding Wind Speeds and Wave Heights

Let’s talk about wind speeds. As a rule of thumb, if I see winds around 10 knots, I know the waves will likely be no more than two feet high, which is comfortable even in a 5-6m boat. But once the wind picks up to 15 knots, things change – waves can reach five to six feet, especially if the tide is running against the wind.

That’s when it gets uncomfortable, particularly for smaller boats. And when you get winds around 20 knots or more, it becomes unpleasant even for boats around eight meters or longer.

These wave heights can be enhanced if the wind has been blowing for a long duration, and also from certain directions. Waves “stand up” if the wind is blowing one way and the tide is running another which can be particularly dangerous.

Hence, you can sometimes have bigger waves than the amount of wind that you have and it’s easy to get caught out.

If you are travelling and need to hide from bad weather, here are some tips for choosing a good anchorage. One of the best on the northern east coast IMO is Lizard Island.

Tell Someone Where You Are

Never go to sea without telling someone your plans and when you’re due to return. If your contact is a non-boating person (Mum), it’s also helpful to give them some tips on who to call if you’re not back when planned. A phone call to the Police is a good place to start.

For a non-life-threatening rescue call: call 18000 RESCUE.

The safest option is to log in on your trip.

Most population centres have a Coastguard or Marine Rescue.

Rather than leaving your safety in the hands of someone who might forget, our preference is to use the professionals – by logging in and out each trip.

Use this link to find the contact details of your closest local Coastguard Flotilla. Be sure and join as a member or pay biggy for a rescue. Or log in and out online with the Coastguard SafeTrx App. We show you how to use SafeTrx > here.

Marine Rescue is another volunteer organisation and may be closer than Coastguard to you. Find your closest Marine Rescue Flotilla here. 

It’s as easy as 1,2,3. Call them on the radio with your boat rego, make, persons on board, and trip destination and return time. If you’re a no-show, they’ll try and contact you before instigating a search. When you’re treading water and it’s getting dark, it’s good to know help will soon be on the way.

Long-Range Forecasts: The Weather Apps I Use

When it comes to planning trips in advance, I recommend two main weather apps for fishing:

• Windy: Ideal for tracking wind patterns and detailed forecasts. The app allows you to check global wind forecasts up to 10 days ahead.
• PredictWind: Great for offshore anglers, this app provides highly accurate wind forecasts, including swell data and sea surface temperatures.

Both offer long-range forecasts of up to 10 days, though I find them most accurate within four to five days of your trip.

These apps pull data from top sources, including the European ECMWF model, NOAA, and NASA’s JPL. So when you’re sitting at the start of the week planning a weekend trip, these apps will give you a good idea of what to expect as the days get closer.

PredictWind: An Example For Offshore Forecasting

Start by selecting the area you’re interested in, whether it’s Cairns or another offshore location. Use the search bar or the map to pinpoint your location. PredictWind excels in giving accurate offshore forecasts.

Tip: When planning offshore trips, keep an eye on wind direction to predict when the wind will shift. For instance, if you see strong winds moving up from Brisbane, you can estimate when they’ll hit the Cairns area.

Real-Time Updates With Weather Apps For Fishing

On the day of my trip or the night before, I switch to real-time updates using apps like BoM, AIMS remote weather stations, and Seabreeze. These apps give live wind readings, which are invaluable for tracking weather changes that might not show up as quickly on long-range forecasts.

Know Where Your Wind Comes From

In Queensland, for example, the dominant winds often come from the south. That means if you’re fishing in Cairns, you need to focus on what’s happening to the south of you since that’s where the weather will be coming from. Offshore weather stations become key here because land-based stations can be affected by buildings, trees, and terrain, giving less reliable data on actual sea conditions.

Let’s say if I’m fishing out of Cairns, I monitor several offshore weather stations along the coastline. For instance, you might track the wind patterns at:

• Arlington Reef (Remote weather station of Cairns)
• Davies Reef (~300 km south)
• Hardy Reef (~500 km south)

To estimate when a weather change will arrive in Cairns using these three weather stations, you’ll track the time a wind change occurs at each station and then calculate how long it will take to reach Cairns based on the speed of the wind. Here’s how it breaks down:

Step 1: Track the Wind Change at Hardy Reef (~500 km south of Cairns)

• Observation: Suppose a wind change occurs at 10:00 am at Hardy Reef.
• Wind Speed: Assume the system front moving up the coast is travelling at 30 km/h.

Calculation:

Time to reach Cairns = 500 km / 30 km/h = 16.7 hours

• Estimated Arrival in Cairns: Around 2:40 am the next day.

Step 2: Confirm Wind Change at Davies Reef (~300 km south of Cairns)

• Observation: Let’s say the wind change hits Davies Reef at 3:00 pm.
• Wind Speed: Again, using a travel speed of 30 km/h.

Calculation:

Time to reach Cairns = 300 km / 30 km/h = 10 hours

• Estimated Arrival in Cairns: The change would likely reach Cairns around 1:00 am.

By monitoring the times at these stations, you can forecast with increasing accuracy as the weather change approaches, giving you a reliable window for when the conditions will reach Cairns.

Once you know how to monitor these locations, you can use the apps I mentioned above to get real-time updates and stay ahead of any significant shifts in the weather. Both of those weather apps are very straight forward. Here’s a quick example of how to use them:

AIMS Weather Remote Stations

The AIMS weather stations are my go-to for reliable, offshore data, particularly because their readings aren’t impacted by onshore interference like buildings or other terrain. They give a clear picture of the conditions out at sea.

• Step 1: Open the AIMS website, and navigate to the “Weather Stations” section. Here, you’ll find a list (or map) of different stations along the coast.
• Step 2: Select an offshore station close to your fishing location in the direction where the weather is coming from. For Example, if you’re located in Cairns it would be Davies Reef.
• Step 3: I focus on the wind speed and direction readings. The data updates frequently, giving you real-time feedback on whether conditions are shifting towards stronger winds.

This weather app is also helpful when you’re on the water. If you notice the wind starting to rise in speed or shift direction on AIMS, it might be time to consider heading back or changing your fishing strategy.

Seabreeze

Seabreeze is another real-time app that I regularly check for its user-friendly interface and accurate updates on wind, swell, and tide conditions. I especially like using it for daily checks and planning ahead by a few hours.

• Step 1: Open the Seabreeze app and again search for nearby stations in the direction where the weather is coming from.
• Step 2: On the graphs, you can visually track changes in wind speed throughout the day. I typically glance at the colour-coded wind graph to see when conditions will start to worsen. I usually set the colour settings to “strong wind = red”.

  

• Step 3: Compare the wind data to your planned fishing times. If the wind is forecasted to increase above 15 knots during your trip, you might want to a) reschedule b) move to a more sheltered location or c) if fishing open waters, head out on a direction where coming home in a rough sea is safe (see planning safe routes heading below).

Also note you will use more fuel than usual in a rough sea. 

Lots of learnings in our storms at sea case studies here. 

Pro Tip: I always cross-check Seabreeze with AIMS weather stations to get the most accurate and up-to-date picture of the conditions as both weather apps cover different (offshore) stations.