The first and most important weather condition to be aware of before paddling out is the wind. Higher wind speeds create choppier waters that are dangerous for inexperienced paddlers. On days that wind speeds are high, you may find yourself battling to stay afloat and balanced as opposed to paddling out to where you had planned. Therefore, it is important to check the wind forecast before paddling out. As a general rule of thumb, if the wind is traveling under 10 knots, it is typically safe for you to paddle out at any skill level. However, when wind exceeds beyond 10 knots, you may want to think twice before you paddle out.
Another way to work with the wind during your paddleboard session is to take note of which way it is blowing as you paddle out. If you feel a breeze at the beginning for your paddle, you will want to change your direction and paddle against it so that your trip back to the shore won’t tire you out.
A great app to check out that helps with wind speed and direction is Windy App