SAMPLE FORECAST: 7 AM. Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009. Forecast, on-site report & yesterday's recap by Mike Godsey

THE FORECASTS will not be availabe this year. mike@iwindsurf.com


Sample forecast from last year:

Onsite report #1 @ 7 AM from my house near the big arroyo beach 3 miles north of the La Ventana campground: 1 foot fading surf on the beach. Nearly calm on the beach and the bluff. Faint wind line about 8 miles to the NE.

Todays Forecast & News: Race with the clock today as the NW wind will continue to weaken. If we get enough inland heating the low to mid teen NW wind may curve and combine with weak local sea breezes that could reach modest upper teens at the La Ventana campground. Weaker at El Sargento andLos Barriles.

Hedge: Wind hinges on inland heating causing the fading NW wind to curve into the beaches. The wind will be dying in in the Sea of Cortez so this afternoon so the forecast is iffy.

Today's Forecast:
Los Barriles:Mid to maybe upper teens if it is hot inland.
La Ventana: Modest upper teens if it is hot inland as expected.
El Sargento: Mid to maybe upper teens if it is hot inland.

Synopsis: Weaker repeat of yesterday. The top red arrow shows the incoming storm that will begin weakening the wind tomorrow. The bottom arrow shows the North Pacific High pulling away from the coast of Baja weakening the NW wind down the Sea of Cortez. As the map shows this NW wind is an side offshore for Baja's East Cape. But if we get a lot of blue sky to create low pressure in the valleys this will suck this wind to the beaches as NNE wind.

The satellite imagery is less promising than yesterday.

Extended Forecast: Friday mid to upper teens.

Photo of the day by Mike G.: Todas Santos: short skirt, big wave. For more Baja photos go to: windnotes.com.

Yesterdays RECAP Send wind sail and kite size reports to: mike@iwindsurf.com

La Ventana recap: 5.2 in the morning then 4.7 in the afternoon at Eteban's, nice waves in the pm, muy bueno! Ken.

Solid 4.7 for hours from noon. Great surf north of the campground. Best day of 2009!!!!!!! MG.

El Sargento recap:No report.

Los Barriles recap: L.B. wednesday, 5.6 up and down, nice swell....Richard.

Despite 17 years of forecasting wind for the west coast of California especially the Bay Area and 37 years in Baja I am a beginner at Sea of Cortez forecasting so I am just moving up the learning curve so bear with me.

News. Please send news to: mike@iwindsurf.com

PLEASE donate your old kite to be cut up and sewn into bags by La Ventana Locals Carlotta and Celene. Drop them off in the barrel on the porch of the Palapas Ventana Restaurant. Carlotta, Celene, and Palapas Ventana are partnering with KiteCycle of Santa Cruz, and proceeds will go to supporting local schools. Thanks so much !!

From: Ventana View Jan. 30/09

Many thanks to all who bought books and goodies at the race this weekend in support of the Natural Heritage Awareness Program otherwise known as the book and science program. We raised just under $400 usd, it will be used wisely. And many thanks for the books and photos that are still coming in. We will be starting the Sea Mural in possibly March, anyone wishing to join in the painting please contact me.

About 2 weeks ago I was made aware of a beached whale north near Las Cruzas. Jim and Mike were game and we went and buried it in hopes of hiding and preserving the skeleton to be retrieved when not so ripe for a project at the school. We then had the extreme high tide which floated it south to the northern litehouse arroyo. Still being quite ripe we left it in hopes it would remain unmolested. Well a gringo was seen removing the head probably not knowing the plans for it's future. We would greatly appreciate if the gentleman that now has the trophy head would understand it's educational value and contact me for it's possible return. I know the teeth and both lower jaws are missing after it's trip south on the tide and I positively identified it as a false killer whale but it will still be a great tool in bringing about awareness to the local children when we reconstruct the skeleton. If you are compelled pleased call me Mary at 114-0205.

Has anyone seen or heard anything about Barney or Marilyn Heyer recently? Their last known location was near Guerrero Negro. They are surfers who frequently surfed at Canejo. He always called his mother every Sunday but several weeks have gone by without any contact from him and his mother is extremely concerned.

If anyone has any information, please contact jbelmondo@msn.com Thank you!



A USA woman associated with a conservation group was recently killed in the crossfire involving drugs at roadside restauran in El Rosario south of San Quintin, Baja Norte. The ambush that also killed three other diners. I would recommend bypassing the gas station and restaurants there on your drive back to the USA. Instead fill up at the station at Jesus Maria south of GN which will allow you to easily reach San Quintin. La Ventana shuttle schedule from La Ventana to La Paz and back: Service everyday 12:30 pm leaving from in front of Pablos Viento Del Norte Restaurant shuttle goes to airport and La Paz Service everyday from La Paz Airport to La Ventana leaving at 315 PM cost = 1 person in van = $60 USD 2 people = $30 USD per person over 3 people = $20 USD per person to reserve email limanchu@hotmail.com or call 044 612 107 7013 <