mystery of the meters

[surfersteve]

I continue to be baffled by the meter readings I pay to see to get the most of my time on the water. Thurs at the Wall from 1-2:30 the meter read 25-40 and the conditions were up/down 4.2 based on my 180#. Those readings at the Hatchery would put most people on a 3.7 with no problem. Today from 2-3:30 the Wall meter reading was 28-44 and the conditions were crappy up/down 4.7 for most. Those numbers would be 3.2/3.5 for most at the Hatchery or Dougs. Am I missing something?

[isobars]

You may have missed Mike Godsey's advice to ignore The Wall sensor and subtract 10 (or was it 5?) from the Maryhill sensor. The Swell/Hatch sensor is tucked inland out of the midriver wind. The Arlington sensor is at the top of a bluff facing the wind, subject to compression and turbulence. Port Kelley's is tucked back in a sheltered cove. Loroc's is right out there by the water with only bushes to screw with it.

Even if each sensor were accurate and agreed to three decimal places if side by side, we each still gotta develop our own calibration curves for each spot and each calibration curve changes with wind direction. I still see every windy day guys rigging 4.7s and even 3.7s when my biggest sail, a 6.2, is not big enough to plane. They're looking at the glint off early-morning whitecaps almost a kilometer away, I'm looking at data hot from the wind zone and calibrated to my quiver. Sure, they MAY get some rides in the gusts, but they usually slog back home to rig much bigger or just wait ... often leaving the whole river to me and my 6.2.

DAMN, doncha hate it when that happens?