PredictWind

PredictWind is ideal when...

• Planning an offshore passage and you need to choose the best departure day
• You want weather routing — optimised waypoints based on your boat's performance
• You need high-confidence coastal forecasts (the proprietary models often beat GFS/ECMWF locally)
• Crossing to the Canaries, Caribbean, or any multi-day passage where timing is critical
• You want multiple independent models to compare — if PWG, PWE, and ECMWF agree, you can sail with confidence

Windy might be better when...

• You want a quick visual overview of incoming weather systems
• You need animated wind/rain/wave maps for a quick read
• Budget is a concern — Windy's free tier covers most coastal sailors

PredictWind's own proprietary model. Often outperforms GFS and ECMWF for wind accuracy in coastal areas. Run specifically with sailors in mind — optimised for surface wind predictions.

Second proprietary model using different physics from PWG. Having two independent models lets you compare them — when they agree, confidence is high. When they diverge, conditions are uncertain.

The American global model. Free and widely available. Good baseline but less accurate than proprietary models for local effects like sea breezes, katabatic winds, and coastal acceleration zones.

The European model, generally considered the world's best global model. Higher resolution than GFS and consistently wins forecast accuracy comparisons. Available in PredictWind Professional plan.

Uses satellite radio occultation data for atmospheric profiling. A newer model that adds another independent perspective. Most useful as a tie-breaker when PWG and PWE disagree.

Departure Planning

Shows you the best departure time within a flexible window. Enter your route, set the time range, and PredictWind calculates conditions for every possible departure — colour-coded from green (good) to red (avoid). Invaluable for timing channel crossings and coastal hops.

Weather Routing

Calculates the fastest or safest route based on your boat's polar data and the forecast conditions. You can set avoidance zones, maximum wind limits, and wave height constraints. The router suggests waypoints that optimise for weather windows — essential for offshore passages.

Offshore Weather

Detailed offshore forecast with wind, waves, swell, pressure, rain, and CAPE data. Shows GRIB-style overlays on the chart with synoptic analysis. Much more detailed than standard coastal forecasts.

Wind Alerts

Set alerts for specific locations when wind exceeds or drops below thresholds. Useful for monitoring your destination anchorage, upcoming waypoints, or your moored boat.

Forecast Comparison

Side-by-side comparison of all available models for any location. Shows wind speed, direction, gusts, rain, and pressure from each model on a single timeline. The fastest way to assess forecast uncertainty.