2Tours N Iraq`
Contributor
I'm not really sure where to post this but seeing as how it isn't directly diving related I figured this was probably the best place for it.
I recently went through the free Basic Weather Spotter Training offered by the National Weather Service and NOAA. I thought I was fairly knowledgeable about weather forecasts and the like but this training was very in-depth about how to read severe weather. I now have a better understanding of the anatomy of a thunderstorm and will most certainly use my training in weather spotting to help my diving. Here's how. By being able to understand thunderstorms and weather patterns, I can make a better informed decision on when weather conditions are unsafe for diving. Just because a thunderstorm seems far off doesn't mean that it is safe to get in the water. Lightning can strike 5 to 10 miles AHEAD of a thunderstorm. I always thought the lightning would strike where the storm was, not in front of it. I read in a recent Lessons for Life in Scuba Diving magazine about a diver who was killed by lightning while attempting to get back to the boat after a successful dive. If that diver had the weather spotter training, he would have better understood the anatomy of a storm and possibly could still be alive by seeing the situation for what it really was.
Unfortunately, it isn't very easy to find spotter training course schedules online so here is a link to the National Weather Service Local Offices by State. From there you can click on the office closest to where you are at then explore their site to find the spotter training page for courses offered in your community. Please note that most offices the spotter training is called SKYWARN spotter training.
I hope this is as beneficial to you as it has been for me.
I recently went through the free Basic Weather Spotter Training offered by the National Weather Service and NOAA. I thought I was fairly knowledgeable about weather forecasts and the like but this training was very in-depth about how to read severe weather. I now have a better understanding of the anatomy of a thunderstorm and will most certainly use my training in weather spotting to help my diving. Here's how. By being able to understand thunderstorms and weather patterns, I can make a better informed decision on when weather conditions are unsafe for diving. Just because a thunderstorm seems far off doesn't mean that it is safe to get in the water. Lightning can strike 5 to 10 miles AHEAD of a thunderstorm. I always thought the lightning would strike where the storm was, not in front of it. I read in a recent Lessons for Life in Scuba Diving magazine about a diver who was killed by lightning while attempting to get back to the boat after a successful dive. If that diver had the weather spotter training, he would have better understood the anatomy of a storm and possibly could still be alive by seeing the situation for what it really was.
Unfortunately, it isn't very easy to find spotter training course schedules online so here is a link to the National Weather Service Local Offices by State. From there you can click on the office closest to where you are at then explore their site to find the spotter training page for courses offered in your community. Please note that most offices the spotter training is called SKYWARN spotter training.
I hope this is as beneficial to you as it has been for me.
