Accurate Media reports

[Scalem]

After watching a television report on boating and weather predictions for Easter weekend, I was wondering if enough caution was being conveyed in the report.

I know the media is trying to cater to all walks of outdoor activities such as surfing and boating in the same report, but I just didn't feel that while footage of boats crossing bars was being shown, the message of caution because of increased wind predictions and swell was not very obvious.

Based on the flavour of the report tonight, it made me want to ignor what I have observed in my own research with all the usual websites such as seabreeze, coatalwatch and the BOM, and head offshore. But I know better!! Only experienced skippers would tackle up to 3 mtrs swell, that isn't me!

Who else agrees with me? Are there any people out there stupid enough to plan a trip based only on what the media say in their reports?

Scalem

[Jabiru658]

Are there any people out there stupid enough to plan a trip based only on what the media say in their reports?

I've been working in our family business for 25 years and running it for 10 years and no matter how low I set my expectations every so often along comes a person who manages to lower it a bit further :(

Accordingly I have absolutely no doubt that out there somewhere there are people stupid enough to plan a trip based only on what the general media say in their reports.

Sad but true...

[caster226]

comment removed

[Axl]

In this day and age most keen fisherman hopefully use the internet. As most of us know there are several different sites you can use to plan your trip.

Anyone who relies on the media reports alone would be asking for trouble I feel as you have stated Scalem they are very ambiguous.

[sleepygreg]

There is no way known I would rely on the mass media reports to plan a trip offshore. I just wish I had the internet available to me 30 odd years ago when I started going offshore.....it might have saved a lot of wasted 2 hour trips to the boat ramp, or very dodgy return trips home in very adverse conditions (though this did make me learn very quickly how to read the conditions around me...cloud formations wind direction changes, humidity changes etc).

To the point it has almost become a hobby, trying to outforecast the forecasters, based on the information available through various sites and feeds.

Have lost count of how many times in years gone by I have had to radio coast guard stations after they have relayed the forecast (given to them by the BOM) and had to tell them to stick their head out the window (forecas being akin to 10-15 knot winds from the NE......but in reality actually blowing 20 - 25knots from the SE). This has changed a lot now....but dont confuse a land forecast with a sea forecast (which is what most mass media outlets refer to).

Greg

[Scalem]

I think what I saw tonight felt like the presenter wanted to sell the weekend as being a great opportunity to get out on the water. That's OK to get people off their butts, off the couch and enjoy the outdoors, but I saw little warning of the conditions predicted, except the surfers will enjoy increased swell offshore this weekend.

Out of all the innaccuracies the media could be accused of, I really think this one needs to be right every time if they have a few seconds of video footage of a boat going out through the bar in what looked like perfect conditions. If weather is predicted to be less than perfect, the producer should find footage of boats in less than perfect conditions. The subconcious is a powerful thing, if the audience sees good conditions, that's what they start to imagine they will have if they go boating this weekend. You normally see perfect bodies advertising excercise contraptions. Same thing. Playing with our minds!!

Scalem

[gr hilly]

im a bit like you greg i allso go by conditions around me 28 yrs ago we did daily bar reports (jumpinpin) got it rite 90plus and learn't alot from the older salts i miss 3 or 4 of them so bad mate we had so many good days on the water i hope you can go fishing from upstairs if not there will be some bad lang going on i can tell you
hilly

[sandbankmagnet]

I'm still chuckling at the title of this post.....

[finga]

I'm still chuckling at the title of this post.....
Yeah, when did that happen??

But in answering Brian's question...
In respect to referring to Brownies (and the such) as gospel to weather forecast for the week-end....and using no other form of forecast service especially if going off shore or in The Bay even, could be well explained if you can answer these questions.

Why do people have NO rescue gear??
Why do people go where they're not supposed to??
Why do people keep illegal or undersized fish??
Why do people go 30km's off shore in a boat that was last serviced in 1986??
Why do people go 30km's off shore in a boat when they had to jump start the motor at the ramp??
Why do people go across the paddock in their skiboats when the chops picking up??
Why do people bounce and bang across the waves when it seems as though their boat is going to split a seam??
Why do people 'chine walk' their boats everywhere including narrow channels and across chop??

I don't know if people are dumb or just stupid or ill-informed or ignorant of their surrounds and the danger they can place themselves in.
My guess is a bit of the lot is and is why they listen to a weather report on Thursday for weather conditions on the Monday.

Just lucky we have the fine ladies and gentlemen at the various marine rescue services to pull them all out of the poo.

As Greg has mentioned, there is no substitute for local knowledge and knowing what indicators mean crook weather....and acting fast to them whether that means going back home from the ramp for some warm WheatBix and a nice cuppa tea or pulling up anchor and heading home when the snapper are on the chew when you see "that" cloud formation on the horizon.

[charleville]

Just lucky we have the fine ladies and gentlemen at the various marine rescue services to pull them all out of the poo.


How very true.

I told my family that this would be a gardening weekend for me because this is the one weekend when so many loonies are on the water for their annual fishing trips, giving the marine rescue organisations an unnecessarily busy time and otherwise clogging up the boat ramps and making far too much noise at the popular fishing spots. Even worse at Fraser, of course.

I recall often hearing rescue calls on the marine radio at Easter that I would not hear at any other time of year. It would be so responsible of the media to take a really conservative position on Easter boating forecasts.


As for my garden weekend, so far, my progress after two days is that I have found the few packets of seeds that have been sitting on a coffee table since Christmas. ;D Have found them but haven't done anything with them yet. We should not rush these things. ;D

[gr hilly]

yes this weekend is a good time to stay out of the water nice and safe and spoil the family good tucker good drinks and getting them all togeather for a good time, just watching the grand kids casting sinkers is great fun when it comes time they

will be capable fishoes,allthough i got 1 broken rod bugger.

cheers hilly

[ThePinkPanther]

Like when is the Media ever honest and correct on anything??

[SgBFish]

I'm still chuckling at the title of this post.....

Accurate and media in the same sentence? Conflicting nouns.