National Weather Service Boating Survey

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Hello Everybody,

I posted this on HRCC, but thought it should appear here also since some of the questions would be more pertinent to LI boaters. I don't know if this is being conducted at the Nassau Show, but we're doing it in White Plains so I thought I'd pass this along...

The National Weather Service has asked me to conduct a survey of boaters who attend our Metro Boat Show this weekend to get some answers to questions they have about their services. I don't know how many of you are going to be there, so I thought I'd put the questions up here on the forum and if you tell me what your answers would be I'll fill out the surveys for you and send them along...

2007-2008 NWS Upton, NY Mariner Focus Group Survey

(1) Which of the following below most closely describes your boating activity?

a) power boater
b) sail boater
c) other type of boater
d) non-boater

(2) What is your primary method of obtaining weather information? (Circle all that apply. Please differentiate between before leaving port versus while on the water!)

a) Television
b) NWS/NOAA Internet Sites
c) Private Sector websites
d) NOAA Weather Radio
e) Telephone Recording
f) Other (please specify) ______________

(3) Are you aware that the NWS Office in Upton NY prepares graphical forecasts of winds, seas, waves, visibility and weather that are available on our website, http://weather.gov/nyc ???

a) yes
b) no

(4) If you answered "yes" to Question 3, do you find them useful???

a) yes
b) no

Do you have suggestions for improving these graphics? ____________________________

(5) Do you think our marine forecasts (wind direction, wind speed, wave heights, weather, are accurate)???

a) yes, most of the time
b) some of the time
c) almost never

(6) If your answered "b" or "c" to Question 6 please describe where we need to improve: ______________

(7) Have you used the new forecasts for the South Shore Bays and/or the Peconic and Gardiners Bays?

a) yes
b) no

(8) If you are a listener of NOAA weather radio, what do you think we can do to shorten the program cycle? What can be shortened? What can be cycled? What should be deleted? _________________

(9) What change or addition to the National Weather Service would have the most impact on your life??? __________________________

----------- END OF SURVEY ---------------

Please make your best attempt to answer the above and I'll transpose to the paper forms. Thanks for your participation!!!
 
2007-2008 NWS Upton, NY Mariner Focus Group Survey

(1) Which of the following below most closely describes your boating activity?

a) power boater

(2) What is your primary method of obtaining weather information? (Circle all that apply. Please differentiate between before leaving port versus while on the water!)

a) Television
b) NWS/NOAA Internet Sites
d) NOAA Weather Radio

(3) Are you aware that the NWS Office in Upton NY prepares graphical forecasts of winds, seas, waves, visibility and weather that are available on our website, http://weather.gov/nyc ???

a) yes

(4) If you answered "yes" to Question 3, do you find them useful???

a) yes

(5) Do you think our marine forecasts (wind direction, wind speed, wave heights, weather, are accurate)???

a) yes, most of the time, debating B, as sometimes this are way off.

(7) Have you used the new forecasts for the South Shore Bays and/or the Peconic and Gardiners Bays?

b) no - How do I access ?

(8) If you are a listener of NOAA weather radio, what do you think we can do to shorten the program cycle? What can be shortened? What can be cycled? What should be deleted?

Cycle trough the most current more often. I may care about 3 days from now, but mostly that day.

(9) What change or addition to the National Weather Service would have the most impact on your life???

None that I can think of at this moment. Maybe a sexier woman’s voice :--)
 
.......
1) a
2) d
3) a
4) a
5) a
6) ?????
7) b
8) n/a
9) yes....sexier womans voice.
 
Thanks for sharing, guys. I'm going to transpose onto official forms and pass along to the Weather Service. Its great that they will see some REAL world responses!!!

Anybody else who's out there, please feel free to respond also...
 
quote:
(7) Have you used the new forecasts for the South Shore Bays and/or the Peconic and Gardiners Bays?

b) no - How do I access ?
Click to expand...


Brad, they are on the online NOAA forecasts now, you have to scroll all the way down the page. I think they have them on the radio too.
 
1 - a
2 - b, c, d
3 - b
5 - b
6 - Generally the forecasts are fairly accurate about 24 hours ahead of time but offshore forecasts in particular more than a couple days out often change drastically as the dates get closer. Shifts in weather in particular seem to cause inaccuracies, even shorter term forecasts.
7 - a
8 - In general I think the cycles are good. At times though when there are tropical storms hundreds of miles away I think the updates are too frequent. Similarly sometimes when there are thunderstorms in the area the same information repeats over and over and you can't get the forecast for the next day.
9 - I think the offshore forecasts would be more useful if they were broken down into smaller zones. Some of the forecasts cover huge areas of open water and it can be 100+ miles from one end of the zone to the other and sea conditions can vary greatly and that often is not specified in enough detail.
 
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