Australian storm chaser beginner looking to join up with a chaser from June 10th-14th

[damian butt photography]

Hi Guy's

My Name is Damian (33) from Melbourne, Australia. I'm new to the site but have had a very passionate interest in severe storms/tornado's for a long time. I'm traveling to the plains in June for a tour starting on june 15th but have 5 day's beforehand free which i'd like to hopefully utilize chasing with someone or a group of chasers. I am very passionate about storms and have been since i was young and getting the chance to finally come over to the states to see the best of what mother nature puts on display is a lifelong dream and hopefully the first of many trips to come in the future. I have done a load of research and read numerous posts on ST and have managed to learn a basic introduction to storm chasing. I have toyed with the idea of renting a car along with mobile internet to run radar but feel as a visitor and without knowing the landscape not too mention conditions/roads on my own that this would be far too dangerous.

With this in mind i'd really appreciate any chaser that might be willing to have me along for the short 3-5 day chase or even 1 day. I am very easy going and extremely excited to learn as much as i can out in the field plus provide good conversation on the long road trips haha. I am more than happy to meet you wherever that may be plus paying my own expenses and helping to pay for fuel costs/lodging. I am initially flying into Denver but as i mentioned above i can meet you where that need be.

If anyone can help out i'd be very grateful and thanks for your time.

Damian Butt

Regar

 

[damian butt photography]

Anybody willing to help me out would be really appreciative if you can? I'm happy to even pay for your time and knowledge as its a learning trip for me as much as it is about taking photo and video too. I understand it hard to predict if it'll be even worth chasing until closer to those dates and there is a fair cost involved so more than happy to do what i can to help anyone out there. Thanks guys

 

[Skip Talbot]

Hi Damian, welcome to Stormtrack. If you haven't gotten any bites yet, you may have better luck trying again closer to the dates you'll be in the states. Most chasers have no idea what they'll be doing two months from now, and those that do are probably already locked into dates or are fixed with the group they're going out with. Those who are flexible enough to take someone out, probably won't know until a week or less before the event since most have to move their work schedules around to chase and only plan chase trips when there is a setup being advertised on the forecast models. The 2013 Chase Partner Thread may be a good place to post too since it stays at the top of the forum, won't get buried by new posts, and people browse it regularly.

If you still can't find a chase partner, I don't think it's unreasonable to try it yourself. Most of us started solo with little knowledge. The most important thing is to be safe and courteous while driving. Having a solid understanding of storm structure, the dangers of severe weather, and basic forecasting knowledge are practically required to be effective in chasing, but really the most dangerous aspect of chasing is the drive. Another great option would be to rent that car and tour the national parks. There are some beautiful places in the plains that you can check out and will give you a lot more appreciation for the landscape when your actual storm chasing tour does start. You'll probably experience some really interesting weather along the way even if it isn't a supercell or tornado too.

 

[damian butt photography]

Really appreciate the information you provided in your last post Skip, much appreciated! Honestly i'm very new to storm chasing actually i woudn't even class myself as a chaser more an observer for now, though i have always had a keen interest in severe weather its only been in the last 6-8 months that i have really got into it more seriously. Totally understand how most chasers would travel in groups and have committed to that time frame in advanced and of course when they are actually storms to chase. I've booked a short notice tour with Dean Cosgrove so if anything comes up in that time frame i'll be chasing with him in my rental but with all the right gear. I basically wanted to do it myself and learn from someone that has a great knowledge of severe storms that i could learn as much as i could from in a short time frame. Driving itself will be a challenge as you all drive on the other side of the road haha

I think though i will head out to the national parks and just check in to a library or fast food place for wifi and keep an eye on the radar as i i don't see the value in grabbing mobile internet for 5 days of travel. I have actually wanted to see a lot of the midwest for a while now and being a landscape photographer this will be a great opp as well and hopefully catch some great storms.

I'll still definitely repost again in the 2013 chase partner thread closer to that time and see what comes up. Hopefully i might have the pleasure of meeting a few chasers while i'm out on the road. Really enjoy the forum and reading everyones posts, though some very indepth i've already learnt a lot from the discussions on here.