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-   -   Palm Beach Kite Session In Photos (http://www.fksa.org/showthread.php?t=11049)

ricki 11-28-2011 11:34 AM

Palm Beach Kite Session In Photos
 
http://www.fksa.org/albums/album04/2_GOPR1201.jpg
A look north up the coast


Went up north late in the day Friday after work on the way to meet the family. The wind was up (and down) so I thought I would hit Palm Beach and cruise a bit north and checkout Lake Worth Inlet and Singer Island. The winds were all over near the start, drifting below 15 mph but eventually settling in around 15 to 25 mph or so. The winds were ENE to E or close to onshore with 6 to 8 ft. waves, sometimes higher in the breaker lines. I tuned my 14 m Switchblade for max power on the pigtails being concerned about being able to get offshore much less navigate up the coast. I didn't want to use my larger lighter wind twin tip in all those big waves if I had a choice.

I shot these images using the new GoPro HD2 cameras mounted on my kite and helmet.


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album04/3_G_002.jpg
There is the historic Breakers Hotel followed by the condos on Singer Island a bit further north. Doesn't look that far, maybe three miles? Actually it is over five miles but the distance burns away fast once you're going close to a beam reach with a bunch of tacks thrown in. It turned out to be a nice few hour session covering over ten miles in good winds and waves.


http://fpc.dos.state.fl.us/prints/pr07020.jpg
The Breakers was originally the "Palm Beach Inn" constructed by Henry Flagler in 1896. It burned in 1903 and was replaced with the Breakers Hotel. Looks like quite a bit of dredge and filling happened prior to the present day.
http://fpc.dos.state.fl.us/f



http://fpc.dos.state.fl.us/prints/pr15223.jpg
The Breakers in 1947 before the construction of the new eastern additions.
http://fpc.dos.state.fl.us/



http://www.fksa.org/albums/album04/55_GOPR1748.jpg
Some nice sets rolled through on the way north, almost double head high at points.



http://www.fksa.org/albums/album04/40_G.jpg



http://www.fksa.org/albums/album04/28a.jpg
You don't want to get too close to that massive seawall in onshore winds and waves!



http://www.fksa.org/albums/album04/39_GOPR0615.jpg
I got going at around 3:15 pm and a couple of hours from sunset.



http://www.fksa.org/albums/album04/102_s.jpg
Might as well get going north, we'll pass by this way running back to the start around sunset.



http://www.fksa.org/albums/album04/4...tonemapped.jpg
Working up to the inlet



http://www.fksa.org/albums/album04/100_s.jpg
Made it to the south jetty, need to make to windward and around the inlet to the north.



http://www.fksa.org/albums/album04/77_G.jpg
Coming up on one of the south channel marker buoys



http://www.fksa.org/albums/album04/1...tonemapped.jpg



http://www.fksa.org/albums/album04/60_tonemapped.jpg
A good sized yacht moves into the inlet ala HDR.



http://www.fksa.org/albums/album04/18_s.jpg
Crossing the channel, there is the bypass dredge or Pumphouse, dedicated to shifting sand accumulated above the north jetty to a discharge south of the inlet on the receding beach.



http://www.fksa.org/albums/album04/101_s.jpg
It has been years since I last kited up here. The last time was for the three 60 mile kite races from Jupiter to Ft. Lauderdale. I noticed at that time with northerly winds anyway, that the wave heights dropped with each inlet you passed heading south. So, this was the first drop passing Lake Worth Inlet.

More about those great races including the first one in 15 ft. seas and 30 mph+ winds at:
http://www.fksa.org/archive/index.php?t-2489.html



http://www.fksa.org/albums/album04/106_GOPR2702.jpg
Sliding along inside the break pending working back out again.



http://www.fksa.org/albums/album04/107_GOPR2859.jpg



http://www.fksa.org/albums/album04/23_s.jpg




http://www.fksa.org/albums/album04/67_GOPR2553.jpg
Looking north towards the condos on Singer Island.



http://www.fksa.org/albums/album04/105_G.jpg
The waves build and get a bit erratic close to and just north of the inlet. Things clean up a bit and grow larger slightly further north.



http://www.fksa.org/albums/album101/1_G.jpg
The pumphouse is a well known surfing spot going back years. I understand Kelly Slater used to surf here at times. I can recall seeing a bunch of guys tow-in surfing here on livecam (above). More about that at: http://www.fksa.org/showthread.php?t=537



http://www.fksa.org/albums/album04/22a_s.jpg



http://www.fksa.org/albums/album04/19_s.jpg
The 14 m Switchblade kite proved to be a good fit for this session. It was light initially, barely enough to workout in onshore winds and good sized waves. After a while though the wind filled in particularly further offshore. The depowering came in handy at that point. When going point to point in the ocean it helps to have enough power to stay upwind without throwing in a lot of tacking.


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album04/200_s.jpg
Back to the Breakers and the sun is starting to drop.



http://www.fksa.org/albums/album04/16_s.jpg



http://www.fksa.org/albums/album04/5...tonemapped.jpg
Still playing around with HDR, it provides some unusual colors and contrasts.


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album04/201_tonemapped.jpg
The sun is about down, time to head in and call it a day. Its been fun!


.

miamikiteboarding 11-29-2011 12:59 PM

looks great RIck,
you really fine-tuned that Go Pro setup on ur kite hum?

awesome images :)
chris

ricki 11-29-2011 02:44 PM

Thanks Christophe! Still playing around with the setup. It is difficult to change things around as once it is up, it's up for the session as a rule. The camera delivers some nice images though.

Congratulations on your party, great turnout and it looks like fun! Making it a triannual tradition is a good idea.

ricki 09-24-2012 01:37 PM

I was able to get out for a couple of hours after work last week and at the suggestion of my wife! We have a new baby in the house making such occasions less common for the time being. Here is a short video from the session.


Kite-France 01-02-2016 03:55 PM

I'm impressed as you did these pictures over 4 years ago, and there are till awesome. Well done
__________________
"Kite-France" from SurfShop.fr

StevenRogers 01-24-2016 06:42 PM

Hey there guys, the photos above are amazing, I feel like going out right now :p. Anyway, I will be staying at the Sabbia Beach Condos in Pompano Beach, FL (a totally spectacular place, can't wait) with some friends this summer so I was wondering how the community in South Florida is, how many people surf actively during the summer months and is there someone I could get in touch with, I'm talking about the last week of August or so..


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