Malibu IWINDSURF Sensors

[allen]

It's clearing wind season and IWINDSURF has removed both the Topanga and Leo Sensors and I assume they are not coming back. What's going on? Isn't Malibu kind of a go-to spot for kiting/windsurfing where the sensors would have a lot a value? Some kind of fight with the surfers? Maybe Mike can comment on this.

[windfind]

Hi Allen,

Last season Ben flew into Southern California and visited several possible hosts in the Leo area There are very few suitable locations along that stretch of coast and most of the possible hosts are not very interested. There is always lots of initial interest but once you get down to signing contracts for a sensor on public property lots of issues have to be negotiated like liability, aesthetics, insurance etc issues arise.

That said, we are waiting for one party to make their final decision a Leo sensor location.

Topanga has been down since Dec. and is in the repair queue.

Right now the sensor crew is focusing on sites where there is winter wind action.

Last week Ben was in the Cancun area installing a bunch of sensors for our Hurricane Network

http://weatherflow.com/professional-services/weather-networks/custom-designed-mesonets/the-weatherflow-hurricane-network/

Then he flew overnight across Mexico to La Paz, Baja and drove at night to La Ventana where he installed a new sensor at Ventana WindSports.

Check out the perfect location below.

Mike Godsey
iwindsurf.com/ikitesurf.com
Weatheflow.com

[MalibuGuru]

Try surf line for their cameras

[tlucoff]

Such a funky excuse when your stuff doesn’t work

[windfind]

Hi tiucoff,

The issue is not a broken sensor.

We access lost permission to use the old Leo sensor location and had to remove it. Since then our staff had flown to Southern California several times trying to get permission at promising locations.

Property owners in that area have not been enthusiastic about having a weather station on their roof etc since it has to have clear access to the wind. ie. it is in their or their neighbors view line. We had a promising deal on one site but it fell through at the last moment.

Perhaps you have an idea for a location? We have had several good leads from customers in the area and having a local ask often works better than one of our staff make a cold call. So far no help from the state.

Meanwhile, we continue to install more sensors from British Columbia to Yucatan to serve our government, DOD, commercial customers as well as windsurfers and kiters and other water people.

Mike Godsey
iwindsurf.com/ikitesurf.com
Weatheflow.com

[windsrf]

Mike,

The photo above appears to show a sensor installed without much "access security"?

I'd like to facilitate adding an iWind sensor at Los Barriles/Vela and have good connections there given 20 years of visits (roughly). The Vela staff currently mounts a sensor on a pole at end of one of those movable metal docks. It is fairly static/stable situation, but also perhaps too accessible? Sensor definitely needs upgrade, etc.

Any iWind interest in that venue?

Cheers, David

[windfind]

Hi David,

Actually, the sensor in the photo is inside a fenced resort and there is a guest room with floor to ceiling windows looking across the sensor to the water. Not perfect security but an ideal location for wind accuracy.

This is the issue we always face. The sensor package costs thousands of dollars so often the best wind location is too accessible to thieves.

And what you cannot see in that photo is the bulky electronics package located at the base of the stone column.

So imagine you own an amazing beach house near Leo or Hookipa and one day a complete stranger knocked at your door and asked if he could install all this junk in your view line.

That is the task we are confronted with daily as we expand our sensor network. And, amazingly, there are people who agree or there are government entities who need the wind data. But so far we have struck out for Hookipa and Leo despite many repeat trips asking for permission from houses, parks, counties, restaurants etc.

Below is a photo of our latest weather station in Yucatan. I think such a 30 foot concrete post with sensor would give Malibu/Leo area kiters and windsurfers great wind readings.

The situation at Los Barriles is different. We have a great working relationship with Vela since both Vela and the old iwindsurf company were under the same umbrella. The question is how to make money off the Baja sensors. So far we have run the La Ventana sensor as a free service for our customers and absorbed all the costs ourselves. But that is not a very good fiscal model.

Maybe we could make Baja sensors an in-app purchase and make some money that way.

Mike Godsey
iwindsurf.com/ikitesurf.com
Weatheflow.com

[windsrf]

Thanks Mike.

Makes sense and good to know you have that relationship with Vela staff.

Maybe if you could offer just a one-month app for access, or something like that, it would generate some revenue? Don't know the economics so can't speculate as to ability to break even. I'd certainly pay a few bucks for good, easily accessible data even though I'm only there for about 2 weeks each year.

OTOH, putting several $K of gear out on one of those docks probably wouldn't work security-wise. Sensor would be quite visible to all at hotel and Verdugo's place, but still......

Thanks again, David

[dabull1]

Hey Mike, just upgraded to have access to Maui conditions. With all the Green Power B.S. talk wouldn’t you think that the State of Ca would pay you to develop a feasibility study for wind powering Malibu with the requisite sensors, maybe DWP and PGE would kick in some cash and the sites... just sayin’

[dabull1]

The ridge behind Leo Carrillo could look like this...NOT... just want the sensor back!