VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

Hi, I was just going through the old news archive when I came across this. I think that now is a good time to show our appreciation once again and start sending some cheques to Dave.

Donations are being accepted to keep this website going. There are a lot of costs of running the site: web hosting, webcam purchases, monthly internet bills for the webcams (x4), domain name costs, weather station costs. The sponsors help to keep the site going, but more money is needed for webcam upgrades and to pay off the Cook Street webcam, the Columbia Beach webcam and the weather station.
In the future it would be great to upgrade the Island View and Gordon's Beach webcams and also put up some weather stations at a few other sites. This all costs money, so if you can afford a small donation it would really help out.

Send cheques to:
$10, $20, $50 or $100 donations are very helpful!

Dave Billenness
6855 West Saanich Road
Brentwood Bay, BC
V8M 1J5
This was not instigated by Dave, but rather by myself after using this site alot over the last week(with all the wind we have been having lately).

Thanks

Gareth

whatever happened to the paypal initiative? I think it would generate more funds if there was an option to donate by MC.

Not that we shouldn't be sending cheques, just that human nature being what it is, the easier it is to do, the more likely it will happen!

I am considering having a speed sailing competition at Nitinat this summer using a GPS(Garmin Foretrex) like the one Morley has. I will purchase a GPS and then you can use it for a nominal fee($5) and try to break the record. Just a basic maximum speed NOT over any specific distance as that would take too much extra work. All the proceeds will go to the BIGWAVEDAVE.ca pay for some cool stuff fund!!

what do you all think.....easy way to donate to a good cause!!

That is a great idea. Can a GPS act as an Altimeter? That way kiters could use it and have an accurate height to their jumps.

I am not sure it would measure your height accurately enough for a competition but for sure you could get in on the speed competition between kites......who is the fastest kiter-dude......YOU DECIDE!!


Can kites go faster than windsurfers at low,med,high winds....well...let us find out.....come on out and give it a try!!!

Gareth....are you sure you want to know how high you actually jump?? Isn't it more fun to just make it up
I know I'm busting at least 10'-12', and that's off a 1' piece of chop

Well you know how everyone has these30-40 ft jumps, it might be interesting to see what that translates to. It would be interesting to actually know, but you are right, maybe the fun is in not knowing(like the 20ft waves at Jordans) but rather in the telling.

The GPS wouldn't give an accurate reading on altitude, but it just might be precise enough to figure out from downloaded tracks (not just the 'highest altitude recorded, which is re-settable like max. speed). THis might work on days with good satellite geometry. That is, the elevations may show you cruising at -6m elevation, but a 6 m high jump might well show you going to 0 m and back down to -6. If this occurred at the same location as a sudden downwind departure from the line of travel, it might be believable. The track recording settings would have to be stepped up to max too - I think the Foretrex usually stores a 3D + time track point every 5 seconds or so, but you can step this up to every second or every half second I think.

Just have to try it out!! My GPS is available anytime (that I'm not set on breaking a personal record!) if Bobson's not around with his new toy!