Squall Story #II - Ft. Lauderdale
Wonder if it is safe to fly a kite the size of a station wagon?
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The second incident happened at the Ft. Lauderdale launch. Several riders had been out but most had landed before the incoming squall boosted winds. In fact the winds actually had died a bit as the black cloud mass was edging toward shore. Neil Hutchinson has setup a new beachside kiteshop here, Tiki Beach Watersports and was engaged in giving lessons until the squall became an obvious threat. He told his students the time with kites was over but not the lesson, it was just starting. Have a seat and watch carefully what happens as the squall moves in. We have squalls so frequently in light wind summer that such lessons are readily available.
The action happened perhaps in the vicinity of the red highlighted area.
Neil was evaluating the Link, the new Slingshot flat kite and wanted to see how it would do in gustier conditions. This was before he noticed that the squall had disgorged a large waterspout about a mile upwind. He thought better of it and decided to sit this one out. Some of us have already had our windblown collisions with harsh reality and don't hunger for avoidable repeats.
Another waterspout but perhaps in not too dissimilar a position.
One experienced rider had returned to shore to exchange a 12 m Link, for a 16 m five line Octane as the wind had died. The winds had been about 12 to 14 kts. The squall was just offshore and influencing weather in a big way. The rider launched the 16 m and proceeded to ride offshore. At about 25 yards off the beach the wind boosted to about 34 kts. in no time based on Neil's beachside anenometer station. Building to this moment, the rider tried to edge in some minor lessor initial gusts, and was popped off the water a short height. He then fully pulled in his depowering trim strap. He was then lofted all the way to the waters edge, kicking his board off before landing. He had the kite at the zenith and was trying to sit down to anchor the kite before he was lofted again a horizontal distance of about 30 ft. and again about 45 ft. Another one of Neil's past students who was previously treated to a display of summer squall power, chased after the rider trying to help. The kiter was then lofted about 15 ft. off the ground and was coming closer to the roadway, he then elected to ditch the entire kite. The kiter free fell about 15 ft. to the sand. The kite flew free and drapped over a lamp post with the bar catching in the crown of a palm tree. The approximate $1500. kite was destroyed on the lamppost but the rider was very fortunate to escape injury.