BWE's New Toy - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

BWE · 10-11-2007, 08:51 AM

We are pleased to announce, for your viewing pleasure, a (drum roll please)...

WEBCAM AT THE LAUNCH!

With unreserved support from our sponsor OEX, Big Water's Edge is proud to bring you the webcam pointed directly at the boat/kayak launch at Avenida De La Playa. So if you're ditching work or "taking the kids to soccer practice", borrow somebody's truck.

Big THANK YOU goes out to the La Jolla Shores Hotel for allowing us to install the camera on their property.

Webcam access will be available immediately for WCW 2007 Players and the press while we work out the remaining bugs. It will be open for the general public shortly.

The camera is equipped with an IR (infra-red) module for night vision.

We put the weather/conditions links on the webcam page so that all your pre-launch preparations can be found at one spot.

Please note:

In order to see the video, you will need to install Axis Active-X control. You will be prompted to install it the 1st time you access the webcam page.
Each session is limited to 30 seconds, then you need to re-fresh (re-load) the page. This is so that nobody leaves the window open, slowing it down for everyone else.

If experiencing problems viewing the video, please do let us know by posting here. We'll do our best to help.

Thanks again to the OEX, La Jolla Shores Hotel and the man of the hour - Adi of Adi IT Works for putting in a tremendous amount of time and energy to get this camera dialed in.

Please share your thoughts/impressions/ideas to help us fine tune the webcam page.

http://www.bigwatersedge.com/index.p...lashoreswebcam

Holy Mackerel · 10-11-2007, 09:39 AM

Hey look it's the Madscientist in his old Blue boat!

dorado50 · 10-11-2007, 12:06 PM

No thats dorado50. I can recognize him anywhere!

theyorkieterror · 10-26-2007, 12:28 PM

From way over here it looks like a great place. I had to go to rocky top to catch a view.

BWE · 10-11-2007, 12:55 PM

To all the folks who sent email to admin via "Contact Us" link...

Please read below:

Quote:

Originally Posted by BWE

Webcam access will be available immediately for WCW 2007 Players and the press while we work out the remaining bugs. It will be open for the general public shortly.

We'll make an announcement when we enable Webcam access for everyone.

Thanks!

dmr · 10-11-2007, 01:54 PM

Very cool guys. Pretty fast frame rate should be good for high tide carnage shots. IR too.

wavster · 10-11-2007, 02:07 PM

Very nice. WTG BWE techies...

D50: looks like you went out this morning. What's the report???? More yellow?

wavster · 10-11-2007, 02:10 PM

Will we have zoom and pan controls? I'd like to be able to see what rigs
other guys are using...

Oh yea, and the eye candy, too...

One Rev · 10-13-2007, 12:24 PM

Your right, I'll set here watchin the cam all day and daydream about launching. This is so cool. I love the internet.

Mike

h2ofishfo · 10-13-2007, 02:43 PM

freakin sweet but when i have all my crap loaded tghe night bfore rain or shine im rollin

T-Rex · 10-14-2007, 01:59 PM

Very cool...thanks.

Now we just need an infared camera to see how conditions are at 3:00 a.m.!

nunyabizness1 · 10-14-2007, 02:36 PM

Very cool! Thanks to OEX, LJ Hotel and Adi for putting this together!

madscientist · 10-14-2007, 03:13 PM

I know Adi and OEX put a lot of work into this and the concept is a fine one. However, I must admit to being a little upset that the field of view is so focused on the launch area. It's kind of creepy knowing that you are potentially being watched every time you load/unload, and as we've already seen, people and vehicles are easily recognizable. I wonder if it would be possible to angle it out more, so that those that may not want to be on camera could easily avoid the field of view. Otherwise, it seems somewhat intrusive to force us all to be on what is essentially a worldwide live feed as we make use of a public access area. Several other people I know share this concern.

nmbrinkman · 10-14-2007, 04:05 PM

Finally figured out how to view the feed. Thanks guys for setting this up. I kinda like the field of view seeing as I don't catch enough fish to fear advertising them

. On a more serious note, I find myself using the launch in the afternoons and I like the idea of being able to judge the crowds beforehand. Not to mention the tail and trainwrecks that it attracts..

JMO though.

MKNOTT · 10-14-2007, 04:33 PM

I think the camera is great. I'm sure it will be used by many on a boring day at work, AND DEFINITLY for that last min looks before a PM. You could always launch at Bird Rock Brad

. Seriously though, I highly dought anybody will use the camera for criminal intent. Maybe my X-Wife, I guess I'll have to walk along the fence if I think she is looking. MKNOTT

fishfinder · 10-19-2007, 12:59 PM

Guess no more bong hits in the car

:t he_finger:

DBITE · 10-23-2007, 07:33 AM

Nice!! I had been using the beach club's web cam but it's focused a bit south of the launch. This is much better.

TomTurtle · 12-03-2007, 12:41 PM

thanks a lot guys- now i have another reason i can't get anything done at work

lambadmin · 10-15-2007, 12:39 PM

A thing to note - the webcam has an IR, but it's not that great in the pitch darkness. It's OK when the lights on the hotel are on, and I'm hoping it will be somewhat OK with the moonlight. We're yet to see that.

But keep in mind - now that we have this webcam, we can always get more expensive camera and the webserver that can reeeeeally see in the dark... $$$ is the only problem, but if all of us pitch in a little?? I'd be willing

I'm very happy to see the overwhelmingly positive response to the camera.

What it took was:

... a big pile of $$$ provided by OEX. THANK YOU!

... an awesome patronage from La Jolla Shores Hotel. Please remember this and cut down the noise and volume on your stereo when pulling in to launch at 4:00 AM

. A ton of emails back and forth, multiple meetings. THANK YOU!

... 5 quotes from different Video Equipment Installation companies. Another ton of emails back and forth, hours on the phone and meetings explaining what's really important that this camera has. Big thanks to DVSS Video Security folks for delivering what we need. Great folks to deal with, professional and dependable. Big thank you to David Lugan - http://www.dvss.net/

... hours of configuring it all, days/weeks of test driving and fine tunning.

I'd like to thank to all the folks that helped out with the initial feedback, before it was announced on the board.

I'd also like to thank the WCW gang for being the Guinea pigs once we released it.

Muchos gracias.

Brad's concern is a legit but I'd say very very remote.

We initially had the camera pointed more West along those wooden pilings...

Then we decided to move it up and more North, to cover more of the beach and the waterline. Keep in mind that the breaking swell will be moving further and closer to the webcam depending on the tides. We tried to have it pointed so it covers all the tide extremes.

For people that have a problem being on camera when launching and landing - as OEX said, there's a plenty of space closer to wooden pilings that is out of the webcam range. A second or two you'd be on the camera while passing should not be enough time for someone to actually recognize and ID your car, especially in the dark when we're launching most of the time. Be rest assured the camera was not put out there so we can see you - we're interested in swell, waves, wind and the general conditions at the launch. BWE and OEX believe that information is what will be helpful to the kayak fishing community, and that the benefits heavily outweigh the remotely possible bad things.

Personally, I doubt the thieves will be excited that they can now use the webcam to recognize the cars. I can't imagine them being all high tech, getting up at 4:00 AM to sit in front of their computer and "mark" the cars they're going to rob.

If they're up for the dirty business, I would think they'd be much more inclined to actually be there at the ramp and see us launching - something we can't prevent anyways.

madscientist · 10-16-2007, 06:24 AM

Who said anything about thieves? But a non-trivial concern none the less.

It is not always possible to hug the pylons, depending on crowd or tide.

I think the original positioning was better, as people could just head north if they wanted to avoid the camera.

I was initially taken aback as the very first images I was shown clearly showed a fellow WCWer at the launch, with the surf barely visible. Perhaps that made me focus on the "spycam" aspect.

If looking at blurry tourist tail on that camera is your thing, there are much better websites out there that cater to that kink (and all the others)lol.

The dirty little secret is that there is almost never surf at LJ. Seriously, in almost 3 years and over 500 launches at LJ I have never turned back or even doubted if I could get out/back through the surf. Developing the skills and confidence to deal with surf is part of the challenge and part of the unique thrill of kayak fishing for ocean big game. As Andy has pointed out, if it gets too easy it loses some of its allure (I'm paraphrasing).

The technical accomplishment is superb. Well done Adi!

10-11-2007, 08:51 AM	#1
BWE Administrator Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 131	La Jolla Shores Public Boat Launch Webcam!!! We are pleased to announce, for your viewing pleasure, a (drum roll please)... WEBCAM AT THE LAUNCH! With unreserved support from our sponsor OEX, Big Water's Edge is proud to bring you the webcam pointed directly at the boat/kayak launch at Avenida De La Playa. So if you're ditching work or "taking the kids to soccer practice", borrow somebody's truck. Big THANK YOU goes out to the La Jolla Shores Hotel for allowing us to install the camera on their property. Webcam access will be available immediately for WCW 2007 Players and the press while we work out the remaining bugs. It will be open for the general public shortly. The camera is equipped with an IR (infra-red) module for night vision. We put the weather/conditions links on the webcam page so that all your pre-launch preparations can be found at one spot. Please note: In order to see the video, you will need to install Axis Active-X control. You will be prompted to install it the 1st time you access the webcam page. Each session is limited to 30 seconds, then you need to re-fresh (re-load) the page. This is so that nobody leaves the window open, slowing it down for everyone else. If experiencing problems viewing the video, please do let us know by posting here. We'll do our best to help. Thanks again to the OEX, La Jolla Shores Hotel and the man of the hour - Adi of Adi IT Works for putting in a tremendous amount of time and energy to get this camera dialed in. Please share your thoughts/impressions/ideas to help us fine tune the webcam page. http://www.bigwatersedge.com/index.p...lashoreswebcam

10-14-2007, 03:13 PM	#13
madscientist Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 1,906	I know Adi and OEX put a lot of work into this and the concept is a fine one. However, I must admit to being a little upset that the field of view is so focused on the launch area. It's kind of creepy knowing that you are potentially being watched every time you load/unload, and as we've already seen, people and vehicles are easily recognizable. I wonder if it would be possible to angle it out more, so that those that may not want to be on camera could easily avoid the field of view. Otherwise, it seems somewhat intrusive to force us all to be on what is essentially a worldwide live feed as we make use of a public access area. Several other people I know share this concern. __________________

10-14-2007, 04:05 PM	#14
nmbrinkman Work Sucks! Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: San Diego Posts: 559	Finally figured out how to view the feed. Thanks guys for setting this up. I kinda like the field of view seeing as I don't catch enough fish to fear advertising them . On a more serious note, I find myself using the launch in the afternoons and I like the idea of being able to judge the crowds beforehand. Not to mention the tail and trainwrecks that it attracts.. JMO though. Last edited by nmbrinkman; 10-14-2007 at 04:18 PM.

10-14-2007, 04:33 PM	#15
MKNOTT Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Persian Gulf Posts: 263	I think the camera is great. I'm sure it will be used by many on a boring day at work, AND DEFINITLY for that last min looks before a PM. You could always launch at Bird Rock Brad . Seriously though, I highly dought anybody will use the camera for criminal intent. Maybe my X-Wife, I guess I'll have to walk along the fence if I think she is looking. MKNOTT __________________ When I grow up I want to be, One of the harvesters of the sea, <O I think before my days are done, I want to be a fisherman.

10-19-2007, 12:59 PM	#16
fishfinder Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 1	Webcam Guess no more bong hits in the car :t he_finger:

10-11-2007, 09:39 AM	#2
Holy Mackerel Señor member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 1,627	Hey look it's the Madscientist in his old Blue boat!

10-11-2007, 12:06 PM	#3
dorado50 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: La Jolla Shores Posts: 1,626	No thats dorado50. I can recognize him anywhere!

10-26-2007, 12:28 PM	#4
theyorkieterror Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: lower east tennessee Posts: 2	From way over here it looks like a great place. I had to go to rocky top to catch a view.

10-11-2007, 01:54 PM	#6
dmr Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Carlsbad Posts: 155	Very cool guys. Pretty fast frame rate should be good for high tide carnage shots. IR too.

10-11-2007, 02:07 PM	#7
wavster Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Encinitas Posts: 562	Very nice. WTG BWE techies... D50: looks like you went out this morning. What's the report???? More yellow?

10-11-2007, 02:10 PM	#8
wavster Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Encinitas Posts: 562	Will we have zoom and pan controls? I'd like to be able to see what rigs other guys are using... Oh yea, and the eye candy, too...

10-13-2007, 12:24 PM	#9
One Rev Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Chula Vista, CA Posts: 65	Your right, I'll set here watchin the cam all day and daydream about launching. This is so cool. I love the internet. Mike

10-13-2007, 02:43 PM	#10
h2ofishfo Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Santee Posts: 821	freakin sweet but when i have all my crap loaded tghe night bfore rain or shine im rollin

10-14-2007, 01:59 PM	#11
T-Rex Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Rancho Santa Margarita Posts: 770	Very cool...thanks. Now we just need an infared camera to see how conditions are at 3:00 a.m.!

10-14-2007, 02:36 PM	#12
nunyabizness1 Maggie Join Date: May 2007 Location: Nunya Posts: 126	Very cool! Thanks to OEX, LJ Hotel and Adi for putting this together!

10-23-2007, 07:33 AM	#17
DBITE Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 36	Nice!! I had been using the beach club's web cam but it's focused a bit south of the launch. This is much better.

12-03-2007, 12:41 PM	#18
TomTurtle Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 76	thanks a lot guys- now i have another reason i can't get anything done at work

10-15-2007, 12:39 PM	#19
lambadmin Spam Sanitation Dept Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 1,374	A thing to note - the webcam has an IR, but it's not that great in the pitch darkness. It's OK when the lights on the hotel are on, and I'm hoping it will be somewhat OK with the moonlight. We're yet to see that. But keep in mind - now that we have this webcam, we can always get more expensive camera and the webserver that can reeeeeally see in the dark... $$$ is the only problem, but if all of us pitch in a little?? I'd be willing I'm very happy to see the overwhelmingly positive response to the camera. What it took was: ... a big pile of $$$ provided by OEX. THANK YOU! ... an awesome patronage from La Jolla Shores Hotel. Please remember this and cut down the noise and volume on your stereo when pulling in to launch at 4:00 AM . A ton of emails back and forth, multiple meetings. THANK YOU! ... 5 quotes from different Video Equipment Installation companies. Another ton of emails back and forth, hours on the phone and meetings explaining what's really important that this camera has. Big thanks to DVSS Video Security folks for delivering what we need. Great folks to deal with, professional and dependable. Big thank you to David Lugan - http://www.dvss.net/ ... hours of configuring it all, days/weeks of test driving and fine tunning. I'd like to thank to all the folks that helped out with the initial feedback, before it was announced on the board. I'd also like to thank the WCW gang for being the Guinea pigs once we released it. Muchos gracias. Brad's concern is a legit but I'd say very very remote. We initially had the camera pointed more West along those wooden pilings... Then we decided to move it up and more North, to cover more of the beach and the waterline. Keep in mind that the breaking swell will be moving further and closer to the webcam depending on the tides. We tried to have it pointed so it covers all the tide extremes. For people that have a problem being on camera when launching and landing - as OEX said, there's a plenty of space closer to wooden pilings that is out of the webcam range. A second or two you'd be on the camera while passing should not be enough time for someone to actually recognize and ID your car, especially in the dark when we're launching most of the time. Be rest assured the camera was not put out there so we can see you - we're interested in swell, waves, wind and the general conditions at the launch. BWE and OEX believe that information is what will be helpful to the kayak fishing community, and that the benefits heavily outweigh the remotely possible bad things. Personally, I doubt the thieves will be excited that they can now use the webcam to recognize the cars. I can't imagine them being all high tech, getting up at 4:00 AM to sit in front of their computer and "mark" the cars they're going to rob. If they're up for the dirty business, I would think they'd be much more inclined to actually be there at the ramp and see us launching - something we can't prevent anyways.

10-16-2007, 06:24 AM	#20
madscientist Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 1,906	Who said anything about thieves? But a non-trivial concern none the less. It is not always possible to hug the pylons, depending on crowd or tide. I think the original positioning was better, as people could just head north if they wanted to avoid the camera. I was initially taken aback as the very first images I was shown clearly showed a fellow WCWer at the launch, with the surf barely visible. Perhaps that made me focus on the "spycam" aspect. If looking at blurry tourist tail on that camera is your thing, there are much better websites out there that cater to that kink (and all the others)lol. The dirty little secret is that there is almost never surf at LJ. Seriously, in almost 3 years and over 500 launches at LJ I have never turned back or even doubted if I could get out/back through the surf. Developing the skills and confidence to deal with surf is part of the challenge and part of the unique thrill of kayak fishing for ocean big game. As Andy has pointed out, if it gets too easy it loses some of its allure (I'm paraphrasing). The technical accomplishment is superb. Well done Adi! __________________ Last edited by madscientist; 10-16-2007 at 08:18 AM.