Show on the beach

[cmalloy513]

This year I will be doing a show on a beach. I just had a few questions on setup/placement of cakes/racks etc.

The beach has tall grass about 150 feet from the water when the water is at high tide and the grass is usually pretty dry. The spectators are usually about a football field's length away. I have a Cobra system with one module but hopefully getting another by the 4th. The show will most likely be a combination of electric and hand firing.

I was wondering if there is anyone out there with experience doing a show on the beach and how they placed their boards and racks. Did you shoot toward the water, straight up, or angle it toward the crowd? Should I avoid fan cakes due to the high grass? Does shooting toward the water look as good as shooting straight up/angled towards the crowd? Would half burying the racks in the sand be a good idea?

Just looking for some feedback/stories of shows on the beach to plan my show so anything you would like to share that may be helpful would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
cmalloy513

[ras1986]

Well I'm shooting a big show on the beach this year and I shot a big one last year. Last year was a total failure. I learned a lot so I hope I can help you. I lost a firing system to fire. Keep a shovel on hand to dump sand on the flaming cakes. Half of them are going to burn big. I'm in texas so our beaches have a constant 15 MPh wind blowing off the beach so it just is like pouring gasoline on cakes and they go up fast. That's my #1 piece of advice. Don't worry about burying anything just treat it like a normal shoot. Stabilize ur racks with wood or stakes, whatever you normally do. I shoot everything straight up but the wind is so strong it carries the shells towards the audience. My audience was on a deck 300-350 feet away and there was unburned stars and gunpowder all over the deck the next day. The wind may have turned my distance into about 200 ft with the wind at that altitude. Also..... the salt air!!!!!! Wire ur mods as late as possible. That shitty air corroded the terminals on my systems last year and I had tons of misfires, misfires that showed continuity during testing.... if you have any more questions please feel free to ask here or pm me!!!!

[ilovecrackle]

I'v never shot on a beach before but the only thing I can add that RAS1986 did not mention about is never angle your cakes or racks toward the crowd.

[ras1986]

I'v never shot on a beach before but the only thing I can add that RAS1986 did not mention about is never angle your cakes or racks toward the crowd.

Cmon man, lol we all know that shooting shells at the audience adds a sense of danger to the show and makes it more awesome!!

[PGH_Pyro]

consider the wind speed & direction

[Csection]

Cmon man, lol we all know that shooting shells at the audience adds a sense of danger to the show and makes it more awesome!!
I really hope you meant that to be funny!
What Crackle said is the #1 rule of fireworks safety.
If this guy is not familiar with this he may not know.

[ras1986]

I really hope you meant that to be funny!
What Crackle said is the #1 rule of fireworks safety.
If this guy is not familiar with this he may not know.

If he is not familiar with this he shouldn't be shooting a show, really shouldn't be allowed to buy fireworks for that matter. Is common sense. Like shooting guns at people

[Csection]

If he is not familiar with this he shouldn't be shooting a show, really shouldn't be allowed to buy fireworks for that matter. Is common sense. Like shooting guns at people
I agree!
It is also a big part of the PGI safety course. Maybe noobs should be made to take a course with videos on safe and unsafe practices.

That might eliminate some of the stupid crap we see on the news about mishaps.

If I aim my gun at somebody, it's because they are in my house and weren't invited! If I was a paint baller, I'd have to make an exception to that lol!

[ilovecrackle]

I was wondering if there is anyone out there with experience doing a show on the beach and how they placed their boards and racks. Did you shoot toward the water, straight up, or angle it toward the crowd? Should I avoid fan cakes due to the high grass? Does shooting toward the water look as good as shooting straight up/angled towards the crowd? Would half burying the racks in the sand be a good idea?
cmalloy513

This is why i mentioned about not shooting toward the crowd.
Yes, I'm sure the OP knows better but he did ask if anyone has angled toward the crowd.
Sorry for replying with the obvious. :D

[cmalloy513]

This is why i mentioned about not shooting toward the crowd.
Yes, I'm sure the OP knows better but he did ask if anyone has angled toward the crowd.
Sorry for replying with the obvious. :D
Crackle, thanks for your concern. I asked this question because I talked to a display opperator that has since retired and he said that sometimes he would slightly angle the racks towards the crowd. Not so much as to put the crowd in danger but to get the fireworks closer to the crowd for a better view since he was shooting on a large barge off the shore of the beach. I was just wondering if anyone else had done this.