San Francisco

[dr-masse]

Det finns hur mycket grymt bra vindsurfing som helst runt SF!

http://bayinsider.ktvu.com/recreation/guides/windsurfing/windsurfing_map.html

Nedanstående från http://www.windance.com/west_coast_guide/california/NorCal_SFBay.htm

Surfa På!

San Francisco Bay and the nearby coast have some of the most consistent winds in the country, and there are plenty of sites to take advantage of the prevailing conditions. There is sailing year-round in California, but summer is the main season. The wind is generated by cool coastal air rushing inland to replace the fast-rising heated air of the valley, producing reliable winds May through September. Spring and fall are excellent too, but windy days are a less frequent. Winter sailing is possible but often it is in the rain.

The wind machine here is a product of the fog. The fog is pulled inland as far as Sacramento on summer nights, then as the sun climbs heating the land and the fog burns off to the city or coast. Each day is different as there are days of all sunshine and days of all fog. The rules for where to sail are based on the fog’s location, the valley temperatures, and the tides. While the fog “creates” the wind, it also shuts it off as it proceeds east, overrunning sailing sites and killing the wind along the way. This is especially important at places like Crissy Field where there are strong currents to deal with. When the city is fogged in, go sailing at the south or east bay sites. When the east and south bay fogs in, go to The Delta.

Crissy Field, The Delta and Third Avenue are not good venues for sailing at max flood tides, as the current flows with the wind and is is just too strong. Fortunately, those 3 sites tidal flows do not parallel each other, in fact, the Delta is almost opposite of Crissy Field. You will want to sail where the combination of wind and tide is the best. Tide books that show the tidal flow data in an easy to understated “dot” format are widely available in the area. There are also strong northwesterly clearing winds that follow passing storm fronts throughout the year. There are 3 general types of sailing and conditions in the area:
1. Bay Sailing
2. Coast / Wave Sailing
3. Inland / River Sailing

The Bay
The San Francisco Bay is the center of windsurfing action in California. The bay has a variety of launches that make it possible to sail there any day there is wind. And there is wind. 4.2-5.5 being the norm for much of the summer windy season. The area is broken up into four geographic areas – Golden Gate and Marin County sites (west bay), South bay, East bay and The Delta.

West Bay
The western edges of San Francisco Bay offer some of the best and most visually spectacular sailing in the area. These sites work better outside of the core summer months as the fog does not clear to the coast as often then. Marin County – Strong northwesterly winds are ideal for these sites, making for great sailing with side to off shore winds. Rod and Gun at the west end of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge is best on higher tides, as the bottom is deep, slimy mud that sticks to you and your gear and is unpleasant to wade through. 4.5-6.5 sails and flat water are the staples of sailing here, but there are a few nukers throughout the year. Just east of the Larkspur Landing Ferry terminal is another popular spot. Much of the sailing is done in front of San Quentin Prison, a quarter mile further east. There is little fetch for the wind to build up much in the way of chop at both locations, so the water remains fairly flat. Watch out for the ferry boats coming and going at Larkspur as well, but their wakes can make for some fun pseudo wave sailing. Some people sail from the Marin Headlands Coast Guard Station out to the north tower of the Golden Gate Bridge. On hot summer days the north tower is often the only sailable place, but comes with lots of hassle and risk. First, you must walk out on the breakwater (potentially illegal) and swim to the windline. Then on the way in, you must shoot the same stretch of dead air and strong current to hopefully land near the breakwater, where you must climb out onto the large, slippery boulders carrying your gear. Most sailors opt to swim into the small marina there instead of climbing out on the rocks. The wind on these days shuts off quickly, the current is very strong, and no one can really see sailors so for many the risks and hassles are too great.

Crissy Field lies at the base of the San Francisco marina district. It has nice grassy rigging, restrooms, joggers, cyclists, frisbee enthusiasts and a sandy launch right into the bay with side shore wind. It lies adjacent to St. Francis Yacht Club, the Golden Gate Bridge and Fort Point, making it one of the most picturesque sailing venues imaginable. However, the wind line is often 50 to 150 yards off the beach making “getting out” tricky. On the days that the windline is far offshore, take a floaty board. Knowledge of the tides is more critical here than most bay sites. Ebb tides (westerly current) make for great bump-and-jump conditions, but if you break down or the wind dies the current can sweep you out of the bay. This has happened before and sailors have spent the night on their board, so be safe. On flood tides the current rushes into the bay making for great smooth water fun. Be sure to have enough fin and power to stay upwind or you’ll end up taking a taxi back to your car. There is also an incredible amount of traffic on the water here. On any given day there are windsurfers, kiteboarders, sailboat races, motor boats and ocean-going freighters all using the same body of water.
South Bay
Candlestick (3Comm Park), Coyote Point and Third Avenue are the best known spots on the Peninsula. Candlestick has a rough launch and side-offshore winds and is the closest to San Francisco. Heading south, the next spot is Coyote Point. One of the most popular sites on the bay, Coyote Point has is an easy gravel launch, grassy rigging area, consistent winds and more chop than Candlestick. Coyote is also the site of Windfest each spring. Third Avenue is at the base of the San Mateo Bridge and has some of the best bump and jump conditions in the bay. Best sailed on the beginning of an ebb tide, there are huge port tack ramps out in the channel a ½ mile or so into the bay. The inside area is a mud flat, so sailing at low tide is a messy affair and not recommended. The water here is the warmest in the bay as it does not mix with the Pacific much due the shape of the bay.
East Bay
Most of the windsurfing in the east bay is done at Alameda, Berkeley Marina and at the Pt. Isabel dog park. Alameda has a nice sandy beach and side onshore winds that are lighter than the other spots in the bay. It is a great place to sail the strong southerly winds that accompany winter storms. Berkeley Marina is the most popular site along the east bay. There are multiple places to park and launch, and the conditions are usually 4.7 to 5.5. There is a strong contingent of racers who sail regularly there, racing each other to points in the bay and back. The wind is side shore but if you are unable to stay up wind a rock wall awaits you downwind. Other than that it is a fun, easy place to sail. There are also sailing clubs that have gear for use by members. Point Isabel is about 2 miles north of Berkeley Marina off highway 580. Many days Pt. Isabel is good when Berkeley is not and vice versa, so it is wise to check them both before heading out. Since the launch is located at a doggie park watch your step and your gear at Pt. Isabel.

Treasure Island
This is THE place to launch from to sail in the bay. It is located in the path of the best and strongest winds, but it may not be legal to launch there. The legality of sailing form T.I. has flip flopped over the years, so be sure to get the low down about sailing there before you go. Whether you sail legally, or do the Rig&Run, the place is awesome. Launching right into the strongest, steadiest winds of the bay and into the rolling swell the conditions can’t be beat. On the northeast end of the island is a low rock jetty that is perfect for speed runs. If you are really daring, head north on a speed run and hit the swells as they wrap around the island for some big jumps. However, breaking down here can mean a long swim as the area is tidally affected and you are in the middle of a large body of water without many others around, so be safe.

The Coast
The stretch of coastline from Santa Cruz to Bodega Bay hosts a bunch of wave sailing spots in addition to a healthy white shark population. The Farallon islands make the third and final point of the infamous “Red Triangle”. Some locations don’t seem to have many “locals”, while others have reputations that make you want to stay on the beach, so you will need to decide for yourself. As for the coast and the beaches, the water is cold, the current strong, and the waves are often powerful and unforgiving, so stay within your limits.

Spring and fall have the best winds on the coast, but depending on the year the summers can be good too. If the coast is fogged in, it won’t be windy, and there are days when the fog burns off and still there is no wind on the coast. One local trick for coastal winds is to listen to the morning buoy reports. 8mph or more from the west-northwest by 8:30 am at the Pidgeon Point buoy almost always means a good day for wind. Waves are the biggest and most consistent during the winter, but there is some surf almost all year, even south swells that make for some of the best conditions of the year.

Waddell Creek Possibly the most famous of the central California wave sites, Waddell Creek / Big Basin State Park offers up some of the most consistent sailing on this section of coast. A long sandy beach that has lots of room for everybody and picks up more wave action than other places on this section of the coast. Located just south of Ano Nuevo State Park, it is more exposed to west and north swells than some of the other breaks in the area. This means that Waddell has surf of some kind almost all the time.

A little farther south are the sites of Scott’s Creek and Davenport Landing. These spots require a higher skill level than Waddell. Both sites have tricky launches into considerable shore break, a reef bottom and flukier winds than Waddell. Davenport also has “The Cave”. If you are unfortunate enough to lose your gear and it washes around the south point it may end up in The Cave where it will likely be severely thrashed by the surf and rocks. That said, these two sites do have waves of better shape and length than Waddell.

Scattered along the coast north of San Francisco along the Marin County coastline are other breaks and sailing spots. “The Rock”, Stinson Beach, Bolinas, Tamales Bay and Dillon Beach in Bodega Bay are all sailed regularly and can be epic, but first hand local knowledge is a good idea at some of the sites as there are tricky launches and hidden hazards.

The Delta
Ahhhh, The Delta. Also known simply as “Rio”, the warm winds and fresh water of Rio draws all sorts of recreationalists each summer. Time doesn’t matter much in The Delta, soeverything slows down out there, everything except the sailing. The Sacramento River delta is tidal with a flood and ebb each day. The wind usually comes up in the afternoon and lasts until mid-morning the following day. The best tide pattern is to have an ebb in the morning and again in the evening to coincide with the best winds. Ebb tides blow against the flow of the river setting up steep starboard ramps all over the place. Not as big as The Gorge but still lots of fun, and part of the reason so many people call Rio their favorite place to sail.

The closest site to the town of Rio Vista, is Windy Cove which has a grassy rigging, bathrooms, shade trees, and a sandy launch. Across the levy road is a campground and boat launch as well. The wind here is not as strong and the swells not as large as some of the other sites on the river. To reach the other main sailing sites travel West along state highway 160 until you reach Delta Windsurf Company, situated at the junction with Sherman Island Levy Road, and turn off the main road and back into time. There are several sailing sites along the narrow levy road, some are more popular than others for reasons of access and sailing conditions. Some of these are free to camp at as well. The first of these sites is Powerlines located at the first set of overhead lines. This used to be “the spot” but is now relatively uncrowded as others have been developed. For the biggest swells around launch here on the beginning of an ebb tide and head downwind to Deckers Island. The further you go the better it gets, and the current will help you back upwind. The next popular spot along the levy road is The Sign, located at a large sign notifying boats of underwater cables. There is now a large camping area at The Sign, a sandbagged launch and big swells. Towards the end of the levy road are a few more launches, the last being the Sherman Island Access at the end of the road. There are a number of camping and launching options there, so pick one that suits you. The wind and swell are good at the end of the road, sometimes quite a bit better than at Powerlines if the thermal is weak. There is also a new RV park and campground located between The Sign and The Access for those with bigger vehicles or wanting more amenities.