Cabrillo Beach

nealpar · Joined: 25 Oct 1998 Posts: 624

county line

FredBGG · Joined: 01 Aug 2004 Posts: 725

Here's a pic of a good day at Leo.
It can get a lot bigger.

nealpar · Joined: 25 Oct 1998 Posts: 624

madspaniard · Joined: 23 May 2005 Posts: 380

Nice pics. Looks like a lot of fun too.

The thing is that in the Bay Area chances are you'll have a bay water spot very close to work or home (less than 10 minutes) with consistent wind almost every day during the season. Most of us log over a hundred days on the water per season, 98% of the time in 4.1 to 5.4 conditions for a 175 lbs sailor like me. For most of us going to the coast means more driving time (almost one hour), hard to do when the wind is blowing pretty good at your door.

coachg · Joined: 10 Sep 2000 Posts: 3550

Well put madspaniard. Our coast is isolated and much more along the line's of nelpar's rural setting in an earlier post. The coast is separated by a mountain range with only a few two lane roads leading there. You either have to live ther-long commutte-or plan a weekend trip.

Wave's are fun, I do love getting worked in Hawaii, but it is hard to leave for the coast when Sherman is blowing 22 mph with lulls at 19 & gusts at 24. Down there you may have wave snobs, up here we have wind snobs. Guys who sail nothing larger than 5.0 & gals 4.5, and they sail 5 days a week May through Sept! Heck, if they would invest in a big 5.7 like I did then they could extend their season from April through Oct and even bigger sails will carry you Mar-Nov.

The one thing madspaniard didn't point out is wind duration. Our wind blows all day long if you don't mind driving or sailing big gear, and that is what brings people here.

Coachg

jwajack · Joined: 26 Apr 1994 Posts: 157 Location: San Pedro, CA

While generally speaking Cabrillo does not get rideable waves, those days do happen, both with clearing winds (and the same issue of being light inside) and south swells, with the ability to ride both at the beach and up at Point Fermin (where, when its good, you then have conflict with the surfers). No doubt in the LA area Leo, County Line, Seal, and Bolsa are better bets, but one actually can learn basic wave sailing skills even at Cabrillo. (Two pix below and more on the sticky windsurfing photo thread in the general forums section and some linked to the cabrillo page)

edit -- will upload smaller photo from home. the original was too big and screwing up the whole page.

swchandler · Joined: 08 Nov 1993 Posts: 10588

My first windsurfing day at Cabrillo was the day after my 20th year high school reunion in August 87. Although I was admittedly an older guy at the time and still a bit fresh behind the ears, I was styling in the straps on my 11'10" F2 Strato with a 5.7. I couldn't even waterstart at the time, but I had my jibes and tacks down well enough to have an awesome time in the straps and harness.

In fact, I meet up with a classmate and his fiance there that day after the reunion. Frankly, I was hitting the spot cold on his recommendation. He was a much better windsurfer then me, but I found the whole scene and experience to be simply great.

Cabrillo is a fun place in the LA area to sail with quite consistent summer conditions. It's small, expensive, a bit difficult logistically and sometimes impossible to enter (parking lot was closed due to too many visitors), but I've had many fun occasions there over the years as a visitor to the area. Folks were always friendly and open. Truly, a positive experience in my book.

kevinkan · Joined: 07 Jun 2001 Posts: 1661 Location: San Francisco

i kind of think that the LA windsurfing scene/conditions get a little bit of a bad rep... i actually enjoy sailing down there when I go visit my parents, and I usually get some pretty good conditions. i hear once in awhile that cabrillo can get some really good, rideable waves... usually i've just seen small to medium shorebreak and the downwind end of the beach... good enough to make one bottom turn and try to hit some whitewater b/v you end up on the sand... actually kind of fun when it happens. only been to county line twice, but both times i was able to use my 4.7 (also a 5.4 the last time)... not too shabby! cabrillo is a great place to sail, and the people there are really friendly, too.

nealpar · Joined: 25 Oct 1998 Posts: 624

[quote="kevinkan"]
... i hear once in awhile that cabrillo can get some really good, rideable waves... usually i've just seen small to medium shorebreak and the downwind end of the beach... good enough to make one bottom turn and try to hit some whitewater b/v you end up on the sand... quote]

Yeah, those Cabrillo wave days are about 2 days per year. Hardly a place to go to "learn" to wavesail, unless one is satisfied with a very slow learning curve. Sad

I sailed Cabrillo for years in the mid to late 90's, and remember well the "finishing the wave on the sand" thing.

I will certainly throw my windsurf stuff in my car next time I drive toward SF. I've only sailed Candlestick (?) there back in the mid 90's. Always wanted to sail by the Golden Gate Bridge and the SF coast.

allen · Joined: 13 Aug 1996 Posts: 237

Sure Cabrillo is a flat water spot w/no rideable waves but it's still great to have. How many places in the country can give you 6.5 sailing most summer days? I lived in the NYC area most of my life where there was no shortboard sailing from Memorial to Labor day, just spring fronts and fall storms..........and look at San Diego, just 8-12 knts most days.........