Windy this weekend

[windfind]

Typically the wind at Drakes Beach is perfectly straight offshore and shallow at the waters edge. The waves are small but often really top to bottom plungers. That makes it very very hard to get past the surf zone. Worse yet is the tall vertical cliffs on either side of the beach. This means there is a major wind shadow on either side of the beach. So even if you make it past the surf you have to go way outside to get enough wind to make the reach to Tuba. So I would forget Drakes on most days.

Launching at the Limantour parking lot is a bit of a pain since it is about 500 feet to the water then you have to get through a shore break (the sailing here is pretty lame). Once outside you face about a mile to intense pointing to get to the Tuba wave zone. If the shore break is not large at Limantour then it is not worth going to Tuba. If you are creative with a bicycle and a ranger does not catch you there is another way to get to Tuba. But no wheeled devices are allowed outside the parking lot.

Once on the water there are two different ways to get from Limantour to Tuba. The fastest way is to make a long tacks going about 1/2 mile with each tack. 4 or 5 such paired tacks and you are at the wave zone. If you break down way outside the offshore winds should bring you up on Duxbury reef in a day or two. The conservative slower way is to make a lot of shorter tacks closer to shore but the winds is often spotty near shore. The wind sometimes dies on the way up or the way back.

Once you get to Tuba there are lots of harbor seals in the sand bar surf breaks which might in theory keep the prolific Great Whites to stuffed.

The photo in the posting below shows part of the area where the surf peals over the sand bars at Tuba. This site was pioneered by Bottom Bob who named all the various breaks at Tuba. Because of offshore winds between Limantourd and Tuba this is a very dangerous site. Have a buddy and a VHF or wireless phone in a waterproof container.

Have fun,

Mike Godsey
iwindsurf.com/ikitesurf.com

[windfind]

Center wavesailing area at Tubamancha

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