User Friendly Wave Sailing-- Nor Cal

[esteban]

Nobody has mentioned TubaMancha, which is like PSC lite and can be quite good and have long down the line rides in side off conditions over a sandy beach/estuary mouth, rare to see other folks out there which is a plus too...although most days I wish there were a few other out there to keep an eye on each other. works well on S to WNW swells and if its windy at Bodega and Tonales sensors Tuba will be approx the same
biggest downside? ya gotta park at Limantour beach and then sail about 1/2 hour upwind in ocean swells to the break at mouth of Drakes Estero, or schlep your gear up the beach which takes about a half hour as well- I always choose to sail upwind! Oh and there are sharks around, last time SUPing there w a buddy we saw a dead sea lion on beach and then a saw a big fin surface about 50' away- end of the sesh for that day
come on out!

[goinoff]

While you're checking Waddell or DPort, Scotts creek is worth stopping at to check out. It's not as popular but it has its days for wave sailing. Beach crunch is hectic at times just make sure you launch and come in at the north end of the beach where the reef is...Scotts is about 1 mile north of DPort...

[beallmd]

Always seems like Scott's is taken over by Kiters. Good little break-we used to surf there as kids. Haven't been out there to windsurf-don't really see many windsurfers there now, used to, back in the crowded days of yore..

[ethurlow]

HI- Make sure you do park parallel at Dport...or the cop, or the locals might get T'd off. My WOW.

Ernie

[tkalkows]

Read somewhere about people sailing Santa Cruz town during the south winds. I don't think surfers would be an issue with 30mps winds. I am thinking about trying Cowells/Steamers or Pleasure Point in Capitola. Is this even worth trying ? What is the best place to launch ?
And what about Davenport/Weddell during storm winds ? It's going to be onshore but it's better than nothing. Have not heard anyone mentioning it so probably it's not a good idea but who knows.

[windward1]

Santa Cruz can be sailed in South Storm Winds. The last time I did it, this other guy and I launched at Pleasure Point near O'Neill's house. It was tough to work to windward and the tide was not high and I hit my fin a few times. He stayed in the Pleasure Point vicinity and I took off for New Brighton. Fun to cruise along the coast on a beam reach.

Wind got stronger as I turned around to come back. I was rigged too big for it and was getting tired so headed to inside the kelp beds to eliminate the chop being so bad. Stopped to rest and saw two surfers. What are they doing out in this. I quickly found out. A big wave came out of the rain and windblown sea and my mast went down and acted as a pole vault for my board. I was flung off and the board went up in the air as the mast caught on rocks at the bottom and flung the board in an arc that came crashing back down. I happened to have chosen a bad spot for resting. It was the Sharks break. The only place with a good, surfable wave that day.

I gathered up my gear including broken mast and shredded sail. De- rigged on the water, rolled it up, and laid on it as I paddled in. Heard fire engine sirens. Someone must have thought I was in distress and called it in. I was to the beach when they arrived along with a cute rescue swimmer. (I should have stayed out longer.) Anyway, I had help carrying my gear back up the cliff stairs at The Hook.

They are working on gunniting the cliff along East Cliff Drive by Pleasure Point, so access is changing. Parking can be difficult as well. Not much beach this time of year. Another possibility, if the wind is coming in strong all along the Santa Cruz coast is to launch at SeaCliff State Beach in Aptos. New Brighton might work, but it is back in a cove and would require pointing pretty close to work your way out if the wind is straight from the South. Natural Bridges and Its Beach are possibilities on the West side of town. They have parking.

I have not sailed off the Yacht Harbor Beach in quite awhile. That might be another possibility.

Of course Half Moon Bay is the place of choice for many Bay Area sailors when we have the strong South wind conditions. Santa Cruz can play as an alternative if you are willing to give up the protection of a breakwater.

Windward1

[goinoff]

[ctuna]

Its cold and iffy though when it happens.
I don't see anybody working its Beach anymore .
Its not exactly easy to launch but you can stay downwind of the
break .

[wyattmiller]

The way to get dialed in the waves is to check spend a week in San Carlos first, where you can get a years worth of California wave practice in just a few days and learn how to "take one on the head" without breaking all your gear, while tuning up your turns with pro instruction. Then with all the skills you have built and all your gear in tact, take it to Waddel and make all the kiters drool.

Wyatt Miller, San Carlos Baja, All Inclusive Wave/Freestyle Camp

May 1st - 8th.

Check out www.solosports.net for more info and pricing.

Its gonna be a blast!

[shibumi57]

What Wyatt said. I learned more about wave sailing in two days than I had in months on my own. I've already purchased another week in PSC.

See my post

http://www.iwindsurf.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=19196&highlight=