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Want to try wave sailing this season
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ShreddinEd



Joined: 27 Mar 1994
Posts: 172

PostPosted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 11:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Key thing for wave sailing besides ROW which others have already discussed, imho, is getting out. Be aware of where the sets are breaking, and time your outbound reach so you're not where the wave is right when it's breaking. Either be in front of or past the point where it's breaking. The wave is expending it's maximum energy at that point, and you don't want to be there. Better to deal with whitewater than wave pitching on top of you.

If the wave breaks in front of you and you're sailing, try to power up before the whitewater hits you. If you can blast over it, that's you're best option. If not, try to power up your sail and get as much momentum as possible, lean back on your board and pop the nose over the whitewater. If you get stuck in the whitewater, just hold onto your booms and then your mast so you don't lose your stuff.

If you're down in the surf and a wave is about to work you, grab the mast and dive down under the wave. The deeper you go, the less you will be effected by the wave. Try not to let go of your stuff or your ws session will become a swim!

Oh, and as for ROW, if I'm on the wave, it's mine. Smile
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victor



Joined: 03 Aug 1998
Posts: 581

PostPosted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 12:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

i don't do waves but Dillon Beach has waves, easy access, a nice long sandy beach and is a beautiful spot with a nice scenic drive to get there.

The waves aren't the best but it's certainly a good place to practice getting out through the breaks and whitewater. At low tide there is a large area that's relatively flat so you don't have to spend the whole session getting beat up.

There's a guy that lives out there that sails it regularly. He'd be able to tell you the dos and donts.
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windward1



Joined: 18 Jun 2000
Posts: 1400

PostPosted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 2:22 pm    Post subject: Rips Reply with quote

And do not forget the rips. Sometimes that is where the waves are breaking least and they do help you get out. But.....if you break down in one and are swimming your gear, do not swim against it. Rather go parallel to the shore until out of the rip. Usually there will be waves breaking there (out of the rip), but hand on to your gear and get washed in.

I saw a windsurfer get caught in the rip with a torn sail at the AWT one year and he kept trying to swim in against the rip he was in. He would make some progress and then get swept back out to his beginning point. Finally a rescue swimmer went out to him and got him and his gear to go parallel to the beach and he then made it in easily.
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poussin



Joined: 14 Sep 2000
Posts: 191

PostPosted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 10:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks everyone for such a great level of responses and good advise.
Now it's time to get out there and do it!

If I survive, I'll post the experience of my first butt-kicking, so that you can all have a good laugh!

Thanks again.

Very Happy

Greg
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sailtildark



Joined: 22 Mar 2012
Posts: 52

PostPosted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 11:49 pm    Post subject: dillon Reply with quote

Dillon Beach is a beautiful place to sail. It's side-on so the wave riding is all backside. There are a lot of different wave setups (rights and lefts) but there is usually an inside break that is less consequential for learning. Some great flatwater sailing inside of the waves. Try first at a lower tide, this will give you more room to get speed down the beach in the channel before you punch out over the waves. If you get washed don't worry the beach peels away downwind and you can get out on the water there. The beach is over a mile long - the walk back with your rig takes a good half hour. Careful and hang on to your gear on the outside tack, especially if the tide is dropping fast; there is a lot of current coming out of Tomales Bay. Bonus tip: if the seaweed is blowing rig a 5.0, if the sand is blowing rig a low 4, if the foam is blowing across the beach rig smaller. Don't give up you will get some magic sessions!
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dllee



Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 5328
Location: East Bay

PostPosted: Tue Mar 19, 2013 11:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Only drawback, and advantage for some, of Dillon is it's remoteness, and lack of PEOPLE around most weekdays.
Only the adventurous would sail there, and most feel a certain "vibe" out there, not necessarily the best for a long ranger experience your first time.
Some funny vibes, try driving around up the hill where the odd houses poke out of the hillside.
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boggsman1



Joined: 24 Jun 2002
Posts: 9118
Location: at a computer

PostPosted: Tue Mar 19, 2013 11:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

zirtaeb wrote:
Only drawback, and advantage for some, of Dillon is it's remoteness, and lack of PEOPLE around most weekdays.
Only the adventurous would sail there, and most feel a certain "vibe" out there, not necessarily the best for a long ranger experience your first time.
Some funny vibes, try driving around up the hill where the odd houses poke out of the hillside.

Is that the vibe of being alone, but not feeling alone?
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trburl



Joined: 10 Apr 2000
Posts: 196

PostPosted: Tue Mar 19, 2013 1:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mouth of the Warden's breeding ground at Tomales Bay and it's the place for a rookie wavesailor to go swimming around with gear in whitewater? With not that many people around?

Really?

Well at least it is onshore. At least you'll get blown back to the beach in the event of an issue.

Go to Waddell, it's kites and rocks, but there are people around and it's not dangerously remote for a beginning wavesailor.

Sailed Dillon once and that place is spooky, straight up.
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dllee



Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 5328
Location: East Bay

PostPosted: Tue Mar 19, 2013 3:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"Spooky" is the operative description.
Drive past the beach and up the hill just N, past all those houses poking up out of the hill like a crewcut. LOOK at the people staring at you. Gives you the feeling of LaBocano and SanHippolito just N of Abreojos...creepy, spooky, TWILIGHT ZONE.
The grocery store is friendly, the beach is cool, but remember, a few folks have died on the beach, getting buried alive there.
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victor



Joined: 03 Aug 1998
Posts: 581

PostPosted: Tue Mar 19, 2013 3:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

dillon has changed a bit in the past couple of years. mainly, it has become a kite spot, so if it's windy at all there will be kiters there. not "spooky" at all.

yes, there have been shark bites there, the last one was in 2006. on march 14 last year a great white killed an elephant seal at wadell creek. a surfer was bit at davenport in october, and a sailer at jalama was killed last year.

http://www.sharkresearchcommittee.com/2000.htm

shark encounters are about as likely at any wave sailing spot. the dillon locals say sitings there have all been in a specific area which is easily avoided.

the guy asking is in marin so it's much closer than wadell, probabaly also for a lot of people. dillon is certainly not as crowded with agressive local sailers and kiters who don't like beginners as waddell.
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