Foiling Berkeley?

emcc · Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 16

Are there any tide restrictions - or anything else to consider - to foil from the dock at Berkeley?

mac · Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2020 10:01 pm Post subject:

Yes. You need at least a 3 foot tide if you have a 39 inch foil, or you need to wade out a bit. Today was just a little muddy.

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

..any tide less than 2' also requires avoidance of Ashby Shoal's sandy bottom.
And if you foil across past Pt.Emery, there are several underwater obstructions that can rip your foil off or at least launch you.
Metal docks are slippery when wet.
Ramps are only around 40" wide.

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

great spot to foil. on lower tides you can also launch from the restaurant or Emeryville. On IWS, look for ~3ft plus tide reading.... YMMV depending on how long is your mast and how accurate is the tide prediction. Once you've foiled here a few times, you can use the wooden x-bracing supports for the dock to judge the water depth.

with all swimming pools closed, there are swimmers frequently in the South Sailing Basin, so be aware that they are out there and you have to look for them on your way in.

jmblaney · Joined: 07 May 1998 Posts: 11

This link highlights when the tide is high enough for foiling off the dock.
http://bawfc.grotto-networking.com/TideBerk3_0.html#Month6

I've found it really helpful. I have a 105 cm mast. It just barely touches bottom in the soft muck near the dock when this chart shows you're at its minimum recommendation. If you launch when it is lower than this, you face about a 10 minute walk through the muck to reach deep enough water. The bottom is very flat for several 100 yards out.

Where are those underwater hazards off Pt. Emery? Inside the cove or outside?

FYI. James Shalaby discovered a really dangerous underwater rock wall while foiling at Sherman Access recently. It's straight upwind of the access, downwind 20-50' from a small white buoy, which is up near the islands. Super dangerous. Stay away from the islands and anything downwind of that buoy. It's clear the wall was man-made. Was this area farm land long ago? I'd guess there are more walls out there, too.

Jeff

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

At low tides, the underwater hazards off Pt. Emery are inside the sailing cove.