by filename: /users/kirk/Mail/windsurfing/SF_misc 09/06/92
WINDSURFING SHOPS:
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North Bay:
San Rafael *Windsports on E. Francisco Drive, small store
Corte Madera *Any Mountain, small store
Sausilito *Sausilito Sailboards on Bridgeway, small store
San Francisco:
*City Front Sailboard on Lyon Street, small store
Large selection of good equipment for rent
East Bay:
Berkeley *California Surf & Ski on Gillman, large store
*Large selection of all types of equipment for rent
Alameda *Alameda Sailboard Exchange, never been there
Peninsula & South Bay:
South S.F. *Windsurf Warehouse on North Airport Drive (?), large store.
415)588-1714
Burlingame *ASD Up the beach from Coyote Pt launch area. Best boards
made (or at least damn good). Full service shop.
415-348-8485
San Mateo *Helm of Sun Valley on Amphlett
Lessons and rentals, some consignment
415)344-2711
Redwood City *B&D Sports on Roosevelt, medium size store
Large consignment area
415)364-5995
Mountain View *Spinnaker Sailing in Shoreline Park, small store
New and larger facilities opening this summer
415)965-7474
*ASD on San Antonio Circle, small store. Not a full-service
store, specializes in ASD custom boards, Waddell sails,
Fiberspar masts. (now this is just for mfg - see Burlingame)
415) 949-5342
Cupertino *Any Mountain, good sized store
Good boards can be "demo'd
408)255-6162
Santa Cruz: *Ski Shop SAnta CRuz for a decent line in production boards,
sails, and accessories.
*Haut Surfboards on Swift Street sells Haut Custom Boards and
have a deservedly good reputation for their 'Chophopper'.
*Freeline Design on 41st Ave offers some good deals on used
sailboards and will build good quality custom boards for local
conditions.
*Fiberglass Santa CRuz on Capitola Ave offers North Sails and
extremely low-cost custome glass boards. Brand new 8'8" boards
for as low as $399.
Rio Vista: *Windcraft of Rio Vista
707)374-2744
Sherman Isl *??? New shop - full service right off hwy on Sherman Island
Road.
SAILING SITES:
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Crissy Field -- advanced to expert sailing on the bay, moderate to high
winds, medium to large chop, strong tides, spectacular
views of S.F. and Golden Gate Bridge, lots of boat/ship
traffic. Closest shop is City Front, about 1 mile away.
Full wetsuit or drysuit required.
Coyote Point -- intermediate to advanced sailing in the bay, moderate to high
winds, medium to large chop. Closest shop is Helm of Sun
Valley, about 2 miles away. Shorty to full wetsuit
required.
Berkeley Marina -- beginner to advanced sailing in the bay, moderate winds,
small to medium chop. Rentals available on site, closest
shop is California Surf & Ski, about 3 miles away. Shorty
to full wetsuit required.
Alameda -- beginner to intermediate sailing in the bay, light to
moderate winds, flat water to small chop. Nice long sandy
beach, warm water. Rentals available on site, nearest shop
is Alameda Sailboard Exchange, I dunno where it is. Wetsuit
not neccessary, though some might want to wear a shorty.
Candlestick -- advanced sailing in the bay in strong offshore winds, flat
water speed sailing. Closest shop is Windsurf Warehouse,
maybe 4-5 miles away. Shorty to full wetsuit required.
Oyster Point -- Between Coyote Pt. and Candlestick. Offshore gusty wind.
Best to sail over to Flying Tigers for higher wind.
Advanced shortboad skills required due to large wind
shadows and ability required to sail upwind.
Ocean Beach -- advanced to expert sailing in waves, onshore winds. Full
wetsuit or drysuit required. I dunno what the closest shop
is, I think there's something closer than City Front.
Palo Alto -- intermediate to advanced sailing in the bay, moderate wind,
moderate chop. Getting to the water at low-tide is just
about impossible as a slog through knee deep mud is
required. Closest shop is ASD and Spinnaker Sailing.
Full wetsuit advisable.
Shoreline Park -- beginner to intermediate sailing on a small man-made lake.
Rentals available on site at Spinnaker Sailing. Shorty to
full wetsuit required. PFDs mandatory.
Larkspur -- intermediate sailing in the bay, moderate wind, flat to
small chop. Sail in the shadows of San Quentin Prison!
To get to the water you have to carry your equipment down
a steep and narrow trail (not worth it!). Closest shop is
Windsports. Shorty to full wetsuit required.
Inland:
Lake Del Valle -- beginner to intermediate sailing in a reservoir. Rentals
and lessons available on site. Warm, flat water. Light
(morning) to moderate winds. Scenic setting. No wetsuit
necessary in the summer. Fishing.
Rio Vista -- Intermediate to expert conditions. Glass Beach is a good
choice for first time Delta sailors. Shorty to full wetsuit
required.
San Luis Res'r -- Intermediate to expert speed sailing conditions. Most
sailing is done on the O'Neil Forebay. Wind can vary from
70 to 0 in a single day. Full wetsuit required as the water
comes from the bottom of the Reservoir.
Central Calif. Coast
NOTE:
-Sailing the coast without using the buddy system is like sky diving without a
back-up parachute. If you don't have it when you need it, you will probably
die. If you must sail alone, at least go where other windsurfers are.
-Swimming is DANGEROUS. Watch for rip tides. Be careful climbing rocks and
tidepools as we lose a few people every year to those freak big waves.
-Great White Sharks on the coast add to the danger/fun. "They" say that you
have a very good chance of surviving a shark attack if you have a buddy to
save you (stop the *** flow, then get help).
-The scenery olong HWY 1 is gorgeous either N or S of San Francisco.
-Due to upwelling in the summer, the water is colder in the summer than in the
winter. I am quite comfortable in a full 4/3 steamer in Dec. at Pillar Point
while I've been cold the one nice day I sailed the waves in August!
Pillar Point -- Harbor in Half Moon Bay. Wave sailing outside breakwater.
Advanced speed sailing inside breakwater during winter
storms where 30-40 Knot winds are common (I love it!)
Watch out for boats, moorings, lines etc. Full wetsuit or
dry suit required.
Bodega Bay -- BIG wind, nice camping, advanced sailing
Santa Cruz -- Good int to expert wave sailing. Check with Haut or the
ski shop for where to sail to match ability with conditions.
ITs Beach Just arount the corner from the lighthouse at Steamer Lane.
Good slalom sailing with some ocean chop. Oftem a killer
beach break to braek your gear.
Natural Bridges (NB's) At the end of West Cliff Dr, this State Beach offers
good sailing which averages 4.7 conditions. Easier launch than
ITs, but it costs to go in.
Davenport Landing Just NOrth of Davenport, this 'secret' spot is now
notorious for shark attacks. Nevertheless, the sailing is great
with both slalom and wave conditions.
Scotts Creek A few miles north of Davenport, the scene of the latest shark
attack. Good wave sailing, not much parking. FRee.
Waddel Creek Legendary wave sailing conditions. Good parking and rigging area
operated by State Park System. Often has strong winds and big waves. A good Bay Sailor sould give it a try, its good fun when
conditions are not 'epic'. Parking is $5!!!
If I was going to visit the area for a few months and was expecting to sail
for a dozen or more days, I would probably buy a used shortboard & mast for
$400-$600 total, and bring along a couple sails and booms. Before I left I
would sell the board and mast. I think this would cost a lot less than
renting. The consignment areas at many shops make this easy to do (i.e. buy
a used board at shop A and sell it again at shop B). For $100 I could be
convinced to "rent" either my Mistral Malibu or Velocity (9'9", 160L)
with a mast and a 5.0 cambered sail for a week. You supply the fin and
boom unless you want a plastic fin (booms break and fins ding). I also
have a quick to install roof rack.