Windsurfing spot to live?

boardsurfr · Joined: 23 Aug 2001 Posts: 1266

What are great windsurfing places to live at? We are looking to move in a couple of years from the Boston area to somewhere warmer with great windsurfing access. We'll take our jobs with us, so that's not an issue.

We've just been to Maui and Hood River. Maui is probably too expensive for us. We loved Hood River, but the windsurfing season there is shorter than in Boston, and we'd prefer a warmer spot.

An suggestions for areas we should check out? Water and air temps > 50 for 10-11 months per year would be nice, with house prices below $300-400K for a small house. Hatteras is already on our list. Are there any places in the greater San Francisco area that are close to sailing spots, but where real estate is affordable?

d0uglass · Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 10:23 pm Post subject:

I won't say it's paradise, but the east coast of Florida is pretty great for warm, year-round windsurfing. Variety of flatwater and ocean launches with a good dose of 15-20 knots October through May, and enough 10-15 knots to tide you through the summer. Lots of real-estate bargains in the less developed areas north of Palm Beach. Jupiter has real good wavesailing in tropical blue water.

jse · Joined: 17 Apr 1995 Posts: 1460 Location: Maui

Delta! You could live on the river, sail April thru October. Housing is cheap and it can get pretty hot. You can sail in a shorty or board shorts. Wind is anywhere from 5.5 to 3.5 when it's on. Read about it in the location description of Sherman Island. Oh, this is about an hour east of Berkeley on the Sacramento River. And sometimes, I would say it's paradise.

Steve

acctx · Joined: 28 May 2008 Posts: 76

carl · Joined: 25 Feb 1997 Posts: 2674 Location: SF bay area

As for SF bay: Jse has a good suggestion about Sacramento River delta. The town of Antioch is right there too.
There are also affordable 3-400K houses in decent neighborhoods in the east
bay check San Leandro and Hayward. They're centrally located and easy commutes to many sailing sites.

As for Maui: You need to check the non-tourst areas of Kihei, north shore and upcountry.
You can definatly find houses in your price range. The legal vacation rental condos have inflated prices because you can rent them for better short term bucks.
Houses in the back neighborhoods can't leagaly be rented short term, so they have lower prices. Food and gas is more expensive on Maui, but not that bad, especially if you go out of the tourist areas for food. As for gas, you're not going to be driving that far anyway, it's an island.
K-mart/Walmart prices seem cheeper than the in SF bay. I guess cause China is closer.

keycocker · Joined: 10 Jul 2005 Posts: 3598

We live in Maui for about $3-4 K a month for two. There are a lot of things you don't have to buy like heat or even air if you live upcountry.I don't lock my van and just leave my gear in it so I don't have to load -just go.Entertainment is cheap if it involves the waterfalls and seashore.
Diet can be healthy and many new people give up on alchohol and cigs.Remarkable how much you save and how much better you feel.
As noted a house in your range is possible esp right now. Later you will sell it for big bucks in many cases.
Since we spend 5 months in Belize at about $1K/ mo our whole budget is about $45K a year with airfare and a month sailing in France at times.
New cars aren't really de rigeur in this beach life. You don't want to jump in a new Lexus in wet akole (ass) anyway
We have two used minivans and an old Porsche 911.
Give some thought to whether your new life is gonna be your old life with a tan or if you want something really better.

outcast · Joined: 04 May 2004 Posts: 2724

I'm with keycocker that living maui isn't all that much money when you can save on alot of things that you don't need anyway.....like heat, a/c and therapists

(except it is Okole )

pacspeed · Joined: 14 Sep 2000 Posts: 627

Antioch? Good heavens. Don't send anyone there. It's like a prison sentence. 100 degrees + all summer and nothing in sight but strip malls and oil refineries.

The cheapest coolest part of the Bay Area, IMO, is the Santa Cruz mountains, hands down. Physically gorgeous, awesome weather, and short striking distance to the beach, the city, the valley, SFO, etc. Plenty of funky little hippie shacks in the woods for under 500k. Towns to google are Felton, Ben Lomond, and Boulder Creek.

Coming from Boston, you would find the delta to be like moving to the bible belt. Blech.

DanWeiss · Joined: 24 Jun 2008 Posts: 2296 Location: Connecticut, USA

Well, I was going to recommend moving to Martha's Vineyard for the lifestyle and sailing, but you already live right down the block and want something warmer.

I'm not sure the sailing season is shorter in the Gorge than around where we live. Other than sailing all year in Boston, when you you really get on the water, March? While the early spring wind in the Gorge is not hooked to its summer flow, it can blow like stink or with a mellow breeze for larger gear.

You might consider Florida as the cost of living is dirt cheap and thousands of windsurfers haunt the state. The area around Merritt Island and the Banana River is very popular with windsurfers. That's where I've spent most of my windsurfing time. Marco Island is more expensive but offers some very interesting windsurfing.

John Ingbritsen and others from FL can tell you more.

ozreiuosn · Joined: 31 May 2007 Posts: 3