Where We're Sailing Today / where we sailed today

windward1 · Joined: 18 Jun 2000 Posts: 530

Natural Bridges was fun today. Nice swell coming in sets that was fun to play on. Lots of sand pushed into the beach so when I was coming in for the last time of the day and the rig got ripped from my hands I was not worried about it going into the rocks. Would be nice if that sand stayed all summer.

I was on a Bic Techno and 7.0 Ezzy. Another windsurfer was out on a wave board and, I believe, a small Simmer sail. He was good. Even riding into the curl at Sidewalks. I was pulling out before the wave curled. Not much fin room at Sidewalks.

windoggie · Joined: 22 Feb 2002 Posts: 1889

Berkeley Mudfest 2013! Worked for me today.

kevinkan · Joined: 07 Jun 2001 Posts: 1017 Location: San Francisco

nice to see you out there windoggie. Berkeley was indeed pretty fun today, although I wish I had gotten there a little earlier. according to the graph it picked back up late too. we were watching another guy who seemed to come after work get all the goods

windoggie · Joined: 22 Feb 2002 Posts: 1889

Woof! Nice to see you too. The wind was pretty thick earlier on, but settled down after a bit. So cool to see the season starting. All us old barnacles are prying ourselves off of the rocks, ready for action.

windoggie · Joined: 22 Feb 2002 Posts: 1889

Berkeley...OPed to swimming in the blink of an eye. Got my workout for sure.

windward1 · Joined: 18 Jun 2000 Posts: 530

Sailed Capitola after launching at New Brighton State Park. On an Angulo 10' 10 " Wind SUP with a 7.0 Ezzy Cheetah. Sailed up to Bombora, but nothing special going on there. Continued to just east of the main surfing area at the Capitola Jetty and caught the southern storm swell coming in. It was 7 to 8 seconds waves comin in sets, so one wave right after another. Was fun. The wind was only about six to fourteen knots so if it was light and the wave under you got away, its twin was right behind it. And since you already having forward momentum, a pump or two or if the wind picked up you could get a decent ride.

Sailed for a couple of hours. Sometimes in the sun, sometimes in the shade of clouds. Rained after I got home.

Yesterday I SUPped the same area. Also had fun, but it was totally different. Hardly any swell. No surfers out. Five knots at first and I was wondering whether to SUP or sail. Glad I chose SUP as the water went dimpled-glassy later. Only caught about 4 or 5 waves in the hour and a half I was paddling around, but thinking as how the last time there, there were 50 surfers out, if one was in the line-up they would be lucky to get that many waves in an hour an a half.

Rain started just after I packed up the van. Perfect timing.

Beautiful both days. Water was clear and it felt good to be out on it.

gerritt · Joined: 06 May 1998 Posts: 363 Location: Redwood City, CA

Windward 1 is doing something right. I wanted to get on the water yesterday. Windsurfing - not even gonna try. Surfing - didn't look worth the drive per Surfline. I don't own a SUP - yet.

NickB · Joined: 30 Jun 2009 Posts: 488 Location: Alameda, CA

windward1 · Joined: 18 Jun 2000 Posts: 530

Well, Life IS Good!!!

Launched at New Brighton State Beach in about 5 knots of wind gusting to maybe 8 knots. Using my Angulo 10' 10" and Ezzy 7.0 Cheetah. Sailed up the coast to Capitola and rode waves there for a while. Nice, but wanted more wind. The swell had more period to it, so totally different than yesterday. Sun was out over all of the north Monterey Bay. I was in an O'neill Shortie. Every day different. Every day good.

So I left Capitola and sailed out around the kelp bed. Came into the Capitola Wharf via the anchorage. Some more tacks and I was up to Privates. Nice, steep 2 to 4 foot waves running in from the south and coming in sets. The wind was southwest, so side-shore there and so it was a perfect set up. Almost too easy. Only two surfers and one SUPper out. I could ride downwind from them so generally was clear of their efforts. Once in a while they rode a wave all the way down the line to where I was riding it. Wind was about 6 to 12 knots. Up and down, but you could clearly coordinate the wind with the swell sets.

Later the wind clocked more westward and started coming in puffs. It was reall light inside and being after the witching hour of 3-O-clock, I decided to head back to New Brighton. Downwind sailing all of the way and it did not take long. Caught a couple of waves along the way.

Landed and realized I had never fallen in. Was dry and the wind was still at the 5 knots it was when I started from that beach. Guess summer is not here yet and the wind does not 'have to' switch. But felt like summer. And it was nice to do all this in the freedom of a shortie.

Life Is Good!