Punta San Carlos Solo Sports - Season

[ubcgorge]

Hello all
What is the typical wave/wind conditions for Punta San Carlos for early May?

I am a beginner wave sailor. I am scheduled to go on the Wyatt Miller camp on May 3rd for a week.I was wondering given the fact that I am a novice wave sailor, would you guys recommend the first week of may timing. Would you think the combo of wind/wave to be a good combo for me to learn wave sailing? Or too little or too much?

Please share your experience with me
Thanks
m

[dllee]

PSC is the easiest wave riding windsurfing of any place in the world with the possible exception of Jericoacoa in Brazil.
Super slow, weak, and crumbly waves, sideoff wind condition means little jumping but the easiest wave riding in the world.
Swells can be 2' up to 8', but usually 3-4', well under head high so there is very little power, and with the side off winds, makes it super easy.
Camping is cold, so bring a really warm wetsuit and a floaty wave board. Floaty means if you weigh 150, bring a 80 liter, if you weigh 200, bring a 105 liter wave or bump and jump board with wave fins.

[ubcgorge]

Thanks for the response.
When did you go?
Would you think May 3-10 be a good time to go. I understand it's nature, but overall what is the expectation for that time of the year?

[dllee]

I've been 3 times in May and June, but also 8 trips to PuntaAbreojos from June thru August. As a surfer, we knew about PuntaSanAntonio, but no one we knew drove the rest of the way to PSC, where no surfer would bother driving such a bad road for such distance to surf such slow mushy waves.
You'll be fine unless it decides to rain late in the season, where quagmire driving conditions make it impossible to get there or leave until 2 days after the flooding rains. You can't control weather.
I never could understand why a surfer would drive to ScorpionBay either. It's like Malizoo at high tide on a weak NW swell, surfable only for beginners on longboards or intermediate cruisers on fun boards.
You'll do fine at PSC, if you can ride a shortboard at all.
I brought my buds to Waddell, then Abreojos, when they were still uphauling their transition boards, and they did fine in waves up to head high.

[MalibuGuru]

I have the perspective of 3 decades of travel to PSC. May can be very windy. It is always cold. Colder than central California most of the time. I didn't find the wave to be so gentle after it hit logo high. Easy yes, but still, caution is in order if the surf is large, and you are not used to it.

Weather patterns just haven't been the same as they were in the 80's. This year we've had a lot of low latitude westerly swells. May could have some west or south swell. Both are easy to predict a week out, so watch the surf reports and swell charts 7 days before you leave. You might also see what kind of weather report is in store for LA too. For instance, a slow warming trend will usually bring good winds. A super hot forecast will usually bring light winds. Really cold onshore flow with a quick heat up late in the week will probably bring you a couple of days of nuclear wind.

With this perspective you can pack accordingly.

[KGB-NP]

ubcgorge,
I'll see you there that same week.

Bard,
What would you say if your favourite time to go to PSC? I'm debating possibly doing another fall trip there if I like it enough, but I'm also considering the Gorge again this summer.

[MalibuGuru]

[KGB-NP]

Is it usually super windy in May? I'm 6 ft. / 200 lbs and still find sub 4.5M days in waves get tricky. I was hoping it would be more like around 5.0+M days. I guess I'll get what I get though.

[MalibuGuru]

The desert gets hot in May. The water is cold. So it can be pretty windy. But every year is different. Even if it is super windy, you can go out early in the day and sail in moderate conditions, come in for lunch and a nap, and go back out at 5 for the evening cruise.

[KGB-NP]

Nap...sounds like a plan. I'm sure I'll be exhausted from all the activities there....I can't wait. You should come on down to join the fun.