Need information

johann · Joined: 19 Jul 2007 Posts: 2

Hi,
I'm a French windsurfer and Im visiting my family in law for July and August. I'm currenly here in Novato (marin county) and I look for wind. For the moment I swam in Berkeley with my windsurf last week... I need more than 25 knots and apparently I should find it in Crissy field but I guess I have to wait for the good tide. Do I have to wait for the low tide to windsurf there? Can some one explain to me which conditions I have to wait for before to do the trip from Novato until SF? Also I look for someone from Novato to carpool with because some days I am dependent on my in-law's car availability.
Thank you,
Johann

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

johann · Joined: 19 Jul 2007 Posts: 2

Sure,
So apparently I'm a big man who came with a light volume board and shorts sails. My question was not which sail I need, but what do I need to know about the tide in crissy field?
Thank you.

MOTOP · Joined: 23 Oct 2006 Posts: 86

I second isobars. 25knots is the absolute minimum you'd need to windsurf?

Maybe you caught Berkeley on a bad day, which indeed happens. So far this week has been awesome though, it was averaging 30mph on Monday, while Crissy was nowhere near that. At 230lbs I was overpowered on a 5.5m. It averaged 22mph yesterday, I was very powered up on a 6.6m. Looking out of the window now I estimate it is in the high 10s and picking up.

MOTOP · Joined: 23 Oct 2006 Posts: 86

vadler · Joined: 20 Apr 1999 Posts: 82

coachg · Joined: 10 Sep 2000 Posts: 3550

johann,
If you can't sail at Berkeley, don't go to Crissy. That is a disaster waiting to happen.

Coachg

madspaniard · Joined: 23 May 2005 Posts: 380

Until you tell us your weight and board/sail size there isn't much we can do to help you. I would recommend you to join the Cal Sailing Club in the Berkeley Marina. For $65/three months and some club hours you can use any of their gear, they have all board and sail sizes. A lot of local sailors hang around and can help you with info on local spots and tides. You'll see me there too.

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

Johann,

How long are you here for? From Novato, you have a few closer choices, that being Larkspur, Rod and Gun and Bullhead Flats. The latter two work on NW winds - the kind you will see in Novato - and higher tides. Don't go to Bullhead Flats if the tide is halfway out and ebbing, you'll end up swimming ... in the mud. For Larkspur, look for heavy fog penetration, the kind that shut's off Crissy. If you drive into Terra Linda and can see a big fog bank when you come over the hill by St. Vincent's it's probably a good idea to have a look at Larkspur. Drive past the ferry terminal and stop at the parking area just adjacent to the main entrance to San Quentin Prison. If there is wind there will be sailors there, often just "staging", as it's a good place to gather and decide where else to go. We will be glad to give you information if you ask.

For Berkeley, I can understand the swim. It happens. Berkeley can shut off in 20 minutes. What happens is the windline advances and retreats. You just need to recognize it happening and stay closer to the launch when you start to feel less power. If you launch from the restaurant, you have a better chance of not swimming. If you launch from the docks downwind, there is almost always a slog and sometimes a swim. I had to swim to the windline yesterday, but from there I sailed all the way to the upwind sailing area above Pt. Isabel, powered up. I lucked out and caught a gust to plane all the way to about 10 feet from the dock. And I happen to agree with you, I think 23 or 24 on the Berkely sensor is about what it takes for me to sail there. Any less and you're in limbo waiting for the inevitable die-off.

Some days, Berkeley is not good but Pt. Isabel (Behind Costco in Richmond) is good. It's worth checking out. I find the swell to be better there than Berkely on a good day.

For Crissy, take the very last exit from 101 before you get to the bridge, drive up the hill, turn around at the parking area and drive back down. Halfway down is a parking lane from where you can see the entire sailing area for Crissy. If you see sailors launching from Crissy, and they look to be planing, the wind is filled in to shore. Make sure they're not launching from the marina by the North Tower, all the way to the left. They may be launching from both sides. But if you see sailors in the bay and they're all launching from North Tower, it means Crissy inside is dead and you will have to deal with the current while slogging, or worse, swimming. A 4 knot current can take you a long way in a hurry. I like sailing Crissy from maybe an hour before the flood goes to slack to an hour after it goes from slack to flood, and anything in between. (Not the entire time, but those are the conditions that will get me to cross the bridge.) If you sail the flood, it will be flatter, but rig a bigger fin and sail as you will be pointing the whole time. Also, at Crissy, the first half of the way out can be nasty chop. If you sail all the way to the North Tower, the chop goes away and is replaced by more rolling swell. Of course all that changes with the tides, but on a good ebb, North Tower is a good place to sail. Watch where the other sailors are and stick with them.

Crissy can be a challenge, so make sure you bring your a-game. You don't want to swim at all when launching from Crissy.

Steve

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