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nealpar
Joined: 25 Oct 1998 Posts: 624
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Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 10:55 pm Post subject: |
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county line
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FredBGG
Joined: 01 Aug 2004 Posts: 725
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Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 11:16 pm Post subject: |
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Here's a pic of a good day at Leo.
It can get a lot bigger.
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nealpar
Joined: 25 Oct 1998 Posts: 624
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Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 11:22 pm Post subject: |
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madspaniard wrote: | Do you mostly sail those conditions or it's usually flat ocean sailing with small waves and thus, comparable to bay sailing in big swell like 3rd Ave, or TI, or even Sherman Island (Gorge-like swell sometimes)?
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Just wanted to address that point too.
Big swell in bays, or rivers is challenging of course, but you never get to practice down the line sailing and smacking the lip just at the right time in such conditions. Leo or County, while small, can still offer the chance to learn such basic wave riding skills that you can then take to Maui or Jalama, etc.... I, for one, am still having trouble with the smacking the lip part... (you can insert your joke here...)) At Cabrillo, you can have fun, and do freestyle stuff, but forget about learning to wave sail there.
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madspaniard
Joined: 23 May 2005 Posts: 380
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 1:11 am Post subject: |
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Nice pics. Looks like a lot of fun too.
The thing is that in the Bay Area chances are you'll have a bay water spot very close to work or home (less than 10 minutes) with consistent wind almost every day during the season. Most of us log over a hundred days on the water per season, 98% of the time in 4.1 to 5.4 conditions for a 175 lbs sailor like me. For most of us going to the coast means more driving time (almost one hour), hard to do when the wind is blowing pretty good at your door.
nealpar wrote: |
Big swell in bays, or rivers is challenging of course, but you never get to practice down the line sailing and smacking the lip just at the right time in such conditions. Leo or County, while small, can still offer the chance to learn such basic wave riding skills that you can then take to Maui or Jalama, etc.... I, for one, am still having trouble with the smacking the lip part... (you can insert your joke here...)) At Cabrillo, you can have fun, and do freestyle stuff, but forget about learning to wave sail there. |
That is right. However, in places like the channel at 3rd Ave and Treassure Island, we get amazing big rolling swell that doesn't break but you can practice some "onshore" swell riding. I've sailed pretty good swell at 3rd and was told in some cases it got as big as 6-8 feet.
There is a very dedicated group of wave windsurfers that go to Davenport and Waddell on a regular basis to ride waves. I went to Waddell for the first time last year and had so much fun that promised myself to go more often this season. I also got worked by the waves a few times (light inside too) but that only made me have some respect for the place and want to go back again. One of the windsurfing resolutions that my friends and I made this year is to leave the bay waters and go to the waves at least 10 times before the end of the season. They are just around the corner but like I said before, it's hard to drive there when you can hit the water in 10 minutes.
Man, all this talking and no wind and waves. going nuts
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coachg
Joined: 10 Sep 2000 Posts: 3550
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 9:54 am Post subject: |
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Well put madspaniard. Our coast is isolated and much more along the line's of nelpar's rural setting in an earlier post. The coast is separated by a mountain range with only a few two lane roads leading there. You either have to live ther-long commutte-or plan a weekend trip.
Wave's are fun, I do love getting worked in Hawaii, but it is hard to leave for the coast when Sherman is blowing 22 mph with lulls at 19 & gusts at 24. Down there you may have wave snobs, up here we have wind snobs. Guys who sail nothing larger than 5.0 & gals 4.5, and they sail 5 days a week May through Sept! Heck, if they would invest in a big 5.7 like I did then they could extend their season from April through Oct and even bigger sails will carry you Mar-Nov.
The one thing madspaniard didn't point out is wind duration. Our wind blows all day long if you don't mind driving or sailing big gear, and that is what brings people here.
Coachg
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jwajack
Joined: 26 Apr 1994 Posts: 157 Location: San Pedro, CA
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 5:45 pm Post subject: Once In A While Cabrillo Does Get Wave |
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While generally speaking Cabrillo does not get rideable waves, those days do happen, both with clearing winds (and the same issue of being light inside) and south swells, with the ability to ride both at the beach and up at Point Fermin (where, when its good, you then have conflict with the surfers). No doubt in the LA area Leo, County Line, Seal, and Bolsa are better bets, but one actually can learn basic wave sailing skills even at Cabrillo. (Two pix below and more on the sticky windsurfing photo thread in the general forums section and some linked to the cabrillo page)
edit -- will upload smaller photo from home. the original was too big and screwing up the whole page.
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caught with the old web-cam |
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swchandler
Joined: 08 Nov 1993 Posts: 10588
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:43 pm Post subject: |
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My first windsurfing day at Cabrillo was the day after my 20th year high school reunion in August 87. Although I was admittedly an older guy at the time and still a bit fresh behind the ears, I was styling in the straps on my 11'10" F2 Strato with a 5.7. I couldn't even waterstart at the time, but I had my jibes and tacks down well enough to have an awesome time in the straps and harness.
In fact, I meet up with a classmate and his fiance there that day after the reunion. Frankly, I was hitting the spot cold on his recommendation. He was a much better windsurfer then me, but I found the whole scene and experience to be simply great.
Cabrillo is a fun place in the LA area to sail with quite consistent summer conditions. It's small, expensive, a bit difficult logistically and sometimes impossible to enter (parking lot was closed due to too many visitors), but I've had many fun occasions there over the years as a visitor to the area. Folks were always friendly and open. Truly, a positive experience in my book.
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kevinkan
Joined: 07 Jun 2001 Posts: 1661 Location: San Francisco
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 7:38 pm Post subject: |
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i kind of think that the LA windsurfing scene/conditions get a little bit of a bad rep... i actually enjoy sailing down there when I go visit my parents, and I usually get some pretty good conditions. i hear once in awhile that cabrillo can get some really good, rideable waves... usually i've just seen small to medium shorebreak and the downwind end of the beach... good enough to make one bottom turn and try to hit some whitewater b/v you end up on the sand... actually kind of fun when it happens. only been to county line twice, but both times i was able to use my 4.7 (also a 5.4 the last time)... not too shabby! cabrillo is a great place to sail, and the people there are really friendly, too.
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nealpar
Joined: 25 Oct 1998 Posts: 624
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 9:43 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="kevinkan"]
... i hear once in awhile that cabrillo can get some really good, rideable waves... usually i've just seen small to medium shorebreak and the downwind end of the beach... good enough to make one bottom turn and try to hit some whitewater b/v you end up on the sand... quote]
Yeah, those Cabrillo wave days are about 2 days per year. Hardly a place to go to "learn" to wavesail, unless one is satisfied with a very slow learning curve. I sailed Cabrillo for years in the mid to late 90's, and remember well the "finishing the wave on the sand" thing.
I will certainly throw my windsurf stuff in my car next time I drive toward SF. I've only sailed Candlestick (?) there back in the mid 90's. Always wanted to sail by the Golden Gate Bridge and the SF coast.
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allen
Joined: 13 Aug 1996 Posts: 237
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Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 12:12 am Post subject: |
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Sure Cabrillo is a flat water spot w/no rideable waves but it's still great to have. How many places in the country can give you 6.5 sailing most summer days? I lived in the NYC area most of my life where there was no shortboard sailing from Memorial to Labor day, just spring fronts and fall storms..........and look at San Diego, just 8-12 knts most days.........
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