Gazos Creek

[ShreddinEd]

Cold, sharky, rock gardens on both sides of the launch.

[tcevans]

Anyone sail Gazos Creek during this heat wave?

Pigeon Pt sensor registered some of the best wind in the bay area, but wondered what it was really like on the water?

[Waterat Pat]

It is I beleive a big kite spot now. The cliff keeps the wind out of the surf zone for windsurfing but since kites are above the cliff the do just fine.

[LeeD]

Similar to FaceRock in S.Oregon, beach break with shorepound and alongshore drift, so it's usually advanced only with a requirement of quick beachstarts, chickenjibes, and shallow water skills.
True side winds are often tricky, as it goes from side to sideon, to sideoff. Shorepound means plenty of closeout shorepound, so you have to choose wisely and get out or straighten out once committed. Short quick waves.
Whether YOU should go out or not depends on size, windspeed, your ability, your gear, and some safety factors like experience. Do NOT go out if you don't think you can handle head high closeout shorebreak with light winds in the surf zone.

[jkayes]

I agree with LeeD in all respects. I've seen people trying to launch but never get out. Once out, you should not ride the wave in too far as this will make getting back out difficult -- better to jibe early and live to sail another wave.

[gerritt]

Agree with LeeD too, but it can be rewarding when its right.

Bruce and I had the best day ever last year when the spots south were just too light. Head to logo high with great backside rides into single, and sometimes double frontside hits. Time it right and you are rewarded. Time it wrong and it will eat you. Even when you time it right, it can eat you. Bruce got the best ride of the day with two top turn aerial off the lips. On the second he got swallowed landing back into the white water and paid for it with a broken mast. He was still smiling and luckily it didn't happen until about two hours in, when we were just about done.

The place is never over-run. I think I've seen 3 kites max at any one time and you are lucky to get even one other windsurfer to join you.

[dbrock]

How about that area on the south side of Pigeon point. I know that you might get some wind shadow from the cliffs where the light house is, but I have seen white caps there on many days but more than that when there is a swell, the waves line up very nicely with long rights and no real shore pound. I was riding past there on my bike Sunday night and yes Gazos was blowing at around 25, nice tail wind for the bike, and the decent swell we had made that area look good for sailing.

[gerritt]

I have drooled over that area myself. Oft times it looks like perfect side off with the wind standing the waves up and open and peeling back the crests like some perfect San Carlos dream. Has anyone ever ridden this place? Unfortunately, it looks like all those perfect waves break right over a knarly rock garden.

[Epenrose]

Gazos on a NNW has been fun, all the comments are right on, don't go too deep!

The South side of Pigeon has been sailed, is featured in the UK windsurf magazine, can get really good, rocky but holds a good winter swell.

[LeeD]

Sailed the cut several times, right over the rocks at medium incoming tides, looking to lose my fin, but never did.
Easy in and out, as the waves part right there at the lowest cliffs, a left coming at you from S, the right almost closing out to it, but not quite steep enough to give you trouble in swell sizing around 6-9" meaning maybe just overhead by the time it get's to Wads, but bigger at Gazo's...enough to be wary there.
Kinda boring side-side/off flat water, can be really choppy outside the point, but I ain't got the balls to go that far out by myself. Sorta like It's, but the swell riding is meeker, flatter, and you still look for the shallower rocks, which remind me of Kailua inside.
Traepsing down the cut with your gear is sorta ugly, and climbing out sorta like the old days at the Hook.
Always a lonely experience for me.