PA and sailing

[RSA147]

Hi everyone,

I relocated from Cape Town to Philadelphia recently and need to know where and when to sail?

More specifically:

1. Where is the best / closest beach to sail from Philly?
2. What time of year do we get most wind?
3. What wetsuit is required?
4. Most used size sail? (I brought along 7.6 / 6.7 / 5.4 / 4.7 / 4.2 , 70cm Slalom board and a 58cm wave board)

Looking forward to get back on the water.

Cheers,
Jaco

[motogon]

Jaco,

I live in Philly too. Closest places to sail:
Lakes Bay, Barnegat Bay (Brant Beach, Seaside park ...). On Barnegat bay you'll need weed fin.
Nothing on ocean side even remotely matching Cape Town.
You'll be fine with your quiver. My most used sails 5.8 - 6.5
Best winds in May - July.
Wetsuit (5/3) needed until mid of May on bay side, much longer on ocean side.

See you on water!

[FunHog]

Jaco

I sent you a PM with some local info.

Welcome!

[RSA147]

Perfect thank you Andrew and Funhog!

Looking forward to some sessions soon! (Well once it's a few degrees above freezing)

[mrgybe]

Jaco, Welcome to the US of A. Start planning your road trip to the Outer Banks. About 8 hours drive for you. Water and air warmer than Philly. Abundant flat water, waves and launches. Sailed there last week. 20-30 from the South, no boots or gloves, 3/2 wet-suit. Admittedly, warmer than average, but not unusual. Many people sail year round. April through December is comfortable for most.

[bred2shred]

No need to travel to the OBX if you live in Philly - there is excellent windsurfing much closer in New Jersey and Delaware (and even the local PA lakes if you're into flat water sailing and have the right gear).

East coast sailing is all about having a good assortment of gear, interpreting forecasts, and knowing where to go for the best conditions. We get good, sailable wind from just about every direction all year long. If you're willing to use large gear and/or put on a wetsuit, there are very few days you can't sail. And of course we get our share of strong winds, typically associated with nor'easters and north-west clearing winds that will blow most sailors off the water.

Regarding your questions

1) The best/closest beach all depends on what you're looking for. What type of windsurfing are you primarily looking to do (flat water, wave sailing, or both)?

2) Strongest sailable winds typically occur in Spring and Fall, however down at the shore, it is very common to get consistent 20knot sea breezes in summer afternoons if the winds are out of a Southerly direction.

3) Wetsuit requirements depend entirely on your personal preference and how far you want to push your sailing season. Most people call it quits for the season around October and that would generally necessitate a 2/3 wetsuit. If you want to sail in winter, you're looking at a 4/5 steamer or a drysuit plus heavy booties, mittens and head gear. Summer time, usually just a swim suit and rash guard are all that's needed.

4) Gear all depends on you. This past fall we had a few days in a row that were averaging 40+knots, you would likely be on a 4.0-3.0 in those conditions. We can also have excellent conditions for Formula sailing with 12.0 meter sails and everything in between.

Lot's of conditions and lots of places to sail all around you.

sm

[RSA147]

I generally sail flatwater from around 15 - 25 kts amd waves from around 20 - 40 odd knots depending on the ocean state. Smallest sail is a 4.2 but I'm 200lbs so if it gusts 40+ but averages less than 35 the 4.2 is survivable.

Contemplating getting a 5/4 streamer with some booties and a hoody. Will that work in high 30s air temp? What lakes close to Philly is sailable? Does anyone ever sail on the Delaware river? Is it allowed?

Thank you all for the responses so far!

[isobars]

[motogon]

[bred2shred]

Delaware river... been there, done that, not doing it again....iso says anything is allowed....the dudes with machine guns told us otherwise....

Regarding inland lakes, a lot of the die-hard's will tell you that lake sailing sucks. It's true the wind is generally less consistent on the lakes, but good sailing can be had there for sure if you have the right gear, the right attitude, and know what wind directions work. I would still sail the lakes if I lived near them. If you're actually IN philly, then you're generally better off just driving to the shore. If you're West of Philly, the lakes may be worth considering. These are Nockamixon, Marsh Creek, and Lake Galena. Note that you will need a life jacket and launch permit to sail on Pennsylvania lakes (legally).

There are lots of options at the Jersey shore for the type of sailing you're looking to do. Popular bay locations near you for flat water/bump & jump- Sandy Hook, Lake's Bay, Sea Side, Trixies, Lavallette, Brant Beach (LBI). Most of these spots will have at least a hand full of other sailors on any given summer weekend (and some will be crowded). There are also a number of ocean spots, but the number of people windsurfing in the ocean in NJ on any given day is so small that if you want to sail with other people, you pretty much have to find a couple ocean sailors and just make plans in advance, otherwise expect you'll be the only one sailing. But generally speaking, any beach that allows surfing will allow windsurfing. In NJ, most shore towns have "swimming" beaches and "surfing" beaches during the summer season (in the off season, you can pretty much go where ever you want).

As for wetsuit recommendations, windsurfing in temps in the high 30's is really freakin' cold (especially if it's blowing). Not saying people don't do it (including myself), but you need a high quality suit with hood, thick (7mm) boots, and hand protection. And even then, you may still be cold. But even if your suit only gets you comfortably down to temps in the 40's-50's, it's really going to extend your season.

sm