wave sailing in onshore wind

scargo · Joined: 19 May 2007 Posts: 394

Interesting thread. I too have a hard time getting through the shore break when the wind is dead onshore. One can bear off for speed, but that's of course counterproductive to getting outside. So often I go back and forth, getting pounded and only making slow progress upwind. And then when I'm finally on the outside, the last thing I want to do is intentionally get into that mess again.

The Naish video is really impressive . . . .

trance_dude · Joined: 06 Jul 2014 Posts: 40

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

If the wind is truly directly onshore, you can just stay on the inside, between the rows of whitewater, riding in BOTH directions equally, pinching upwind in the flats, then heel turning hard upwind to get over a row of whitewater, immediately bearing off again to regain planing speed behind the whitewater.
Lots of guys at Ocean Beach San Francisco just stay on the inside, from Beach Chalet to as far as Taraval St. (1.5 miles), turn around and head back to Beach Chalet, all without ever getting outside the waves, heel side hopping over the incoming whitwater and bearing off behind it to get planing again.
Again, as said before, the key is a board that floats you and can get upwind, like a bump and jump board with a pointer fin.
At 150 lbs., I've mostly used 85 liter boards with upright fins for onshore and offshore wave conditions, sometimes in pretty big surf.

trance_dude · Joined: 06 Jul 2014 Posts: 40

Thanks @zirtaeb. I'd like to try sailing Ocean Beach sometime. Have sailed in the SF area but not there. Given the wind direction at other SF sites I am not surprised OB is often onshore.

Yes, at 170-175 lbs, I prefer to sail with an 83L wave board but if I know the wind will be either light or from a weird direction I use a 96L all-around board.

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

Good board sizing.....
The thing with sailing in surf and onshore winds, you should NOT worry about getting out past the waves. Because, if you do, it's hideous super bumpy disorgainized backwashing weirdo windsurfing, like Half Moon Bay on a S wind, next to the jetty.
Instead, sail INSIDE the big sets, in the smooth water between the whitewater, and you can find channels to pinch upwind and outwards between the rows of whitewater. The channels exist every block or so, since NO row of whitewater can be sustained for a distance of maybe a block without encountering a deep water OUTgoing current rip.
So, blast at full speed between the whitewater, jump the corner's on the other side of the outgoing deepwater rips, and ride the whitewater at speed in both directions carving heel side mostly, but bearing off downwind towards shore sometimes.

PeconicPuffin · Joined: 07 Jun 2004 Posts: 1830

jingebritsen · Joined: 21 Aug 2002 Posts: 3371

just sailed in strong side on conditions yesterday.

exo wave 105

sails: 6.8 phantom then 6.2 phantom. wind 22 - 30 45 degrees onshore.

why so lit? upwind planing power. was able to carve upwind or downwind to avoid jumping and stallling my plane.

trick to onshore: never stop planing.

phantoms are super stable and provide lots of adjustments to focus the right type of sail power.

merriam · Joined: 28 Apr 2008 Posts: 95

Coachg[/quote]
AGAIN? God DAMMIT, people: "onshore wind" is DEFINED as wind and waves/swell generated BY that LOCAL wind moving in the same direction. How it is oriented to some nearby shoreline is IRRELEVANT once the sailor clears the shorebreak. I've quoted Josh Angulo's comment on it many times. It has to do with the relative direction of the wind vs the waves/swell, and does not address the obvious challenges of getting out through the resulting 90-degree shorebreak.[/quote]

I can't find this definition? Doesn't onshore imply wind blowing towards the shore? Offshore blowing away from the shore? Sideshore blowing parallel to the shore? Not sure where you get your "definition" from.

jingebritsen · Joined: 21 Aug 2002 Posts: 3371

onshore definition correct.

in very rare conditions, waves will refract around an obstacle. that may change orientation of waves relative to wind direction, BUT one has to consider likelihood vs reality.

for me, locally i have cape canaveral to both bless and curse swell angles and directions. flats offshore block/refract north and NE swells. and, somewhat amplify ESE swells (rare). tide influences these conditions tremendously.

again, my solution for onshore conditions: planing power. gear that helps? wave boards with less rocker. sails that remain stable when really lit.

how do the maui mindset gear choices help in onshore? NOT ONE FUGGING BIT. less battens = less stability. more rocker and fins = more drag, and less acceleration. been there, tried it all. side off gear stinks in onshore conditions. YET, onshore stuff worx 92-95% as good as maui stuff in side off.

moral of this thread: buy the gear that is MOST appropriate to your conditions. not some propaganda bullshit. number of people windsurfing on sunday in central florida? over 50. number in the surf? 3. how many parroting maui BS? far too many, sailing their wave gear in a tame flat water venue.

maybe i am ranting too much. i just see people getting suckered into buying the fashionista crap and sailing less because of it.