Instructors and where practice waterstart?

[coachg]

Favorite locations in the bay area for beginners & waterstarts.

1. O'neill Forbay. Shallow, good consistent wind and a nice curved downwind sandy beach.

2. Sherman playpen but only on an ebb tide. If it gets windy & is flooding then the playpen is far to choppy.

Ditto on Jason Voss.

Coachg

[isobars]

This doesn't help with the where, but it may help with the when: When the water is too bumpy to uphaul. A forced choice between sailing and not sailing that day is a good motivator.

[peterbelden]

Thanks! What is the upper launch vs the "old" launch at 3rd ave. I haven't been there in 5-10 years. I recall launching at what is now labeled on google maps as "windsurf point" basically right at the corner where the shore turns. While we are on the topic has the 3rd ave parking lot near the windsurfing rigging area opened up yet?

Excited to take the kids there on a lower tide <3 foot to practice water starts. Sounds perfect. I recall touching the bottom with my feet a few times in years past.

And didn't iwindsurf used to have little drawing maps of the various spots, launch locations and wind direction? I can't find those.

Earlier message was:
3rd Ave at the old launch on 2-3' tide. You can walk out quite far and sail out to the channel, fall off, stand up, and practice on the other direction. I don't recommend going out that far, but my kid did and I was surprised to see her stand up and jump back on and come back.

3rd Ave upper launch on 2' tide. However, it gets deeper sooner. Then you wind up chasing them down to the old launch anyway.

[gerritt]

Upper launch is the one you identified as the point. Old launch is about a mile downwind. There are carpets and usually some cars parked and sailors launching and landing from there. It's hard to miss. I would suggest coming on a crowded afternoon to check it out. Upper you can go out down to a 2' tide. Lower needs about 3' tide. You can get away with less tide with shorter multi-fin boards. Ebb tide is better for learning as it tends to be less choppy.

[bert]

Foster City has removed all the carpeting in the old lower launch and they've cut back much of the tall grass so there is no place to piss before or after your session
The Stick has plenty of carpeting..seems to increase every time I sail there.

[peterbelden]

I've heard Alameda is a good place to practice waterstarts because of onshore wind. Where is the launch? At the shop? We'd be heading there in the afternoon if wind reaches at least 17 which is I'm guessing what the kids will need minimum to practice waterstarts.
And is it sailable in all tide conditions?

Had another great session at candlestick today but I'd love to go somewhere where the kids can touch the bottom for the water start practice like Alameda or if we get lucky 3rd Ave on a particularly low tide.

I've sailed at Crissy Berkeley treasure island candlestick 3rd San Luis Sherman and Coyote on and off since 1989 but still have never made it to Alameda.