Port Hueneme Beach is a great option for those who enjoy riding in uncrowded waters. We're almost reaching Santa Barbara and, if you've still got time, check Leadbetter Beach and East Beach before launching at C-Street, Ventura, with side shore winds. Jalama Beach Park is currently one of the best kiteboarding spots on the Central Coast.īut watch out: avoid sailing alone, especially if waves are big and powerful. Pismo Beach, located a few miles south, invites advanced pilots only. In Morro Bay, kiteboarders will enjoy small and medium waves over a three-kilometer beach alongside fellow windsurfers. In the Berkeley Marina, experienced kiteboarders launch off "Point Emery."Ĭentral and Southern California offer plenty of quality kiteboarding spots for all experience levels. If you're still in the early beginner stages, head to Alameda Crown Beach, where the wind is light, and you can get your equipment ready over a grassy field. In the heart of San Francisco, Ocean Beach offers a long sandy beach with incredible downwind opportunities.ģrd Avenue, near San Mateo, is probably the most popular kiteboarding spot in Northern California. Strong, reliable winds, great wave sailing spots, and flawless flat water locations make it a perfect first choice for beginners and advanced riders. The San Francisco Bay Area is one of the most spectacular kiteboarding regions in California. In California, you can easily find winds ranging between 15-25 knots during most summertime.Īlthough the region between Los Angeles and San Diego might get hidden from the northwest winds, you'll sail magnificently from Imperial Beach down to Baja California. The northwest air current and the temperature differences between the sun-heated land and the fresh Pacific waters are responsible for creating the perfect breeze for kiteboarding races and freestyle stunts. The best season to launch a kite in California is definitely summer. Despite the relatively low water temperatures, kitesurfing California is all about knowing the best spots and the right weather patterns over the year. Oh, and don't fly your trainer kite over peoples heads at Crissy Field, go down to the Marina Green (near Safeway), where you will have more room and there is typically less people and better winds.Kiteboarding in the Pacific Ocean is a wonderful experience. Seriously, if your are new to kitesurfing, come and enjoy the view and meet the people at Crissy Field, but wait until you are more experienced before you venture out. Being rescued by the Coast Guard or a passing by sailboat is common at Crissy Field, but kiters must understand that these options are not always close by and the water at Crissy is VERY COLD. You typically are not washed towards the beach, but rather currents take you either out towards the GG Bridge or towards Alkatraz Island. Self-rescue at Crissy is very challenging. Most kiters park at the end of the parking lot (end closest to the GG). Launch your kite and get off the beach ASAP. Trust me you don't want to be the kiter who screwed up Crissy Field for the rest of us. One accident is all it will take to put access to Crissy Field in jeopardy. DO NOT FLY YOUR KITE ABOVE PEOPLES HEADS. Do not launch if people, especially small kids are in the immediate vicinity. The beach is almost always packed with people with small children and dogs. Generally, launch up wind of the windsurfers and head toward the north tower of the Golden Gate Bridge. Windsurfers have been here for a long time, and kiters need to respect their territory. To keep kite access at Crissy Field open to all of us, you need to pay attention to what's happening both on and off the beach. Windsurf traffic, cargo tanker traffic and general boat traffic can be quite heavy - so keep your eyes open. Also, no matter how warm the day, the cold water and strong currents demand a full wetsuit all year long. You must excel in up wind and jibing ability, be knowledgeable of ebb, flood, counter currents, and excellent swimming ability is a prerequisite for kiting here. The wind is side-offshore and the currents are extremely strong. Crissy can be a very dangerous place to launch. The extremely unpredictable gusty winds (5 mph to 45 mph) makes kiting here very challenging and is best left to the experts. Crissy Field is a world-class sailing, windsurfing, and kitesurfing site, but is definitely not for beginner kitesurfers.
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