BayAreaKiteboarding.com

Hello boys and girls!

My name is Jarno, 27 and I'm a kiteboarder from Holland going to visit California. I will be landing with a plane in SF on October the first and leaving from SF on October the 25th. In between me and my girlfriend will travel down to LA and back in a small rental car.

I am planning to bring one of my kites (OR Rise 10m2), bar, harnass and wetsuit, but leave my board at home since it is such a hassle in the plane and car.

Our trip will not be a kitesurf-trip but more a real siteseeing/kiteboarding/relaxing trip, so I am not going to be kiteboarding all day every day. So, I would like to visit some great Californai kitesurf spots for the days I will be kiteing.

Can you give me any advice on where to go and on board rental / californian-kitesurfers-willing-to-loan-a-board-for-a-few-hours kindness?

Ofcourse any advice on hostels, where to stay, available couches, partys, where not to go's and so on are more than welcome as well!

Kind regards,

Jarno

Hi Jarno,

Unfortunately, our season is almost over here. Windy season is maybe April to September..by late october we only get wind maybe once or twice a week if lucky.

likely you can find someone to borrow a board from if it's windy and you go to a popular spot (like 3rd ave) though

Send me a PM when you get closer. I am also dutch and would be happy to show you around :)

Thanks for your replies!

Well, since I am not on a kite-only trip I will be happy to kitesurf once a week and surf some waves (classic, exhausting, paddle out style) once a week as well.

I think I will hope for the best and bring my kite anyway and see if I'll find myself in a right spot at the right time :-)

Would you say some spots will give me better luck than others? Maybe the bayarea will be a little less windy compared to the shorebeach area?

You'll definitely have to check multiple spots to have the best chance to ride. I think people like to say that each spot is a microcosm. Wind direction and strength will dictate the number of spots that are ridable.

I would say that your best bets on a

prefrontal/frontal(southerly)- Alameda or Half moon bay ( if more east?)

Clearing( northerly)- if strong nearly anywhere on the coast with a clean shot given wins dir. Waddell is most reliable with OCean beach, dillon beach following. 3rd may also be very reliable but I haven't tried it on a clearing. Alameda can also be good if it's strong.

Westerly: probably rare but east bay might fire W/NW( if there is some clearing in it). You may also get the delta and alameda.

This may be useless