BayAreaKiteboarding.com

Guys,
I always kite at 3rd ave, but I would like to go to some other place where some flat water can be found... I haven't been to Sherman yet, is the water there less choppy than at 3rd ? Or do I have to go some place far for this ?

thanks
Leo

There are parts of 3rd on some wind directions that are good in the bay above the upper launch. But Sherman has some butter flat spots too but you need to be advanced in your kiting skills or do not attempt them.

Sherman, go upwind and you can find lots of spots all for yourself.

Thanks ! I will definitely hit Sherman on a weekend.

Leo

At 3rd, there 're flat water spots immediately behind the Coyote hills, couple hundred yards upwind from the upper launch. Unfortunately due to the same hills, there 're a giant wind shadow and the resulting wind is not very good. At Sherman, make sure you can go upwind comfortably before turning left couple hundred yards from the launch into Sherman lake which has pretty flat water. WARNING: Sherman lake has lots of vegetation underneath the surface which will certainly catch your board fins and stop you in your track. ALWAYS wear a PFD when kite there at Sherman lake. If your equipment somehow malfunctions, you could get stuck there and unable to swim in due to all that underwater weeds. There were reports of people with very close calls in that same lake.

sanjose_kiter wrote:At 3rd, there 're flat water spots immediately behind the Coyote hills, couple hundred yards upwind from the upper launch. Unfortunately due to the same hills, there 're a giant wind shadow and the resulting wind is not very good.

Indeed, around that area the water becomes a bit better but I noticed that the are has much more turbulent wind.

At Sherman, make sure you can go upwind comfortably before turning left couple hundred yards from the launch into Sherman lake which has pretty flat water. WARNING: Sherman lake has lots of vegetation underneath the surface which will certainly catch your board fins and stop you in your track. ALWAYS wear a PFD when kite there at Sherman lake. If your equipment somehow malfunctions, you could get stuck there and unable to swim in due to all that underwater weeds. There were reports of people with very close calls in that same lake.

This doesn't sound very appealing :) I always have a PFD on anyway but I'll first explore the more commonly used spots before venturing into shallow water.

Also I went to Coyote Point yesterday, the water is also much flatter when compared to 3rd.

Leo

I once dropped my kite in the water in sherman lake and had a real hard time getting it to relaunch due to the basketball-sized clump of weeds that had latched on to my front lines. Not very fun.

come find me at 3rd and I can tell you how to get to some flat water close by.

easy accessible spots are:

sherman behind 1st/2nd island (and further upwind)
btwn coyote and 3rd ave
Any salt pond that is legal to ride (ie: A4 in sunnyvale)
HMB harbor (only winter S. winds)
marina bay behind brooks island - pain in the ass to ride upwind though
Racetrack around the albany bulb - also a pain in the ass to ride upwind
Candlestick (offshore winds)
Flying Tigers (offshore winds)

I haven't really found a perfect flat water spot. They all have their pluses and minuses. In the summer sherman is probably the best.

under the middle of the Golden Gate Bridge on the right tide condition... Butter and 7m but not the safest be throwing freestyle moves.

Benicia has some secrets..