BayAreaKiteboarding.com

http://www.uscgnews.com/go/doc/4007/2203337/


News Release

July 14, 2014


Sector San Francisco PAO

Contact: Sector San Francisco Public Affairs

Office: (415) 740-4364


Coast Guard Bay Area crews rescue 25 kitesurfers, windsurfers


SAN FRANCISCO --- Between 5:30 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. Sunday, Coast Guard crews responded to 25 disabled kiteboarders and windsurfers in the vicinity of Crissy Field, in San Francisco.

Coast Guard Station Golden Gate personnel launched a 47-foot Motor Life Boat and 29-foot Response Boat-Small, and Coast Guard Auxiliary personnel assisted with rescue efforts by providing additional waterborne assets.

"It was critical to locate and recover every disabled kiteboarder and windsurfer as San Francisco Bay is the gateway to seven busy commercial ports frequented by large ship traffic," said Capt. Greg Stump, Sector San Francisco commander.

The Coast Guard urges all watersport enthusiasts to wear a life jacket and carry a VHF marine radio when taking to the water.

With the low water temperatures experienced in the San Francisco Bay, it is essential for all windsurfers and kitesurfers to wear a wetsuit of sufficient thickness to prevent the onset of hypothermia.

Saving Lives and Guarding the Coast Since 1790.
The United States Coast Guard -- Proud History. Powerful Future.

Daaaaaaayum!
That's a lot of people...
Also, "news release July 14th" when we are only the 13th.... I don't even think that FOX news could pull that one off.

Must be on east coast time.

A freak weather anomaly, to bad it happened on a crowded sunny Sunday afternoon. Most locals made it back on there own.

Twenty five kiters rescued,
from the San Francisco Bay,
Rolled up on that ship,
and here's what they had to say:
We're calling everyone- be careful,
Kiting from that shore,
Cause we might kite our lives away and be seen no more...

Tony what were you saying about that ban coming at Crissy? :D

What exactly happened that day?
Did the wind drop? change direction? heavy flood?
Anything that people could have started to observe to prevent what happened?

The wind changed direction to SSW causing a wind shadow on the Crissy field side of the bay with light off shore wind combined with a strong ebb current .

If you were still in the wind up at the north tower, you could sail down to yellow bluff and then come in low which many did. Those in the middle up wind and inside were out of luck. ebbing out.


Basically a September shut down in July. Beware monsoonal weather with a thermal trough on the coast. Fluky wind today and through the week.

Seems like Fall is coming early this year.

Beware monsoonal weather with a thermal trough on the coast

by that he means, if you see mid-high level clouds chances are winds could be up/down or unpredictable/shifty. This can show up at 3rd ave too as a sudden drop in winds or a shift to SW.

better to have clear skies and dense well defined low level clouds/fog deck.

Tony Soprano wrote:A freak weather anomaly, to bad it happened on a crowded sunny Sunday afternoon. Most locals made it back on there own.

I'm sure it was unexpected to many, but I don't think it was a freak weather anomaly as they were talking about a South wind on the Channel 2 morning news...so everyone else knew...