BayAreaKiteboarding.com

I was asked to produce a diagram illustrating my understanding (from Foster City) of where we are allowed to set up, kite, and not kite at the north end of Third Ave. Attached to this note is a version of the Guidelines Sign with such annotation. You can kite where the color is blue. You can set up where the color is white. You cannot kite where the color is cross-hatched red. It doesn't matter how much erosion occurs, so if the white area disappears, so be it. If the city has a different notion of what this diagram should look like it should provide it for us.

In case anyone is wondering why this is being posted, there have been some super high tides lately, so high that many kiters have been riding through the wetland area. PLEASE do not do this. Our position at Third Ave is tenuous as it is, and it would be altogether too easy for the powers that be to label us as irresponsible and shut the place down to kiteboarding.

Does the tide really go over the wetlands area on the map? At close to high tide a week ago I was riding just north of the slider and it sure seemed like there were rocks that separated that area (wetlands) from the edge of the water. I could be wrong but how the heck can you tell where the boundary is? I'm pretty sure what I was riding over was all mud and sand without vegetation, so by definition it was NOT a wetland.

If it's really an issue and you're not just being paranoid, is there any way that we could get some sort of markers out there?

On Saturday and Sunday the water came all the way to the rock wall by the bike path. there was no dry land north of it.

If you are riding north of the slide you are fine. If you are 100 feet south of it (with the current amountof erosion) you aren't.

I don't tend toward paranoia. I may say unpopular things but I don't exaggerate.

Does anyone have any explanation for why this is happening?

I mean I understand erosion will contribute to this. As will high tides. But it seems so sudden. It's never happened before in my recollection - but perhaps it has and I just wasn't kiting?

And can someone explain these "high tides"? Can tides be higher from one year to a other? I would have thought they are would be higher or lower seasonally but year to year is there room for variation there?

Thank in advance...

This is a combination of things. For sure we have been losing more and more of the north staging area t erosion. We also routinely get 8.0 tides, but usually in the winter. Also, this past week was a full moon, which brings strong tidal surge and higher tides.

But I have never seen the kiting community do what I saw on Saturday. Maybe just a perfect storm.

Okay, now I understand. I missed last weekend so I didn't see the mega high tide. The real problem though is that the season is winding down anyway...

One thing I had not noticed on the sign before was "Landing in the upper launch, come in at the north cove".

I've only gone into the north cove area once while helping a friend gain some extra upwind space while learning, and it was not a pleasant trip. Horrible hidden rocks and drop-offs, as well as the location I believe of the infamous engine visible at low tides. I've seen people come in here plenty of times, usually when the tide is fairly high, but seems risky to suggest to someone not familiar with the area.

jwest21 wrote:One thing I had not noticed on the sign before was "Landing in the upper launch, come in at the north cove".

I've only gone into the north cove area once while helping a friend gain some extra upwind space while learning, and it was not a pleasant trip. Horrible hidden rocks and drop-offs, as well as the location I believe of the infamous engine visible at low tides. I've seen people come in here plenty of times, usually when the tide is fairly high, but seems risky to suggest to someone not familiar with the area.

There are 2 pole markers spaced fairly wide probably 30 ft, that are visible at low(er) tide. Come between them and you are fine. There's sandy strip between the 2 poles, I entered and exited water there at low tide many times. Also steer clear of the windsock if it's high tide. As with most advice given at 3rd, don't kite first time there on a high tide. Come at low tide and get acquainted with the spots. Once this happens, you'll know where stuff is :D

I've seen this over the past weekend as well, people landing their kites on the rocks at lower beach and getting kites destroyed. Sadly, it's part of the high tide risk. I am 6'3" and i wasn't touching bottom at the lower launch rocks in front of them. This past weekend we had monster tides 8.2ft on Friday and 7.6' on Sunday. If you are a beginner and come in from upper launch dragged down wind and your kite drops as you entered the behind the golf net spot at lower launch AND it's high tide, your safest bet is to self rescue and grab the kite and drift with it before the kite hits the rocks where the swell WILL tear it apart. Also wave at the people on the beach so we know you need help vs leaving you alone assuming you're trying to relaunch your kite. There's first exit ramp close to the lower beach. once you self rescue and grabbed the kite steer to that ramp, use your board to drag to that direction.

Get a free app like WindFinder and it has the tides by the hour showing max/min and wave height.

Also: with the massive high tides come the massive currents. I was a bit surprised by how strong the flood current was on Sunday. It was hard to stay upwind (granted the wind was also somewhat borderline) but the current definitely made it a lot more difficult. Definitely make sure you check the tides before going out and mind the "lag" between high tide and when the current reverses.

Back to the topic: with the season winding down, I see more people going to the water through the cove as there is more room for error or wind shutdowns and still be able to come back to the upper launch. I also see some walking beyond the upper cove, to this "second" cove, I suppose that is still ok.

Leo

Cross-reference the schematic from the sign to the actual geography using the second cove and parking lot as reference points. The accessible area should be much larger than it appears.
refer to: https://www.bayareakiteboarding.com/for ... 0&start=40