BayAreaKiteboarding.com

I am very excited to announce that after almost 5 years of hard work and persistence we were just this am finally given permission by the radio tower property owners, to place a full service Wind Alert / Ikitesurf sensor at Toll Plaza Beach! Thanks go out to Clear Channel/I-Heart Radio, Ikitesurf- Wind Alert Team and the Port of Oakland!

Say goodbye to the virtual TP readings and in with the actual real time reports and forecasts! In addition we will also be attempting to instal a web cam at the spot.

Also we are happy to report zero kiteboarder/windsurfer car break in theft issues (or any other type that we are aware of) at TP for 2014!

Attendance at TP has dwindled to just a few locals on windy days over the past year. It's a shame because this is one of the best beach accesses in the Bay that's good & safe for for all skill levels! I think it's mostly because kiters have grown tired of being skunked by lighter winds inside, are not sure how to remotely determine the probability of winds at the spot based on the other local area sensors and are concerned about the very few past break-ins.

Now hopefully with this good news we can finally see the community blossom at this excellent and safe for beginners flat water beach launch site!

See you at the beach!

WOOT! Now we just need an underpass for when you're coming from SF :P

Can anyone comment as to whether this launch is still good on higher tides?

Thanks!

That's great! When do you think it will be installed?

Congrats Royce! Looking forward to kiting over there with you next summer!


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halibut wrote:Can anyone comment as to whether this launch is still good on higher tides?

Thanks!

Having kited there at high tides, I can tell you... it's very sketchy. the beach strip width will be merely 10 ft and you will need to land from the water. Also that wind shadow is really a deal breaker. I had to sine the kite waaay in the channel to get to good winds.

Not sure i like to play sooo far out from the beach. Equipment failures do happen and it will be a long way back. Also for me since im more into freestyling, you don't wanna pull tricks 200 yards offshore and have to body drag back to the board in high swell... dunno.. I feel that playing at 3rd ave at the "flag" is the thing to do :D

As far as parking and stuff yeah, theres nobody, it's a side/utility road pretty much like Sherman's, except shorter. If you need to take a dump, you go behind the dunes... I don't recall to have seen any porta-toilet...

DuDEe
if u keep takN duMPs In the dunes,
therz not gonna be any dunes left,
only duMPs.



If i gotta picKup my dogz duMPs, you gotta pickup yOURs

I'm open to trying to make Tolls happen - I think the key is having it be a no-breakin spot. Do you know when the last reported one we heard of was? On a crowded day is the area people are parking well-enough trafficked by kiters coming and going that it shouldn't be an issue? I've passed by on days heading to Alameda and TP just seems loaded with kites

Also to the point about coming from the west - is the best bet to take West Grand exit as you come off the bridge ... then up Peralta and then get back on 580 @ MacArthur heading toward 80W merge back to SF? Thanks and hopefully see ya out there!

Great questions, I will attempt to answer!

Amir, not certain about the date we are in the start of the installation process so it could be a few months yet, but we anticipate well before next Spring.

Biba, Halibut, Once the sensor is in place I will post usage guidelines for this spot, but basically the beach is ridable for Beginners from 0-4.5ft tides and for all skill levels from 0-5.5 ft. Over that the beach disappears. The Best days for all are on a slack or Ebb around 2-4ft for excellent flat freestyle hucking conditions with perfect small ramps aka Sherman (not choppy like other bay spots). Most days the inside is filled in and beach starts are easy, but as you mentioned a bit lighter inside typically. Yes there is sometimes a bit of a wind bubble/shadow inside making it difficult to beach start on hight tide days so having the low tides makes for an easy walk out to the winds as the bottom is sandy and not mucky. There are more details on how to interpret the sensors, downwind egress, hazards etc to come later in another post or visit KGBswag.com/locations/

NCNomad and Aloha, Coming from Sf the easiest way is 80 east exit Powell st make a left at the exit then an immediate right to then get back on the 80 West bound to the West Grand exit, basically a simple u-turn via the exit ramps. Or just Google Toll Plaza Beach for directions it's now listed as a beach.

Here is the break down of past years break-ins as reported to KGB:
2011- 2 broken windows all on cars with out of state plates and valuables exposed!
2012- 3 broken windows again same thing out of state plates and valuables left out.
2013 -1 break in Ca plates only took an visible Iphone. this was the last break-in circa June 2013
2014-) reported thefts and no broken glass seen etc.
It should be noted that these were almost always when the effected car was the only one there in the late dusk hrs of the evening, also the cars where parked away from view along the fence to the bridge.
We have never had a break-in reported when multiple users are present.
Also to be fair if you leave valuables in your car anywhere in the bay area you risk a break in so in that respect TP is no different.
Around the same times these break-inshappened we also got reports of similar break-ins at Pt Emery and Richmond, even at race track. My point being that TP was not Isolated incident, but rather just another stop along these snatch and grab artists east bay launch site route. To be fair even Alameda has had cars busted into in past seasons.
We have plenty of parking spots and no fear of parking tickets as well and we have noticed police patrolling the road from time to time this past season.
We intend to install a web cam or 2 pointed back to the beach and lot.

See you at the beach.

Thanks for all the info! This is very encouraging.