BayAreaKiteboarding.com

I'll be moving to the bay area, working closer to San Jose, in the next month. I've dreams of getting kite sessions in before/after work and hope to pick your brains to get some guidance on that, amongst other things.

I'm a reasonably intermediate rider, comfy in swell and learning waves, but still need to learn to self launch/land, so I've a dependency on that for now. Right now I ride at Squamish and Hood River, and anywhere in between.

A few questions for you lovely people...

1. Which spots are good for evening or AM sessions? I'm eyeing 3rd Ave / Half Moon Bay in that vicinity. Or what times do Crissy / Ocean Beach blow? Alameda is too far out for those hours.
2. Seasonality? What're the summer spots vs the winter spots?
3. Wetsuit requirements?
4. Quiver range recommendation? Looks like 5-12 will be for me?
5. If anyone has recommendations on places to live, or know of anyone hunting for a roomie... LMK. :D (but I'll need a garage for my motorbicycle!)
6. And finally... where the ladies at???? :) Hoping to connect w a few like-minded gals. The FB page looks quiet.

Thanks in advance for spoonfeeding me info. Yes yes, I did search...ish.

Cheers,
Lori

I mainly ride in the East Bay (Alameda, Berkeley Toll Plaza, Racetrack, Marina Bay) so I'll let others who are more local answer 1-5.

As for #6: "where the ladies at?" I see the most ladies at Alameda. Also, the school there ("BoardSports") is owned by two ladies and they've been there a while and know lots of folks of both genders so you might want to consider hanging out in Alameda once or twice on the weekends and making some connections. Since it's a beginner spot, they get lots of visitors--on a windy day, there are likely to be 50+ kites on the water.

Good luck!

Are you the same Lori that was enquiring about the local scene at Sherman on Sunday?

3rd is probably the most reliable spot for evening sesh if u r south bay. Pretty consistent pm, nice local crew. Nasty mud but.....

3 mil will get u by in the bay, shorty for the Delta and 4/3 for the coast, but u may want more in the winter. OB onshore and can be hellish chop but open and good for downwinders but don't underestimate currents, lots of water moving sometimes even if no waves.

Wind generated by thermal lows means 15-25 somewhere in the area most days April- sept. After that storms winds from south, good on coast if surf not too macked or places like alameda inside the bay.

5-12 will cover all. 5-7-10 may do it if u r not a big boned gal, I get by on 6-9-12 and I am def big boned guy side.

If you're the same gal I talked to last weekend, you were asking all the right questions, good on you. Keep doing it smart and safe......

Your best bet will be 3rd Ave. 3rd Ave has the most consistent wind and also happens to be the closest area to the South Bay. You definitely want a full 4/3 for everywhere except maybe Sherman Island where it is a bit warmer. Alameda is great when there is wind, but it is usually best in the spring and tends to be too weak during the summer. As far as kite sizes go, it depends on where you go and whether or not you ride waves, use a foil board, etc. But for twin tip riding at most local spots, your main kite should be for 15-25mph wind and then a smaller one for the stronger days. As far as when to go, most good days at 3rd Ave the wind starts around 2pm and blows until sunset. Morning sessions are rare unless you go to Sherman Island. Season is roughly March-October. Personally, I put the kites away in October because winter conditions are too unpredictable and sketchy. Winter is for mountain biking, surfing, or snowboarding.

Helpful hint - pay for a subscription to Ikitesurf to get the wind forecasts and wind readings. It will easily pay for itself in saved bridge tolls and gas money. The wind at 3rd Ave gets stronger from the shore to the channel so the key is for the 3rd Ave channel sensor to be reading 20mph or better which means that it is usually in the mid teens at the upper launch. Ignore the 3rd Ave sensor on land as it is not very accurate.

You're lucky you're near 3rd - the spot is as predictable as the sunrise and the wind always seems perfect. It is such a predictable experience that it can actually get boring!

Kiting these days for me is about amazing moments: the weather is warm, the tourists are out IG'ing pictures of you to their friends back in Kansas, the energy is flowing, you're in California and life is good. Here are a few of my favorite things you might want to someday try - after years of kiting they all still keep me coming back for more:

1) Alameda - the flukiest / lightest wind of all but the most challenging ... riding there on a 5-8 mph day is incredible, the weather is gorgeous, and it's more like a nice day of sailing than kiting, big kite and low-aspect foil suggested

2) Crissy - ride it and you will know why it's so epic. Tons of raceheads on foilboards but I usually go out on a surfboard and head straight for the ferry boats. If you've ever wake surfed a tourist boat with a kite in your hand or saw one of the most iconic art deco structures in the Western US towering above your kite - okay maybe this spot could be boring, but if not it will be an experience like no other. It can be very cold especially early in the season with heavy arctic clearing winds, or deep in the season when fog rolls in.

3) Ocean Beach - On a light on-shore day can be gorgeous with a big kite and a skim board. The beach-goers will cheer you on, dogs will happily run alongside you as you skim on by - these days tend to hit as the season trails off or in the off-season when the SF coast starts to be freed of the summer marine cycle

There are also a few drive spots that I might hit on weekends:

1) Waddell - just as the wind starts to pick up, still warm out, sun high in the sky, waves still clean ... Cars stopped on the cliffway enjoying your flow - kite size medium to large, arctic 30 mph wind not yet blowing

2) Sherman Island - there are so many mini spots and things to do within this spot you can keep yourself entertained all weekend ... not to mention the epic morning session / lunch / afternoon session / nap / sunset session day and desert style warmth & sunshine

I'm about 190 right now and for what I've described above I pack a 9m, 11m, 18m, foilboard/surfboard, skimboard and a 7m on hand for Waddell & Sherman. I tend to usually feel cold up here when the wind gets too high (except at Sherman) - For wetsuits I wear 4.5mm full suit or @ Sherman 3/2 mil shorty (+ rashguard/meggings to protect against the sun)

Welcome to the bay! Oh and if you bike (the pedaled kind), let me know and maybe I can introduce you to a whole other sport to get addicted to especially if you're in the south bay ... Enjoy!

equipment questions have been answered above.

if you'll be working on the peninsula you'll want to live as close to 3rd ave as you can. traffic picks up around quitting time and that place can get a little crowded on good days. i don't make it there a lot but like to get there by 2 if i do.

alameda and 3rd have the highest number of female regulars

the same women that run the shop at alameda have a setup at coyote which is just north of 3rd. i've never ridden there but used to see a lot of kites when i worked down that way.

not much chance of a morning sessions anywhere except the delta.

if you're at all unsure of your skill level you will want to hold off on crissy and ocean beach. crissy looks like an ideal location from the beach but there are a lot of things that can go wrong and they do a lot. the reason you see such a high percentage of foils and course boards is because of the skill level required and the fact that those riders can actually make it back to the beach when the wind dies.