San Francisco Bay Area kiteboarding safety, access, information, reviews, forums, and classifieds.
- Berkeley
A long established windsurfing location, the open expanse along the frontage road adjacent to Interstate 80 between the Emeryville Marina and Berkeley Marina can be an excellent kiteboarding location if conditions are right and your skills are sufficient to ensure that you can stay upwind out of harms way, thus protecting yourself and the public. The new and expanding Bay Trail runs along the waterfront here in between the rocks and the frontage road. On the other side of the frontage road is Interstate 80. Contact between the ever-present public along the Bay Trail and the cars along the frontage road and the highway must be prevented at all costs.
Not a beginner location!
The windsurfing launch at the parking lot and docks next to Cal Adventures, the UCB sailing club, located adjacent to the road leading to the Berkeley Pier is not adequate as a kiting launch, so you need to launch at the smaller beach adjacent to the Point Emery parking lot and peninsula. The Emery Point beach is the location for launching and landing. The longer beach along the frontage road is not suitable due to its close proximity to I-80.
Launching requires a low tide as room is limited and the almost-always onshore wind dictates that you be able to make your way out into the water a bit before you can send your kite. If you need to come in at the frontage road beach you'll often find fishermen; they been fishing there for years so yield to them and show courtesy.
As should be the case with all riding locations, the use of a leash is mandatory.
Make no mistakes when launching or landing and know you can get out quickly and stay upwind; if your kite ends of on the road or highway you will be on the news and your fellow kiters will not be very happy!
Before launching and getting underway, take note of the large cylindrical 4-foot diameter drain covers (if visible) located in between the two beaches and the upright wooden pylons to the north of the beach, to which flags are often attached. Avoid these. Upwind and to left is the channel to the Emeryville Marina. It's marked by a series of pylons with lights through which ships navigate. Keep it clear and yield to traffic. Below the channel you will on accasion see a partially submerged pylon sticking up at a 45 degree angle bobbing up and down. Also consider what your plan will be if something goes wrong. As always, use a kite leash.
If the wind dies and you find yourself unable to return to the Emery Point beach, you will have to come in at the long beach along the frontage road. You will have to dump your kite in the water well in advance of the beach, pull your safety and reel in your kite. No exceptions here as there will no one to catch your kite!
Conditions range from relatively smooth water during 10-15 knot low tide to major chop with higher winds and tides, depending on wind speed, tidal flow and storm activity. In any event, prerequisites to kiting this site include excellent upwind ability, safe and controlled launching and landing, self-rescue techniques and preventing any contact between yourself (and your gear) and the public or constant vehicular traffic.
Don't hesitate to ask the locals for advice.
