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Hi, I have all my own gear and I've been learning to ride at Alameda, but the forecast for the next week or two isn't fantastic. Where else in the bay is decent for beginners? Im very new and just working on board riding, but I'd prefer not to take such a long time off without wind. If there's nowhere else suitable, what is the progression of places that I can work towards? Thanks a ton all.

You might try Toll Plaza on the low tide and Bodega Bay on the high tide.


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Unfortunately heat waves tend to shut down wind. You could try an assisted downwinder up at Sherman, a few threads on this...


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3rd if you launch from the upper launch and plan to land at the lower launch.

Was chatting with a few newer kiters yesterday at the cable park, and thought it might be helpful to layout the list of beaches as general a progression.

Beginner:
1. Alameda
2. Toll Plaza
3. Bodega Bay

Intermediate:
4. 3rd Ave/Coyote (you should be going upwind at this point!
5. RaceTrack (hard to get offshore, need to be able to get upwind!)
6. Wadell Creek
7. Sherman Island (tricky launch/land, high wind)

Advanced:
8. Ocean Beach (large waves, more alone than wadell)
9. Crissy Field (fast tides, ship traffic, and holes)

Lots of room for interpretation here, curious how the rest of you view it.

Thank you for all the replies, any more discussion is very welcome. I really appreciate a list like this, I've read all the BAK location reports, but it's nice to have this in one place based on difficulty. If anyone else can weigh in it would be fantastic!.

Red_Element_Andy wrote:Was chatting with a few newer kiters yesterday at the cable park, and thought it might be helpful to layout the list of beaches as general a progression.

Beginner:
1. Alameda
2. Toll Plaza
3. Bodega Bay

Intermediate:
4. 3rd Ave/Coyote (you should be going upwind at this point!
5. RaceTrack (hard to get offshore, need to be able to get upwind!)
6. Wadell Creek
7. Sherman Island (tricky launch/land, high wind)

Advanced:
8. Ocean Beach (large waves, more alone than wadell)
9. Crissy Field (fast tides, ship traffic, and holes)

Lots of room for interpretation here, curious how the rest of you view it.

Goldenbears wrote:Thank you for all the replies, any more discussion is very welcome. I really appreciate a list like this, I've read all the BAK location reports, but it's nice to have this in one place based on difficulty. If anyone else can weigh in it would be fantastic!.

Red_Element_Andy wrote:Was chatting with a few newer kiters yesterday at the cable park, and thought it might be helpful to layout the list of beaches as general a progression.

Beginner:
1. Alameda
2. Toll Plaza
3. Bodega Bay

Intermediate:
4. 3rd Ave/Coyote (you should be going upwind at this point!
5. RaceTrack (hard to get offshore, need to be able to get upwind!)
6. Wadell Creek
7. Sherman Island (tricky launch/land, high wind)

Advanced:
8. Ocean Beach (large waves, more alone than wadell)
9. Crissy Field (fast tides, ship traffic, and holes)

Lots of room for interpretation here, curious how the rest of you view it.

Is there a good way to walk upwind at the toll plaza? If so, where do you exit the water?

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unichi wrote:Is there a good way to walk upwind at the toll plaza? If so, where do you exit the water?

According to the "kite beaches" link, Royce/Toll Plaza is about 700ft long. In my experience there, the wind was mostly side on-shore, so there's no "upwind" area to walk. Walking to the end of the beach from where you park is not really walking upwind. Walking west upwind towards bridge offers no safe or decent place to rig and launch that I know of.

Assisted down-winder at Sherman is best option, but rig according to wind when you arrive at beach. Lots of space to figure out how to ride board and plenty of wind.

Toll plaza has no upwind launch, but on low tide you could walk in shallow water or board drag upwind. You can go downwind into cove, but there are some sketchy piers to avoid. Expect mud and lighter wind in cove.

Being able to body drag upwind and upwind drag with board in water is a required skill for Racetrack if wind is variable. Wind is directly onshore, with short tacking and rocks on both sides. You can walk south of the beach to the end of parking lot have a bit more downwind space.

For all East Bay locations, I highly recommend booties to save your feet when you eventually need to walk on rocks regardless of skill level.