This is is the one thing I'd give it all up for....Windsurfing !
The feeling of ripping on the water at 30+ mph only powered by the wind can't be beat—and then you hit a ramp and for a couple of seconds you hear nothing but the wind. Damn , I love that sport
.No matter what i'm doing, when its windy I'd rather be windsurfing.. this has been a problem with friends and family for 20 years...
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Favorite windsurfing spots |
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Rio
Vista, California (Windy Cove) If you get there at 4 PM and find glassy conditions, don't despair. When its time, the wind will go from Zero to 20 mph in 30 minutes... no Joke. As a general rule, If it was windy in the AM, it will pick up to about the same or better in the afternoon. Especially if the temps are over 100 degrees. |
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| The 2 best things (other than the wind) about Rio is that:
There's are quite a few launches in Rio Vista and for the most part they are all good. The further west you go, generally, the slightly windier it is( 3-4 mph). With the extra wind in the west, you also get the extra crowd... And it can get SUPER crowded on a windy day. The West most site (known as the Access) has the added hassle of dealing with the Kitesurfers. Kitesurfing looks like a ton of fun, but jeeezuuus, can you take up more room on the water ! Anyhow, the beach and launch at the access are nice, but the parking is brutal and you might have to lug your gear quite a ways to get to the water on a crowded day. Parking is 4$ but you get showers and really clean bathrooms. About halfway between the Rio Vista/Sherman island fork in the road and the access, there is a good spot called the Powerlines. Parking is underneath 2 big Power towers and is plentiful (and free). The wind here is very good, however, the launch is over rocks and you have to cross the main road with gear in hand. The locals here are very friendly and it is much less of a "Scene" than the access. Finally, if you keep going right (east) at the Rio Vista/Sherman island fork in the road, you will come to a spot called Windy Cove. This is east most spot in Rio and has slightly lighter wind than the Access and Powerlines. But, we are only talking a couple of miles per hour. The truth is that this spot hits 20 mph most days, so does it really matter? Anyhow, This launch is sandy , has clean showers, bathrooms,lots of parking, friendly locals, and the river is nice and wide at this point. You won't have to jibe every other minute here. This is a bad launch for kitesurfers, so that is a non-issue. This is also a great spot to wacth sailors as the launch is off of a cliff and you can get a eagle eye view of the entire river and all the sailors. This is also the most family friendly launch, it has picnic tables and BBQ's. |
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Fishermans
Huts Aruba
Eventually, I will write something here.
