San Francisco - Alison Bing [170]
Return to beginning of chapter
SAILING & WINDSURFING
Sailboats dot the bay nearly any given day in SF, prompting many to ask, doesn’t anyone work in this town? It is work to sail the bay: currents are strong, winds erratic and cold, and tidal currents ferocious. Head out in a small craft at ebb tide and you may find yourself kissing San Francisco goodbye as you’re sucked out to sea. Know what you’re doing, or else hit the water aboard a skippered sailboat cruise, cocktail in hand. Sailing is best from April through August, when the westerlies are most reliable, but diehards sail year-round.
ADVENTURE CAT Map
415-777-1630; www.adventurecat.com; Pier 39; cruises from $30; F;
There’s no better view of San Francisco than from the water, especially at twilight on a fogless evening aboard a sunset cruise. Adventure Cat uses catamarans, with a windless indoor cabin for grandmums and a trampoline between the hulls for bouncy kids. There are three daily cruises in March through October; weekends only from November through February.
BOARDSPORTS KITEBOARDING & WINDSURFING
415-385-1224; www.boardsportsschool.com; Crown Beach, Alameda; 2-day windsurfing class $50, 90min kiteboard intro class $165; call for lesson times & seasonal rental hrs; 12th St (Oakland), then 51 to Alameda
Boarding school is never dull at Boardsports, where you can learn to fast tack and pivot jibe in a weekend. The Bay Area has prime wind conditions, and the sweet-spot for lessons is in Alameda, just across the bay. Instructor-student ratio is almost 1:1, and knowledgeable, fun-loving staff will keep you laughing even when you fall off your board. Gear and wetsuit included; bring a towel, snack and change of clothes. If you already know what you’re doing, rentals are available.
SPINNAKER SAILING Map
415-543-7333; www.spinnaker-sailing.com; Pier 40; lessons $375; 10am-5pm; N, T
Do luff, cringle and helms-a-lee mean anything to you? If yes, captain a boat from Spinnaker and sail into the sunset. If no, charter a skippered vessel, or take classes and learn to talk like a sailor – in a good way. The website is packed with everything you need to know.
Return to beginning of chapter
SWIMMING & SURFING
The Beach Boys hail from the other California. To get your head around the Northern California beach scene, think Hitchcock. Wind and fog, not sun, are the dominant summer weather patterns, and the waters around SF are frigid and riddled with currents. If you love swimming in the ocean, we first recommend Santa Cruz for its warmer beaches, but if you’re determined to brave SF’s waters, you have options. There’s a tiny patch of beach at Aquatic Park, just west of Fisherman’s Wharf, where you often see hardy swimmers in the chilly waters. Baker Beach, on the ocean just south of the Golden Gate, is popular with sunbathers, walkers, surf fishers and nudists (at the northern end); swimming is feasible close to shore when the tide is coming in. Four-mile-long Ocean Beach is best for romantic walks: its currents render it dangerous for swimming, unless you really know what you’re doing; we don’t recommend it.
Surfing is best in winter, when storms churn up swells 12ft or higher. Santa Cruz is the top destination, followed by Stinson Beach in Marin. SF’s Ocean Beach sees its share of local surfers, who mostly come at daybreak in winter, but SF’s waters are not for beginners. Aqua Surf Shop (Map; 415-242-9283; http://aquasurfshop.com; 2830 Sloat Blvd; 10am-5:30pm Sun-Tue, to 7pm Wed-Sat) rents boards and wetsuits and tells you the best breaks. Also check the surf report ( 415-273-1618).
If you prefer calm waters, the city operates