Kitesurfing the Blustery Bay Area of San Francisco
Not for the faint of heart, San Francisco winds will blow you right under the Golden Gate bridge and over Alcatraz.
Crissy Field is a dog-friendly beach in San Francisco’s Bay with not a lot of breathing room for launching your kite. The winds are side-offshore, making conditions even more dangerous for launch. Once you’re on the water, the challenges continue with freezing water, heavy ship traffic, and gusty winds. But don’t dismay, you’ll have the ride of your life after you educate yourself on the conditions and safety pre-cautions.
There are several launch spots surrounding the Golden Gate bridge, but the closest to San Francisco proper is Crissy Field. With crystal clear views of The Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz, this kitesurfing spot is worth the challenge. Strong tidal currents, shifty and unpredictable winds, and heavy ship traffic will make a pro’s heart skip and a novice’s heart drop. It’s best you know what you’re doing with many, many hours of kitesurfing under your belt before kiting the Golden Gate.
We strongly encourage you to have a chat with the local kitesurfers. Typically, there are a bunch of local dudes hanging out and ready to voice their opinion on the wind today – regardless of whether you want it or not. But, those that have kited the bay know that within a matter of minutes conditions can change, and they vary so much day-to-day it’s not always easy to predict. If you want to me super safe, check the live web cam for other kitesurfers before heading down for a sesh.
Living on the edge isn’t safe, but the view is better. – Ricky Gervais
The peak season for kitesurfing in San Francisco is April through mid-September. Each year during peak season, St Francis Yacht Club hosts a Hydrofoil Race Series that’s incredible to watch from the beach, or participate in yourself!
No matter how warm the day is, you’re going to need a full wetsuit with hoodie and boots. The cold water and currents are no joke, so you should obviously be a strong swimmer and familiar with all ditching methods in case of an emergency.
Note that the photographs on this page were taken on a blustery day in January. If you don’t mind a little rain, freezing your butt off, and risking the wind dropping on you mid-session, then you can kitesurf almost anytime of the year in San Fran.
The wind is offshore to the side, picking up in the afternoons, and ranges from 5 to a whopping 45 mph – making Crissy Field a dangerous spot to launch. Crissy Field Beach is quite popular with the locals and visitors alike, so don’t be dumb and fly your kite over a kids head. Also, the beach is dog-friendly – so don’t be surprised if fido comes up and sniffs you just as you’re trying to steady your kite.
As for self-rescue, it’s not so easy with the currents pulling you out towards Alcatraz or the Golden Gate Bridge. There are Coast Guards around, and usually a sailboat, that can help you out in case you’ve really screwed yourself.
In summary, the required skills for Crissy Field look something like this:
- Strong swimmer
- Ability to ride and jibe upwind
- Ability to keep control of the kite in gusty winds
- Knowledge of ebb, flood, and counter-currents
- Advanced self-rescue techniques