Windsurfing in San Francisco
California, United States · 1 spot
By NP7 Crew · Updated
San Francisco at a glance
- Level
- Advanced
- Water
- Choppy, small waves
1 spot in San Francisco
A destination is the whole place. A spot is one launch in it. Open a spot for its wind, water and access.
Crissy Field
Verified by members who've sailed here · Advanced · Choppy, Small waves (0.5-1 m)
Strong afternoon thermals and tidal currents make this an advanced spot, so check the tide and wind before you go out.
Photo: Timo S.Full write-upSafety and accessWind windowRatings
Pinned by Timo S.
Photo: Timo S.Strong afternoon thermals and tidal currents make this an advanced spot, so check the tide and wind before you go out.
Crissy Field is a spot for advanced riders. The water is choppy to rough, with steep wind-against-tide chop and strong tidal currents. The water is cold year-round, so wear a proper wetsuit. The wind is mostly west to northwest and can be gusty, especially near the shore. The strongest thermal winds usually arrive in the afternoon in spring and summer. Watch out for strong ebb tides that can carry you toward the Golden Gate and out to sea, heavy shipping traffic, fast-changing wind, and wind shadows near the shore. A flood tide can also make conditions hard. The launch is a sandy beach at East Beach. Near the shore the wind can be light or turbulent, so you may need to sail farther out to reach the stronger, cleaner wind. There is a car park right behind the beach.
Written from riders' notes, edited by NP7.
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About San Francisco
What holds for every spot here.
Photos from this destination's spots.
Wind, month by monthModel data · tap to openModel data · tap to open
Each bar: how often it blew between 9:00 and 18:00 in that month, counted over about 3.5 years of weather records for Crissy Field. Not a wind meter on the beach: where hills or a gap speed the wind up (Canaries, Tarifa), it often blows more than this shows.
Model data from Open-Meteo, Jan 2023 to Oct 2026 (about 3.5 years). Under each month: the air temperature in °C, then the session days in %: the share of days with at least 2 hours in a row of 11+ knots (or 16+ knot gusts) between 11:00 and 19:00.
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