SF

Sep 16, 2017
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How's foiling in the SF Bay area? I'm moving from oahu for work and have been foiling for the past 2.5 years. Going to miss town and the surplus is foil waves around the island but pretty much have to take this opportunity and will be there in june.

I scored fun 3ft ocean beach once a few years ago but besides that I haven't surfed much at all in California and am trying to scout out new spots! If any of you guys foil in that area and don't mind giving a little insight I'd love a dm!!

 

Bob Dobbalina

Miki Dora status
Feb 23, 2016
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Lots of wind foilers out in fron of the parking lot between Crissy Field/Marina Green (almost in line with the Palace of Fine Arts.

I've seen a handful of surf foiling going down on small days at Kelly's. I always felt it would be cool to do it in front of Sutro.

Saw a guy tow foiling on one of the best days I ever surfed Fort Point. That guy was lame.

But yeah. Alternative craft anything is popular with the nerds here. Money to burn from Sf and Marin.
 
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Bob Dobbalina

Miki Dora status
Feb 23, 2016
4,261
4,655
113
Lots of wind foilers out in fron of the parking lot between Crissy Field/Marina Green (almost in line with the Palace of Fine Arts.

I've seen a handful of surf foiling going down on small days at Kelly's. I always felt it would be cool to do it in front of Sutro.

Saw a guy tow foiling on one of the best days I ever surfed Fort Point. That guy was lame.

But yeah. Alternative craft anything is popular with the nerds here. Money to burn from Sf and Marin.

I might have meant "kite foiling". I don't know what you all call it
 
Sep 16, 2017
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Wing foiling? Lots of people do it in Hawaii too but I haven't tried. I've heard it's definitely funner than it looks.
I'm excited to go check out santa cruz too and try to dodge the kelp and dog surfers haha
 

Hdip

Michael Peterson status
Apr 23, 2005
3,331
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Malibu, CA
Not that it matters, but this is how I am seeing the terms break down in case anyone is wondering what they're seeing out on the water.

Kite foil uses a kite.
Wing foil uses those hand held wings, no lines.
Wind foil uses a mast attached to the board like a wind surfer.

The terms I'm still trying to train myself on now is a "Wing" is above the water. A "foil" is under the water. So I have to stop calling it my front wing and rear wing when I am talking about my foil.
 
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Mar 29, 2021
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Aloha, foil surfing had a bit of boom a couple or so ago, then there was some backlash and a lot of guys disappeared. This past winter I have seen more surf foilers than ever.

Wing foiling took off last summer and seems to growing leaps and bounds, both converts from kite and windsurf and folks new to wind sports.

In summer the surf is often blown out junk, and the protected spots can be howling offshore or to crowded to surf foil. Wing foiling has been a great alternative, pretty much everyday there is wind with ridable bumps.

The open coast has yet to be fully explored, tons of potential and who knows how many great foil spots are out there...
 
Clay Island, is that you? https://clayisland.com/

Up north of SF proper, I have only seen a few foil SUPpers. I have seen one other guy who is proning on a small Jimmy Lewis SUP, but otherwise its just me waiting for the small days. I am still a kook but have gotten a few down the line rides and am always looking for someone to foil with.
 
Mar 29, 2021
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Clay Island, is that you? https://clayisland.com/

Up north of SF proper, I have only seen a few foil SUPpers. I have seen one other guy who is proning on a small Jimmy Lewis SUP, but otherwise its just me waiting for the small days. I am still a kook but have gotten a few down the line rides and am always looking for someone to foil with.
Yes that's me.

Often in SF I'm the only foiler out. On the smaller clean days I've seen up to a dozen foilers scattered around OB. There are tons of friendly foilers at crissy field on any windy afternoon, a lot of them are learning to surf foil and we are all looking for people to go with us. Welcome to send me a message when you want some company.
 
Sep 16, 2017
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Sweet! I am super excited to check out all the new foil spots thank you for all of your guys insight! Hopefully I'll be seeing a lot of you in the water
 
Sweet! I am super excited to check out all the new foil spots thank you for all of your guys insight! Hopefully I'll be seeing a lot of you in the water
Haha Henry F - your excitement may be tempered when you realize all of this fun requires a 5/4 suit with a hood! On kite days in the ocean, air temp is high 50s water temp is low 50s. The bay is a little warmer.
 
Feb 10, 2019
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I'm SUPfoiling and prone foiling all around SF bay area. I think you're going to be disappointed - we don't have anywhere around that breaks like Maui or Oahu - an outer reef and swell that breaks way out there on the reef and backs off. We've got plenty of beach break with decent shape and size. Limited reef break, with very little that breaks appropriately for foiling. And we have lots of good waves in Santa Cruz - but almost all of it is full of kelp most of the year which makes it basically useless for foiling. We do have lots of good wind for winging. I get out several times a week at a variety of locations and always have a great time - so its not all bad. But coming from a place with warmer water and better breaks will be a bit of a change.
 
Sep 16, 2017
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Thanks for the honest reply... oahu and maui must be the best places for foiling in the world so it makes sense. Gonna make the most of it and still stay stoked!
 
Mar 2, 2019
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Henry, PM me for some local knowlege. Otherwise, OB can have some great sand bars on summer souths and if it's not working, Linda Mar north end on a high tide is also good. Montara and the Halfmoon Bay Jetty can also be fun in the summer with light onshore winds keeping most surfers elsewhere. Biggest drawbacks to San Fran Bay Area is long dives, no parking, and murky water making it hard to see the water depth. But if you don't mind solitude, fear of sharks, and memorizing the bottom contours, it's pretty good!