Looking Out Sausalito Hotel Windows: Surfing

The pundits would have you think surfing is an exclusively Southern California phenomenon. Of course, some of that is based on actual fact -- and the rest you can write off as good advertising. There is something to be said for the size of the waves and the general atmosphere of the SoCal scene. But, surfing is as old as man and the sea. All you need is a board, some waves, and a little skill. This means, if you happen to live in Northern California, you're still in luck.

Don't believe me? Well, looking out the window of any of of the San Francisco or Sausalito hotels dotting the Bay, you can see how a surfer with a little moxie can make the most of the waves. Of course, the best place to hit the waves is about ten minutes from Pacifica, California. For those of you who may have never heard of this cozy little coastal town, it's just a few minutes south of San Francisco and happens to be home to a sizable NorCal surf community. Pacifica surfers don't surf alone, though.

Along with Pacifica, there's Ocean Beach in San Francisco and Half Moon Bay a touch farther south. Both of these spots has something unique to offer -- sometimes good, sometimes bad. With Ocean Beach, you have to be prepared to take the waves as they come -- even if they don't. Every Bay Area surfer can tell you that when the swell are pumping, Ocean Beach can be a great place to trash it. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen all the time. The flows coming into the Bay can suffer from dead calms, which means dead surfing conditions.

The best conditions for Bay Surfers can be found in Linda Mar. It's generally lauded as the single-best spot short of Huntington Beach or Oahu. Now, this can make for some over-crowding, especially on big swell days. It can be like sitting in traffic on the 101, particularly at high tide. We're talking about seven and eight-foot waves at best, but, hey, that's a decent day in SoCal. And when the surfing down and fist-fights settled, there's Taco Bell for a snack. If you're a local, then you this Taco Bell and you love it -- it's the only one on the beach anywhere in California.

Half Moon Bay is place to be for the more soul-searching surfer. The Moon Bay is kind of a lame spot if you're used to bigger waves, but it can pick up. The best waves are found in the spring, but even then they tend to be shorter and fatter than the ones at Linda Mar or Ocean Beach. So, while it is a surf spot, it's really more for beginners or old timers. The nice thing is it tends to stay kind of sparse and low-key.

Article Source: TravelFreeGuides.com

About the Author

The very best Sausalito hotels happen to be those that manage to mix panache with great amenities.

by: James Pynn

Total views: 0 Word Count: 484 Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2010 Time: 4:52 AM - 0 comments

Publish/Share this article

To use this article on your site click here to get the HTML code |
Remember: The article body, title, author bio and links may not be changed or removed. By publishing this article, you agree to all the terms in our Terms of Service.

Rating: Not yet rated