Alki Beach
Spots Nearby
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Golden Gardens:
11.7 km
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Carkeek Park:
14.0 km
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Magnuson Beach:
15.0 km
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Anderson Point:
19.2 km
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Richmond Beach:
19.9 km
Find a Spot
Recent Spots
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LOCATED IN BETWEEN 2 IMPORTANT TOURSIM LOCATION OF kONARK SUN TEMPLE AND pURI BEACH TOWN. -
This is a rare opportunity, the wind must be very south to make it into the bay, but when it ... -
Kalk Bay is a quaint little town on the east coast of the Cape Peninsula. It's neatly sandwiched in-between Fish ... -
The Bluff is about 10-20 mins drive from Durban central, but despite its proximity to the hustle and bustle of ...
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The Kwazulu Natal South Coast is littered with dozens of alcoves, points and beach breaks - Green Point is just ...
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Top Riders
| recent awards | rating | ||
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 Jack |
The Bronze Spyglass
The Bronze Spyglass is given to those who don’t keep their geographical knowledge a secret, and have discovered 5 Spots for the Beach Guide.
The Silver Spyglass
The Silver Spyglass is a sign of recognition for members of the community who are willing to share their experience and travel savvy with fellow sailors and riders, and have discovered 15 Spots for the Beach Guide.
The Gold Spyglass
The Gold Spyglass is an honor reserved for esteemed discoverers who have made it their mission to spread the knowledge of the world’s best beaches, and have enriched the Beach Guide with no less than 30 Spots.
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908.500 |
|
Water_Goddess |
The Bronze Spyglass
The Bronze Spyglass is given to those who don’t keep their geographical knowledge a secret, and have discovered 5 Spots for the Beach Guide.
The Silver Spyglass
The Silver Spyglass is a sign of recognition for members of the community who are willing to share their experience and travel savvy with fellow sailors and riders, and have discovered 15 Spots for the Beach Guide.
The Gold Spyglass
The Gold Spyglass is an honor reserved for esteemed discoverers who have made it their mission to spread the knowledge of the world’s best beaches, and have enriched the Beach Guide with no less than 30 Spots.
|
826.002 |
|
Paul |
The Bronze Spyglass
The Bronze Spyglass is given to those who don’t keep their geographical knowledge a secret, and have discovered 5 Spots for the Beach Guide.
The Silver Spyglass
The Silver Spyglass is a sign of recognition for members of the community who are willing to share their experience and travel savvy with fellow sailors and riders, and have discovered 15 Spots for the Beach Guide.
The Gold Spyglass
The Gold Spyglass is an honor reserved for esteemed discoverers who have made it their mission to spread the knowledge of the world’s best beaches, and have enriched the Beach Guide with no less than 30 Spots.
|
660.500 |
|
Liesbet |
The Bronze Envelope
The Bronze Envelope is given to those who don’t shy away from expressing their opinion, and have posted 10 times in comment threads.
The Bronze Quill
The Bronze Quill is given to those who have somehting to say, and have started 5 topics of their own, in either their personal or community Blogs.
The Silver Quill
The Silver Quill is a sign of recognition for members of the community who are commited to contributing news, insights, and their experience to the collective knowlegde on the site, and have posted 15 topics in the Blogs.
|
75.002 |
|
edita_kay |
The Bronze Envelope
The Bronze Envelope is given to those who don’t shy away from expressing their opinion, and have posted 10 times in comment threads.
The Bronze Spyglass
The Bronze Spyglass is given to those who don’t keep their geographical knowledge a secret, and have discovered 5 Spots for the Beach Guide.
The Silver Spyglass
The Silver Spyglass is a sign of recognition for members of the community who are willing to share their experience and travel savvy with fellow sailors and riders, and have discovered 15 Spots for the Beach Guide.
The Bronze Quill
The Bronze Quill is given to those who have somehting to say, and have started 5 topics of their own, in either their personal or community Blogs.
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65.505 |
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surferseyes |
The Bronze Quill
The Bronze Quill is given to those who have somehting to say, and have started 5 topics of their own, in either their personal or community Blogs.
The Silver Quill
The Silver Quill is a sign of recognition for members of the community who are commited to contributing news, insights, and their experience to the collective knowlegde on the site, and have posted 15 topics in the Blogs.
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63.002 |
|
Sean |
The Bronze Quill
The Bronze Quill is given to those who have somehting to say, and have started 5 topics of their own, in either their personal or community Blogs.
The Silver Quill
The Silver Quill is a sign of recognition for members of the community who are commited to contributing news, insights, and their experience to the collective knowlegde on the site, and have posted 15 topics in the Blogs.
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59.500 |
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Deneice |
The Bronze Quill
The Bronze Quill is given to those who have somehting to say, and have started 5 topics of their own, in either their personal or community Blogs.
The Silver Quill
The Silver Quill is a sign of recognition for members of the community who are commited to contributing news, insights, and their experience to the collective knowlegde on the site, and have posted 15 topics in the Blogs.
The Gold Quill
The Gold Quill is an honor reserved for esteemed mentors who have made it their mission to share their knowledge and experience with the community, and support other sailors and riders in their endeavors by posting with no less than 30 topics of their own.
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54.002 |
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artem_kay |
The Bronze Envelope
The Bronze Envelope is given to those who don’t shy away from expressing their opinion, and have posted 10 times in comment threads.
The Silver Envelope
The Silver Envelope is a sign of recognition for members of the community who keep the dialogue going with their contributions, and have posted 25 times in comment threads.
The Bronze Spyglass
The Bronze Spyglass is given to those who don’t keep their geographical knowledge a secret, and have discovered 5 Spots for the Beach Guide.
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53.300 |
|
Irish |
The Bronze Envelope
The Bronze Envelope is given to those who don’t shy away from expressing their opinion, and have posted 10 times in comment threads.
The Bronze Spyglass
The Bronze Spyglass is given to those who don’t keep their geographical knowledge a secret, and have discovered 5 Spots for the Beach Guide.
The Silver Spyglass
The Silver Spyglass is a sign of recognition for members of the community who are willing to share their experience and travel savvy with fellow sailors and riders, and have discovered 15 Spots for the Beach Guide.
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32.100 |
Recent Posts
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As I hinted in my last blog post, I’m knocking on the door of 40, looking a bit older, but still (thankfully) have the sailing attitude of a 12 year old. This is naturally reflected in the type of catamaran that would make my ideal boat. Sure, bowling along at 40 knots in the teeth of a gale whilst getting covered in freezing spray is always going to be my first love, but as you get older priorities start to change – the present Mrs. Williams might like to escape with me for the weekend, the kids might want to follow pappa out for the day and I get more and more pleasure from teaching sailing and gently introducing beginners out onto the water. So what’s the next step up from a typical Hobie-type cat for those of us maturing like a nice Claret? Sure there are hundreds of Lagoons and Fountaine Pajots out there, but even I’m not ready for these yet – I’m talking about something that will still give me the “dinghy” feeling.
Thoughts first turn to The Multi 23, a beautiful trailer towable cat that comes from the pen of Van Peteghem Lauriot Prévost (VPLP), one of the world’s most famous multi-hull designers, whose credits include BMW’s Oracle trimaran and the new Smartboat (more on this later). For under €40 000, you can still have the same sailing thrills as a Hobie Cat but at the same time pull in for an afternoon coffee and siesta. The Multi 23 is also an ideal “cat-packing” boat (backpacking with your catamaran), as there is space enough to pitch a tent on the trampoline and it even comes with an optional extra of a specially designed tent that turns the deck into a sleeping area and lets you convert the forward locker into a cosy children’s bedroom.
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It is always the same in life – just as soon as you are on a stable enough financial footing to buy a cool toy, middle age hits you right in the face. The same is true with sailing cats – after secretly stashing away enough cash to buy a Hobie, the first sign of white horses and you are back in your favourite armchair drinking a smooth single-malt instead. Little cloudy, chance of rain or unpredictable wind? Let’s just lie on the sofa and watch TV instead. We’ve all been there, but really there is no excuse for it! Just think back to your own favourite sailing memory – was it when the sun was shining and everything was going perfectly? Of course it wasn’t, I’m sure it was the time you triumphed over adversity, overcame nasty surprises and managed to steer your baby home when the wind got up.
The famous phrase of “what is there that can possibly go wrong?” is often uttered by people who haven’t pitchpoled. Pitchpoling is when you and your cat are ripping along, when suddenly one of the bows digs in the water. The consequential sudden decrease of speed often means that the cat will either cartwheel, submarine or summersault in the water, this is great fun to watch but if you are still tied up in a harness, you often find yourself becoming a human slingshot just like a rag doll in a dog’s teeth. Now I’m sure that bones have been broken, teeth knocked out and pride severely dented; but I haven’t been able to come across single occurrence of death by pitchpoling. If I am wrong on this issue please feel free to send me a tweet and tell me off!
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Dinghy sized catamarans are ideal for both the recreational sailor who is after an adrenalin-fuelled sailing experience, and beginners that require a stable learning and teaching platform. They are no more expensive than traditional sailing dinghies and in many ways you are going to get much more out of them than an equivalent priced dinghy as they are easier to rig and transport – all in all this means you are going to spend much more time out on the water.
There are hundreds of internet sites out there for used boats, but start with contacting your local Hobie / Tornado dealer. They have their “ear to the ground” when it comes to knowing if there are any boats for sale, they are an invaluable source of information for specific boat questions and of course where you are going to be spending all your hard earned dollars to upgrade or replace things on your cat. Boats often fall into “you get what you pay for” category, with genuine bargains hard to come by. Here are a few pointers to look out for:
1. Is the mast still airtight? To avoid the dreaded scenario of you cat turning turtle, most modern cats have an airtight mast, which acts as a buoyancy mechanism should you capsize or experience the infamous “pitchpole”. Chuck the mast in the nearest lake and if it sinks, walk away (you might want to help fish it out first!).
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After seeing some guy beaten bloody with his own fin I decided the following survival tips could be useful to surfers of all levels. Don’t let your pride or a big local get in the way of a good session. Here are some general tips on staying alive and happy in the water:
Note: For those of you not familiar with English surf terms, I have included a glossary* at the bottom.
Don’t Ditch!* Don’t Burn!*
These are the 2 fundamentals of surfing etiquette. When paddling out, duckdive under the wave, hold onto your board tight, and use it’s buoyancy to pull you up on the other side. It’s your responsibility to make sure your board doesn’t hit the people paddling behind you. Don’t burn* anyone! If there is someone on the inside of you, they have the right of way. Don’t go.
Know Your Ability!
If the lineup is packed with rippers and you can’t even hold onto your board, find a different spot! I’m sure any of the locals would be more than happy to direct you elsewhere.
Feel a Spot Out!
Paddle outside and let a set or two pass. Observe the food chain... every spot has one. There are some guys you just shouldn’t paddle on (no matter how deep they’re taking off!). Just because you fall every time you drop in late doesn’t mean they do.
Don’t be a Weasel!*
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Cornwall (or Cape Town?!)It’s an ongoing joke here that the UK has a reputation amongst the rest of the world for just being wet and dreary most of the time. And I’d be lying if I said that the reputation wasn’t justified. We tend to have long periods (especially this time of year) when low pressure systems sit over the bulk of the UK and it is, well, wet and dreary! We’re are fairly lucky in one respect though – the Gulf Stream (a warm water current that ebbs up this way) keeps our climate artificially warm (we’re on the same latitude as Canada for instance – and Canada’s pretty chilly in winter I hear!).
Whereas much of the UK seems to wallow in the dreary weather, however, Cornwall (the very western tip of England) tends to feel more like the front line in the UK’s never ending war with the Atlantic Ocean – in short: we get a lot of weather! At this time of year, when low pressure systems tend to rampage from Central America all the way through to the North Sea, Cornwall plays a daily game of roulette with mother nature, with some pressure systems staying out to the west (generally giving us great surf), but many clattering straight into Cornwall. Which generally makes for very wet weather.... But also very windy weather – and who cares if it’s raining when you’re out on the water?
A classic day?
So, last Friday morning having been checking ‘the guru’ all week, I knew that we had a very deep low pressure system heading our way and that – even by English standards – we were in for some serious weather: happy days! With the van pre-loaded as ever with three kites and three surfboards, I left home expecting to check a few spots and get in for either a sheltered-from-the-wind surf, or for a kitesurf at one of the 10 or so beaches within half-an-hour of here.
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Great ocean conditions here in Hawaii, but no big swells yet. This photo is from the Menehune Surf Contest in Haleiwa on the North Shore last weekend. We start our kids early here. Contest was for kids 3 thru 12, with parents biting their fingernails on shore, although parents were allowed to help their kids aged 6 and under. The tiny surfing town of Haleiwa is getting ready for the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing due to start up in a couple of weeks.
Beginning last Thursday October 28 and going until November 10 is the holding period for the HIC Pro at Sunset Beach Park. This contest used to be known as the XCel Pro, and this year picked up a new sponsor, Hawaiian Island Creations (HIC). The HIC Pro is an ASP sanctioned 4-star event and the final qualifier for the Vans Triple Crown due to begin on November 12. Nothing's really started yet; wave faces have only been 2-3 feet with blown out conditions. A significant swell is due to start tomorrow, and we think that by Tuesday and Wednesday there may be advisory conditions of 10-20 foot waves.
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- Compañero, vamos compañero.
- Yeah?
- Documentos por favorIt’s the coppers (Guardia Civil) the heaviest-of-handed Spanish militarised police – they are “the law”, carry guns and have a bad reputation for teaching cocky foreigners some manners........
....... it’s best behaviour time.
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A few reflections on how sports can come to shape and define your life...
Ok, no not me or my brother, but one of the true pioneers, Bruno Legaignoux - on skis!The Surfing Years
I’m 35 years old so for me, growing up by the beach in southwest England, surfing was always in my life. Surfing in the 80s was an established (although much more underground) sport and, once I’d progressed from the polystyrene ‘Kingsurfer’ bodyboards of my childhood (polystyrene, it quickly became clear, doesn’t have the same strength as the now ubiquitous boogie board, and my brother and I would generally get through a few pocket-money-sapping Kingsurfer per season), and I’d got my first ‘proper’ epoxy surfboard – I was hooked. And I still am, some 25-years later.
Had I been born 30 or so years earlier then surfing wouldn’t have been the option that it was – in fact seeing people riding waves would probably have inspired the same sense of disbelief experienced by Captain Cook when he spotted the first Polynesians hurtling shoreward on their self-shaped wooden boards back in 1778. So, I guess I’m lucky to have slotted into history where I did, and to have discovered a sport and lifestyle that has defined who I am, where I live, and how I pay the mortgage.
Kite-what?!
It wasn’t until I was well into my 20s that rumours began to circulate about this crazy new sport: ‘kitesurfing’. I was aware of and had dabbled with power-kites, which had been around for a while – but the notion of powering yourself through the water behind one of these seemed, well, ludicrous at best, suicidal at worst. Eventually a few pictures appeared in magazines (no, not much internet then either!), and you began to spot the odd person getting dragged around the beach behind one of the early LEI kites (Leading Edge Inflatable – meaning that it wouldn’t sink if it ended up in the water!).
Having plenty of sailing and surfing experience, I decided that maybe this could be a great sport for me – and would give me more time on the water when the wind was wreaking havoc on the surf (which it did much of the time).
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Here is a case of a standup paddle surfer helping a pair of surfers.
Watermen help others within our abilities, it is what we do, regardless of what we're on out there.
Imagine ...
Dead of winter, a couple hours before sunset off of Northern California. You hit the 50 degree F surf looking for some great rides in head high and better swells. Instead of an epic surfing session you are flushed by too strong a current far away from land. You paddle for all you're worth and then paddle some more to exhaustion, numbing cold and beyond. The guys in the lineup vanished below the horizon a while ago and there are no boats, lifeguards or anyone else that knows where you are. It's just you and your bud being dragged westward towards the Farallon Islands and the cold wet unknown. Dread and cold fear take over as your options sink away. You see something small and hazy in the distance moving slowly toward you from land. What is it ... ?
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Just go?
The advance of the Internet has had a profound effect on surfing. Back in the day, deciding where to surf was a combination of strict weather report scrutiny beginning days earlier, calling up your local surf shop for a wave report and hoping they don’t lie to you, and driving up and down the coast well before dawn trying to work out which local break is peaking.
These days knowing when and where to surf is as simple as a few clicks on your iphone, with the added comfort of being able to search for the best break before dawn from the comfort of your own bed.
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It's been a long hot summer in Hawai'i.
There's been so much going on in these islands that I've been too busy to take time out & write about it. Here in the middle of the Pacific surrounded by ocean and nothing else, we don't get picky about what kind of water sports we do - because everybody does it all. Whether we're surfing, swimming, snorkelling, stand up paddling, boogie boarding, paddling canoe, kite or wind surfing, or scuba diving, it's all good. We're all sharing the same ocean. So the main thing is to take care of each other and enjoy.
We've had surfers from Hawai'i competing all over the world the past few months. A big choo-hoo to Kelly Slater who won the recent Rip Curl Pro Portugal surf competition; Hawai'i's Dusty Payne was the last island surfer left in the competition and was eliminated in the third round in a loss to Australia's Adrian Buchan.
A couple of weeks ago, the third swell of an early big-wave season hit the North Shore of Oahu with average peak heights of 10 feet signalling an early winter and getting everybody excited for a few days. Boards hit the water, kids ditched school and the traffic slowed down as the waves cranked up. Monster waves never happened, but they will... to check on surf conditions visit http://www.hawaiibeachsafety.org.
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Salt Creek. CA.It was the first big South swell of summer.
Long, open-faced, over-head lefts wrapped around the point, jacking up into fast (but make-able) barrels and air sections on the inside sandbar. The month prior had been flat and cold; it showed. Everyone was out and everyone was wave-starved. There were at least ten paddle battles over each bump that passed (and remember it’s a left point... no splitting waves). If the local crew didn’t at least recognize your face, forget about it. You’ll be burned every time - go surf somewhere else. That was actually the exact advise ignored by a tiny guy in his late 20s right before receiving the ass kicking of his life. He had ditched his single fin fish right in front of the biggest dude I have ever seen short board well. The 6’3 local was not happy about the near head splitting experience and proceeded to tell the board-ditcher (in other words) to get out of the water. I don’t know if the little guy had watched Point Break too many times or if he was just plain stupid (as those two never go hand in hand), but he followed the pissed off, 280 pounds of muscle back into the line up and sat just a few feet from him. Four letter words were exchanged at an increasing volume; several of the older locals began to chime in:
“Look around kid! We all live here. We all know each other. Go surf somewhere else.”
“Just swallow your pride and paddle in - it’s not worth it.”
“Go learn at Doheney. You’re a danger to everyone out here.” -
Wind moves us, literally in kitesurfing ... or not, if there isn't enough. If there is too much it might just move us to the hospital ward. Then comes time off the water, perhaps work, painful lengthy rehab, or worse. It happens and more than it should too. People ignore weather at times, may be more concerned about kite pants than understanding winds that can make a stellar session or a real painful one.
Last year there was a video of a dozen or more guys riding all around a funnel cloud in Italy (see the photo above). They seemed to ignore it as if it wasn’t a threat at all. Two riders were lofted with one thrown into a car totaling the front end and another was hurled into a house. Tragically he didn’t survive the experience. Then earlier this year there were dozens of guys riding in the UK in front of a shelf cloud straight out of Hollywood movie special effects, this cloud looked EVIL (see first photo). Despite that these guys just rode around until the winds boosted to 50 kts. or more, sent kites & kiters flying all over. No one was killed, that time. Then in the last year, there was a young guy riding in Spain, hazardous weather was forecast and another black cloud from hell moved in. The resulting winds lofted him at speed inland to an impact he failed to live through. There was the man several years ago who was lofted and blown over 100 m high and 500 m downwind into a mountain in Portugal. He didn’t make it either. There have been many dozens of others worldwide over the years. Virtually every one avoidable to varying degrees. More to come too sad to say.
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Chasing Summer, or Swells?
I’ve come to realize that Japan’s seasons are difficult to adjust to. The hottest and longest Japanese summer to date was recorded this year and even the east coast with her usually friendly sea breezes was no escape from the heat. And then it was all over in a day. Sometime in early October, the summer switch was set to off, autumn on. I experienced this first hand, surfing quite comfortably in bikinis on a stinking hot morning only to be rugged up in a thick jacket and putting a beanie on my kid the next.
Japan’s weather is weird like that.
