I like the video, I notice they have harnesses and no foot straps. The question I have is why sail on the beach in wind like that when you could be windsurfing?
Have you ever fallen into the water in gusty winds because of being hooked in to a harness line and not being able to get out fast enough?
Midwestern land sailors by definition sail in gusty winds. And nearly all the time we are land sailing within 500 ft of something that could obstruct the wind. Each of those conditions could create a disaster for a land sailor who is hooked in to a harness line. For me the likelihood of falling, especially with about 10 years of land sailing experience is very low; but the risk of a serious head injury, if I fall, is very high.
I never ever use harness lines while land sailing. Due to an agreement with my personal guardian angel, I always wear a helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, bulky clothing & either bulky mittens or wrist guards.
I like the video, I notice they have harnesses and no foot straps. The question I have is why sail on the beach in wind like that when you could be windsurfing?
i don't wear a harness, but some of the guys do. None of us use footstraps. One of the guys in the video broke his collar bone really badly (had to have two surgeries) shortly after. For most people, I would recommend going without footstraps and without a harness. You can make some mile-long runs on this beach and the wind is side on, so being able to hook in for the upwind grind back up the beach can be useful. For parking lot type sailing, it's definitely not needed.
Actual windsurfing at this beach is incredibly unfriendly. I live across the street and windsurf here fewer than five times per year. Big waves, onshore wind, lots of current. It can be done, but it takes dedication, and frankly there are easier, more fun options within 20 minutes. Decent number of kiters still sail here, but only a handful of windsurfers. The normal NW wind seems to top out for some reason most days and requires 6m+ sail when inside the Bay it's 5.0 or smaller. That said, it can be really fun if you get the right day.
I posted this raw, unedited video from a storm wind day (SE wind and side shore). I got my ass absolutely handed to me and had a short moment of panic on the outside when I was having trouble water starting. There's also a playlist with some other Ocean Beach videos I've made
one of my favorite pics that kind of sum up Ocean Beach
that looks like a fun park! need to dust off the skateboard and hit some transition. i have a classic fiberglass flyaway helmet i need to put on display at my house
