A digital travel diary. · WP v1.08 · Updated
With a few "free days" at work and a birthday coming up, I thought about how to spend them. I considered flying to Bonaire, but late September does not offer favorable windsurfing conditions. I queried ChatGPT and Gemini AI and was advised to consider visiting Maui. . . While checking out Maui, I learned about a Maui Experiences Camp hosted by Robby Swift from September…
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As an avid windsurfer and wing foiler, I have always wanted to visit the world's best windsurfing spots. Bonaire, a small island in the southern Caribbean, has consistently been rated one of the best windsurfing destinations. There was never enough time to go there, and flights to Bonaire tend to be quite expensive and inconvenient from the West Coast.. . . . . However, my…
Read More: Windsurfing on Bonaire
Saturday, August 6, 2022 . In the morning, Alex, Inna, and I woke around 08:30 and decided to hike to Arsicault Bakery via Lyon Street Steps. The uphill walk was rather steep, and Inna, whose heart rate peaked at over 160 beats/minute, needed to rest a few times. . . . . . Eventually, we reached Arsicault Bakery and queued up in a long line,…
Read More: San Francisco Workation Week 3
Wednesday, July 27, 2022 . I felt healthier on Wednesday and returned to Crissy Field to try windsurfing. . The wind forecast on iwindsurf.com looked favorable. When I arrived at Crissy Field, I found plenty of parking space, quickly rigged my Ezzy Elite 5.0m sail, and attached a long fin to my Fanatic 105 STB FSW windsurfing board. . . . . . I managed…
Read More: Windsurfing and Wing Foiling at Crissy Field
Saturday, July 30, 2022 It's Alex's 20th Birthday! See this link for my birthday posting.. . In the morning, we woke up early, at around 08:20, to drive to Schubert's Bakery on Clement Street to purchase the birthday cake for Alex and a few other pastries. . . . . . After we returned home, we walked to the nearby Walgreens Pharmacy to pick up…
Read More: San Francisco Workation Week 2
Sunday, July 24, 2022 . Inna and I planned to work from San Francisco from mid-July to mid-August. We both enjoy the more relaxed summer weather and the myriad of restaurants and other entertainment options. However, since I came down with COVID-19 from July 11-15, we decided to postpone our workation in San Francisco by one week. . . . . . On Sunday, July…
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After returning from Kauai, Hawaii, I decided to sell my older Windsurfing gear to make room for Wing Foiling gear. . After placing ads on Craigslist, I sold the following gear to multiple buyers on Craigslist: . 2013 Goya Quad 84-liter Custom Pro Waveboard - $300. 2019 Exocet RF81 windsurf foiling board - $300. 2019 Slingshot HG Fwind 76 Custom Foil - $400. Now, I…
Read More: Selling old Windsurfing Gear
. It's been almost 9 months since I last windsurfed, and I was eager to return to the water. When a strong wind was forecast by iWindsurf.com on Saturday, June 18, I was excited to resume my favorite sport. . I arrived at Coyote Point, San Mateo, at about 2:10pm. After paying the $6.00 park entry fee, I parked my Toyota Sienna minivan near a…
Read More: Windsurfing at Coyote Point
While working from home in San Francisco, I was fortunate to rent an Airbnb (3038 Baker Street) 5 minutes from Crissy Field.. . . . . During the summer, San Francisco experiences consistent daily winds from 15-25 knots from 15:00 - 20:00. I was fortunate to have windsurfed daily after work. . My usual routine was as follows:. Check the Crissy Field video cam for…
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Saturday, August 14, 2021 . In the morning, Inna and I woke up at 8:30 and took a short stroll to Le Marais Bakery, where we purchased pastries and coffee. We were surprised by a longer-than-expected order line and the number of people on the street. The bakery was much busier than on weekdays. . . . . We ordered the following items:. Boris: Mocha,…
Read More: San Francisco Workation Week 5
Saturday, August 7, 2021 . In the morning, Inna and I woke up around 09:00 and took a short stroll to Crissy Field. After we returned, I made a couple of sandwiches with pastrami from Lucca Deli on Acme sourdough bread for Alex and me. . . . . . Alex and I spent most of the day boat surfing on the Petaluma River in…
Read More: San Francisco Workation Week 4
Saturday, July 31, 2021 . In the morning, Inna and I woke up around 08:00. I installed the Via Velo Bike U Lock on Inna's Specialized hybrid bike, cleaned up my windsurfing gear, started the washing machine, and loaded the dishwasher. . . . . Alex had severe allergies to ragweed pollen, so we walked to Arsicault Bakery (on Arguello) to bring him some of…
Read More: San Francisco Workation Week 3
Saturday, July 24, 2021 . I woke up at 06:30 but decided to sleep until 07:45. Inna, I went for a short walk to Crissy Field. . . . . . . . Inna hoped to photograph some of the local Night Herons and other birds who frequently inhabit the Palace of Fine Arts. She managed to take a few excellent photos. . . .…
Read More: San Francisco Workation Week 2
While we could still work from home (due to COVID-19), Inna had an idea to try living in San Francisco. She reserved an Airbnb house from July 17 to August 16, located near the Presidio, Marina Blvd, and Crissy Field, that suited our work-from-home intentions. . . Saturday, July 17, 2021 . Inna, Alex, and I packed our suitcases, but I decided to leave earlier…
Read More: San Francisco Workation Week 1Since my first time windsurfing on Maui's North Shore, I have been enamored with wave sailing. Nothing is finer than wave sailing in 15-20 knots of wind at Spreckelsville on Maui. I have also heard of fantastic wave sailing in Mexico, but have never been able to do so.. . When I heard about the incredible waves at Punta San Carlos, I was intrigued and…
Read More: Windsurfing at Punta San Carlos, Mexico
With the end of summer in sight, I would like to enjoy a few more windsurfing sessions. When iwindsurf.com forecasted favorable winds at Coyote Point, I decided to try windsurfing for the 12th time in the season. . . When I arrived at Coyote Point, I saw signs that the Coyote Point Park was closed. Although disappointed, I decided to try my luck at the…
Read More: Windsurfing 3rd Ave
With Andy Brandt's ABK Clinic canceled due to COVID-19, I took some time off work to enjoy the best season winds at Sherman Island. July is usually the most consistent time for strong winds.. . . Sunday, July 26, 2020. . . My week of windsurfing began on Sunday, July 26. After waking up at 05:45, I drove early to Sherman Island, arriving at the…
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Waddell Beach (aka Creek) is one of the premier windsurfing spots in the San Francisco Bay area. With strong winds in the summer months and large waves in the fall & spring, it's a famous location where competitions are frequently held.. . . . I haven't windsurfed at Waddell for a long time. It's a difficult place to sail due to a powerful beach break…
Read More: Windsurfing Waddell Creek
In anticipation of a windy day at Sherman Island, I prepacked my minivan with Windsurfing gear, including my Goya 84-liter Quad Custom Pro and 2018 Fanatic 105-liter Freewave STB.. . I woke up at 5:40 and checked the wind forecast at Sherman Island. According to iWindsurf, the wind was already 26 knots! With the ebbing tide running until noon, my best shot would be to…
Read More: Nuking Winds at Sherman Island
After many months of closure due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Coyote Point Park in San Mateo (my default windsurfing destination) re-opened on June 15th.. . As Coyote Point is much closer to my home (usually a 45-minute car ride vs a 90-minute ride to Sherman Island), I was eager to reclaim at least a small part of my rapidly fading windsurfing season.. . With…
Read More: Windsurfing at Coyote Point