I will be in the San Francisco area Thurs 10/13 thru Sun 10/16. I was hoping to get in the water somewhere between Bodega Bay and Pt. Arena on Sat/Sun. Any recommendations? Is there anywhere to rent a longboard and a wetsuit (no room to bring my own)? Anybody out there want to take a 50 year surfer from Florida on a quick tour of the area? Thanks
Tim
Here’s a little info from Surfline.com
“If you need some coldwater wax, visit the gang at Northern Light Surf Shop, 17190 Bodega Highway, Bodega (just inland from the coast), 707-876-3032. They have a daily surf report, too: 707-876-3110. Another shop is Surf Plus/Bodega Bay Surf Shack at 1400 Highway 1 in Bodega Bay, 707-875-3944, [/url]www.bodegabaysurf.com. If you happen to be stuck inland, visit High Tide Surf Shop at 9 Fourth St. in Petaluma, 707-763-3860; Brotherhood Board Shop at 1216 Mendocino Ave. in Santa Rosa, 707546-0660; or Gone Surfing at 1451 SW Blvd. in Rohnert Park, 707-665-0100.”
I’ve been to Northern Light Surf Shop a couple of times (I’m from SoCal) and they were incredibly helpful. Call them and I’m sure they can give you all the info you need about freezing your butt off in the great blue north. My visits have mostly been in February – the waves were happening, but so was the wind.
(There’s also a shop in Point Reyes Station, but I don’t know the name of it.)
Most of the surfers between Pt Arena and Bodega are pretty tight-lipped, there is surf there, and this is a good time
of year. If you are interested in SF city surf lemme know…that’s where I live. The Sonoma and Mendo coast is incredibly scenic.
I don’t think I would rent a wetsuit if I were you, people tend to warm them up with streams of liquid heat (especially in cold waters)…they might be a little foul.
Cheers,
Austin
They’re supposed to have a bucket of soapy water that disinfects after EVERY use, State law.
All the shops that rent boards HAVE to rent wetsuits…the water’s here go from 58 to 48 degrees, year round!
Right now, after a couple weeks NW winds, it’s closer to 55.
Farallones 25 odd miles W is 47.5 degrees!
48, that’s just painfull. I think the coldest it gets around here is 57 or so…
Just made “Member”, Journyman sounded so much cooler…
Cheers,
Austin
He he…
He’ll be in for a surprise.
Water at Bodega North tends to be around 2-5 degrees colder than here in SF area, especially with two recent weeks of NW winds causing upwelling.
That, combined with the NW groundswell and windswell, just pushes all the warm surface water to the South, and leaves NorCal just friggin cold.
Luckily, all the shops rent 4/3 sealed wetsuits, and booties too!
I did not realize that there were so many shops in the area. I made a drive up the coast about 4 years ago and did not see any shops. I was not actively looking, though. Thanks for the info. Hope I do not freeze in the great blue north.
Thanks for the offer. If my plans change I might take you up on your offer.
Tim
48 degrees will be a big surprise. I have been in North Florida for the last 24 years and the coldest it gets is the upper 50s (rarely mid 50s). You don’t need a wetsuit of any kind until mid/late October. I used to surf mid/low 40s in North Carolina during the winter. Of course, I was wearing the old super thick diving suits or the Rubber Duck dry suits. And I was 30 years younger.
I hope a 4/3 is enough. Thanks
Tim