Windsurfing in NJ
Eileen Lynch
Philadelphia and am dying to take my board out...
Thanks!
Eileen
PETER MARTIN
City...right off the Black Hours Pike behind the Hampton Inn....nice on
the South west and great for the Thermals...and good beginners spot.
For a longer trip Hit Trixes landing...up near Seaside Heights...and for
the Ocean Crowd...hit 59th Street in Ocean City...southeast south and
southwest. Or E-mail PPAW...@AOL.COM....this guy is my hero and he`ll
tell you were the best spots are!!
jeremy pollack
Eileen
below is a 'faq' of sorts...
(how about some help from others with this? i'll add your unedited post.)
regards... jeremy <jpol...@sarnoff.com>
======begin enclosed message======
shops:
Peak Performance Rt 31 Clinton Bob & Karen Huizing 908-638-5277
Windsurfing Bay Head Rt 35 Pt Pleasent Jim...
Island Surf & Sail Ship Bottom
nj has at least 4 basic sailing areas:
(disclaimer: this just put together from bits & pieces - not complete!)
1) sandy hook; adjacent to ny, launch via national seashore park
on various points of wind, very nice conditions. however, in
summer, parking areas _can_ fill-up (non sailors too). tar has
been seen in these areas, but i do not consider this a problem.
good winds, bay & ocean too! close to metro area, nice people!
nb: rangers frown on 'sailing' from parking area, x road to bay!
there used to be a once a year launch/regatta 'round liberty statue.
this was done south of sandy hook, off liberty park (nj tpk exit 14).
this is an unusual area... w/lots of active commercial boat traffic!
2) along the shore: similar to hatteras (also barrier reef islands)
nb: as nj more populous than h; there's _lots_ of other boating!
a) ocean side; many odd sites, tho seaside (town of) may be best.
b) bay side; _un_like hatteras, as the bay is 3 mi wide, you can
launch from either side of bay! this is particularly good as
(esp in winter) you can always select on shore winds! like h,
some areas also shallow, so is good for <100% water-starters.
- east bay areas (off west shore of barrier reef islands):
silver bay pt (i haven't sailed here; need some real info!)
lavelette (now awkward as ws'ers pissed-off town councilmen,
so access/parking (& beach badges) may make awkward.
harvey cedars - see above
seaside (town of, @~8--->13st & 19th to wheel house marina)
13th st has paking area that [in season] now requires you
pay reasonably modest beach badge fee), else on street...
(nb if you rig on street don't trample limited dune grass!)
this is a very well used area (you'll always have company!)
it's at pinch point (narrowing of bay) which serves to amp-
lify prevailing winds. couple of years ago, nicely written
up in NEWSJ b:paul mindick(sp?), local sailor & builder who
named, made & popularized "freeskate" in this area (license
now to fiberspar). anyway, seaside area most active site &
for good reason (esp on anything _but_ due east based wind).
some outer areas, are shallow (waist-chest) & so comforting
in bad conditions; sites do fill up on best days; overflow
handled on local roads. (no toilets!) notable: the marina
area (19-23rd sts) puts in you just north of "the flats" at
the edge of island beach state park (no launching is allowed
in the park itself). the flats is an area that is just that
(flat!) so especially good for speed runs. many like it tho
for shelter from extrememly high winds and waist deep water.
- various sites along long beach island (bay & ocean):
brant beach - (i've sailed here, but need up to date info) have
just heard that this otherwise fitting spot (next to bathing
beach) may now requires $18/board/year fee!!! (town of beach
haven).
holgate - at s tip of island (ocean side). $3 parking fee. (i
need info for this site). in storm conditions, look for real
sailing here (storm driven crazies have been shown on TV).
- west bay areas (off east side of mainland isde of bay):
trixies (@ berkley island park, just s of toms river) - can be a
bit hard to find - see it on a map where cedar creek empties
into lanoka harbour (site is named for an adjacent family run
marina). tho only a half dozen blocks, useful to have county
(or otherise detailed) map to zig-zag from route 9 to sailing
site on the peninsula (n side of harbour). in the summer, as
this area is adjacent to family park area; trixie's is hard to
beat. no fee, county supplies toilets & showers, local vendors
show up w ice cream etc, large grassy rigging area, protected
launch (separate from bathers). nb: known really nice summer
thermals but perhaps best for "nor'east" storm driven winds!
advise if don't see on map. my all 'round favorite nj site!
there are too many other west bay sites to mention - see end of
faq for additional comments from others...
3) various inland lakes; generally recreational sailing
eg: assunpink (se of hightstown):
a state water resource facility cum outdoor recreation park. the lake is
open to general boating all the time (i've *never* been denyied access)
however, swimming is *not* permitted at all! (obviously the state does
*not* consider ws as swimming!) some discression must be observed too, as
fishermen also share the lake (tho, on very windy days they are not likely
to be there.) the general area is also open to various forms of hunting
(gun & bow), so some common sense must be observed when tramping around
(ie: in the hunting season one does not wander around in the woods). there
are no rangers on duty per se, but they do appear from time to time in
their vehicles. on the windiest of days, they pause a while to look at the
fools out on the water, but otherwise show no apparent concern. for some
reason assunpink does not show up on many maps. indeed, imalystown rd,
that used to traverse the now lake, still shows as being 'navigable!'
eg: spruce run & round valley (both near clinton, nw area of nj)
both are state water resource facilities cum outdoor recreation parks.
both have overnight camping (spruce run accomodates car & rv, round valley
only walk in (>3mi) or boat in (across lake) camping areas. both *very*
nice for what they are (recreational) but both ***close*** to boaters (&
ws'ers!) when winds get to 25mph! (at each lake, there are 3 (independent)
anemometers rigged to adjacent (linked) strobe lights. when any one
anemometer senses 25MPH, all three strobe lights flash in syncrony and
rangers, who are _always_ on duty, _force_ you off the water!)
4) delaware bay waters; i've not sailed this area, so we really could
use some comments from others... (this is a big area, at max over 25 mi
wide, and one that is then adjacent to primo delaware sites such as dewey
beach.)
eratta:
wind conditions are handled by wind hot line (look for info on their
service in NEWSJ _new england windsurfing journal_). sensors: trixies
(north wind shadow), brant beach & spruce run (not @seaside!). you can
subscribe to telepone report (sub set of all) or modem (then you get *all*
stats, maine to north carolina!). all that notwithstanding, i just
interpret from isobars shown on weather channel (tv) which is actual data
from noaa! (the same text you *see* on tv is the same text you *hear* on
weather radio!)
=========================and others add================================
In a 5/8/94 article Allen' Rosai <win...@delphi.com> wrote:
> avoid sandy hook the winds are gusty due to the mountain ridge
> on the shore and if your lucky it get above 15-20knt 1x a
> week in the spring and fall and even less in the summer
> It also gets very crowded in the summer and pollution is
> sometimes a problem.
> By far the best place to go is seaside there is an area
> where you park next couple of tennis courts and launch from
> there. Once you get out about 200yrds if the winds are ne or se
> you can get some good sailing in. The water is clean warm
> and a large area is shallow enough to stand up.The good sailers
> are generally there.If you want to purchase some equipment
> go over to bridgeport ct. to sailways and get all the info
> and equipment you need. No other store in the NE has more
> equipment for such a low price and the salespeople are true
======================================================================
In a 5/9/94 article ra...@tarifa.bellcore.com (Christopher Ratel) wrote:
> Hey, New Jersey is probably not the best place to sail in the
> North East, but it has some good spots! Almost anywhere along
> the shore, you can have access to either the ocean or to inlets,
> which means you can always choose to sail swells and small waves
> or flat water. However, your choice will be dictated by the wind
> direction. Anything westerly to northweterly means flat water
> sailing on the inlets, because winds blow off shore from the land
> and the shore is shadowed from the wind by dunes, tress, houses
> etc.... Remember also that the next coast eastward is Europe... :)
> The inlets are safe because you are always sailing between the shore
> and the mainland. Conditions there are: small chop (1-3 feet), shallow
> water (not to say very shallow! I have often ended up on sand banks
> in some places.... You can imagine the wipe outs!.... This has also
> cost me a nice carbon blade fin...). And last but not least, you have
> weed in the summer.... A real pain! Well, at least if some guy on the
> water smokes you, you can always pretend your fin had caught weeds... ;)
> Anyway, the inlets are great for flat water slalom and small bump
> and jump sailing. In some places, you can sail 15 miles one way without
> any problem!
> When winds blow from the south (southwesterly to southeasterly),
> you can go on the ocean and have fun on nice little waves. These
> are I think the best conditions you can find over here! Unfortunately,
> it is hard to get the perfect setup for these conditions, but I靶e great
> memories of sunny 5.0 days with 5-7 foot waves!
> You can also get easterly and northeasterly winds sometimes. Easterlies
> are bad because they are on shore. I know Northeasterlies are strong
> and generally fine but they seem to be so rare that I never got a
> chance to sail them.... :(
> I haven't talked about wind speed yet... Well, it generally does not
> blow very hard, that's a fact. The sails I use the most are my 6.0 slalom
> and my 5.3 wave. Sometimes I use my 4.7, but very seldom my 4.2... Also,
> winds have a tendency to be gusty at times, which csn be frustrating...
> Now the spots. First of all, let me tell you: the NJ shore will *really*
> surprise you. I haven't been here very long, but I have never seen a trace
> of pollution on the water or on the beaches. It really looks clean to me!
> Anyway, I don't care as long as I sail!! :) As of crime, hey NJ is not
> Houston!... Only kidding! But there is absolutely no crime problem on the
> spots. People are very friendly and there is generally a good atmosphere
> among windsurfers. You will be shocked to see that only one hour away from
> NYC, it is hard to get 50 boards on the water on a nice sunday afternoon.
> Indeed, spots are never overcrowded (not even crowded!). The famous spots
> are:
>
> * Sandy Hook: only one hour south of NYC. Very popular, it has the best
> westerly winds, but it is *very* shallow and the spot is quite small.
> Watch out your fin the first time you sail there! It can be sometimes
> puzzling to do 25-30 knts, knowing that the water is about 1.5 foot
> deep...
>
> * Seaside Heights: 1.25 to 1.5 hours south of NYC. A great place. When they are westerly, winds are generally not as strong as at Sandy Hook, but you have *plenty* of space, and the water is deeper. When winds are from the south, get on the ocean (the shore is 1/2 mile away from inlet launch area)!
>
> * Long Beach Island: 1.5 to 1.75 hours south of NYC. Same as above, but further from Northern Jersey, therefore not really worth it for me at least. I also found out that winds are not as strong there as they are in Seaside Heights.
>
> * Other spots: Kennedy Park is South of Atlantic City: I think it is an inlet only type of spot, but I've never been there. You can also check out Hecksher State Park on Long Island. It is a nice inlet spot, about as far as Seaside Heights, provided you are willing to pay all the damn bridges tolls and you hit no traffic on the Long Island Highway system.... Which will never happen!... ;)
>
> Miscellaneous:
>
> * the Wind Hot Line: that's probably the best service a windsurfer can get: real-time wind reports with trends for all the above spots and more! I use it any time the air is moving outside... Don't rely on what you see around you: it can blow 30 knts on the shore and virtually nothing wher you are!... Don't laugh, it has happened to me already!
>
> * Shops: check the march (yr?) of Windsurfing Magazine (pg 99). You have
shops along the shore (Windsurfing Bay Head, Island Surf & Sail, Sandy Hook Water Sports) and in northern Jersey (Peak Performance, Specialty Sports Windsurfing, Force 4 Marine). Sailways (last page) also has a shop in CT, but close to NJ. Of all these shops, I only know the two first. They are small but decent: you won't find anything there but they can help.
>
> * How often does it blow? I'd say in spring and fall, you can sail 3 WEs
> out of 4.
>
> Hope that helps!
>
> Christophe Ratel ra...@tarifa.bellcore.com
======================================================================
In an5/9/94 article fel...@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (felix.cabral) wrote:
> In article Allen' Rosai <win...@delphi.com> writes:
> >avoid sandy hook the winds are gusty due to the mountain ridge
> >on the shore and if your lucky it get above 15-20knt 1x a
> >week in the spring and fall and even less in the summer
> >It also gets very crowded in the summer and pollution is
> >sometimes a problem.
>
> You obviously have gone to the hook only on west or sw winds. True the wind is gusty on these wind directions but it depends where you sail in the bay.
>
> On west winds you can sail at the horseshoe cove area without the gusty winds. You can also sail at the spy house located on the west side of the navy base in port monmouth.
>
> Sandy hook is by far the best place to sail on N, NW, S, and SE wind directions. The bay is deep in the open area of the bay which gives us huge gorge like rollers. There are lots of sand bars which generate excellent launch ramps.
>
> Ocean side sailing is very convenient since you can rig on Lot C and decide to hit the bayside or oceanside without a very long walk.
>
> The wind cranks at the hook like no where else (unless its SW). Check out the wind hotline yearly stats.
>
> Last summer I sailed almost every weekend on a 5.0 on an oceanside SE thermal driven wind. We expect better thermals this year due to the cold winter.
>
> And finally, the water has never been cleaner. The past few years strict
dumping laws have allowed the water to clean itself out. Harbor seals are now regular guests at the hook. Commercial shell fishermen are now allowed to harvest shell fish. All this polution crap may have been true 5 years ago but not anymore. Sometimes the ocean even looks emerald green.
>
> >By far the best place to go is seaside there is an area
> >where you park next couple of tennis courts and launch from
>
> Seaside is nice but its mostly flat, has no toilets or showers (the hook does), the people are not as friendly (in my opinion). Seaside is nice in that it is similar to hatteras with its flat shallow waters.
>
> --
> Felix Cabral {fel...@hogpa.att.com} "Give me nukin winds,
> AT&T Bell Labs { att!hogpa!felixc } a rad board, rad waves,
> Holmdel,NJ { (908)949-1188 } and a company sickday!"
======================================================================
6/19/95 Willi W. <76443...@compuserve.com> adds...
My two cents here: I read the thread regarding NJ sailing sites and also
place my vote for Sandy Hook -- specifically, Gateway Recreational area.
A couple of things about the place:
1: The sailing spot is located across the street from parking lot "C."
2: The place can be very shallow at low tide. You can walk out several
hundred yards and still not be in over your head. WATCH YOUR SKEG.
3: To your right, there is a marker about a hundred feet out. At low tide, you see that it marks an old broken pier. At high tide, this pier is submerged and becomes something of a boobie trap. Look for it. Otherwise, it is a great place. I sail there a lot. Hope to see you here!
======================================================================
Joe Borek
Atlantic City.It's
Located on the Black Horse Pike. Look for the Hampton Inn and launch
from the back of the parking lot.Bay sailing-Good Thermals.About an hours
ride from the Ben Franklin bridge.
Check it out.
Joe
jsu...@nexus.interealm.com
> Anyone know of any places to windsurf in NJ? I recently moved to
> Philadelphia and am dying to take my board out...
> Thanks!
> Eileen
>>>>
Trixie's Landing in Tom's River is a pretty good spot that many long time NJ windsurfers frequent.
I never found a spot really close to Philly while I was living there and going to grad school at Penn.
Jim
Marc Kristopher Guido
Eileen Lynch <ly...@psych.upenn.edu> wrote:
>Anyone know of any places to windsurf in NJ? I recently moved to
>Philadelphia and am dying to take my board out...
Hi Eileen!
Great city. Be sure to have dinner at Cafe Nola on South Street at your
first opportunity - one of my favorites.
Anyway, back to the subject at hand. You've got lots of great sailing,
from what I hear, in your backyard in NJ. You can find ridiculous amounts
of NJ site info in the Northeastern Windsurfing Site Guide on my web page,
URL below. Happy hunting!
_______________________________________________________________________________
Marc Guido /\_/\_~_/\~ Lake Champlain
Saratoga Springs, NY \ \ Saratoga Lake
gui...@rpi.edu ^^^^^^^^^^^^ Great Sacandaga Lake
Adirondack Boardsailing Club - http://www.rpi.edu/~guidom/adirondack.html
(home of the Northeastern Windsurfing Site Guide, covering New
York State, all of New England, New Jersey, Ontario and Quebec)
_______________________________________________________________________________
CatBasah
>Philadelphia and am dying to take my board out...
One spot not mentioned in the other posts is Barnegat Light on Long Beach
Island. Nice wave sailing during strong NE winds or "Noreasters".
Randy Geary
To add a little more; Ocean City NJ has some dedicated Wave sailors who
typically sail at North ST in NE wind directions. This is near the
inlet at the North end of the island. When a good NE is blowing often
you will find 6+ sailers there early in the morning. The bottom is
changing a lot lately but it is not unusual to get good waves for a 1/2
mile out. Look for people setting up for the downwinder, join and you
will get a ride back.
In the summer sailing is allowed at the hobie cat beaches; North ST.
23rd st(end of the boardwalk)41st st, and the favortie SW spot for the
trade winds 59th st., just south of the last lifeguard stand.
Check out the RAGE! Sail Loft on 7th ST, they are dedicated to wave
sailing and custom made sails. Also GREAT DEALS on Great EQuip!! (plug)
BTW Kennedy Park used to be a meca for Flat water windsurfing in the
area but the Dreaded JetSkis litter the beach. There is a fee too
durign the season with little commodities. But after 5pm it is free.
Corsons Inlet is great for begining wave sailors and is located at the
south end of OC (hectic on weekends), you can sail flat water out the
inlet and taste as much of the wave as you want. BE prepared to deal
with currents! On good wave days there is usually someone with a Video
cam. And replay of the action at the Rage!Sail Loft in the PM, .. ugh
better bring some beer etc.
On NW wind direction we usually head south the to Cape May FERRY.
Follow the signs and when you see the water dont make the last turn but
head straight for the parking lot on the Bay. Usually 20 knts+ = good
waves. RG