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Ocean Sailing & Safety

Safety

The Pacific Ocean is dangerous! The water is cold and a full wetsuit is required all season round. Although sailing conditions are almost always side/onshore so you probably won't drift to Japan, you could face a difficult landing through surf and rocks if you get blown downwind at many Santa Cruz sites. Here are a few suggestions for ocean safety:

Be able to waterstart reliably and go upwind.
Sail with a buddy
Tell someone where you are going and when you will be back.
Wear a full wetsuit.
Check your equipment regularly.
Do not go out if you are unsure of your ability or your equipment..

Launching in the Surf

Lots of visitors (and locals) lose masts, booms, fins, and even boards in quite gentle looking surf. Even small surf packs a big punch! Here's my tips for successful launching:

Keep the nose of the board pointed into the surf at all times.
Do not stand behind your rig, stand to the side. When a wave picks up your rig and smashes it down, you don't want to be underneath it. I broke two ribs last year.
If you lose control, grab the mast tip and hold it into the waves. Waves will break over your sail and rig. If the mast points into the beach it is likely to get jammed into the bottom and broken.
Wait for a lull and go for it.
Don't hang around in the surf zone.
In small surf, lift your rig over the surf.
Once sailing, keep you weight back and sheet in hard to punch through breaking surf.

Sailing In Through The Surf

It's usually easy to outrun most waves, but its more fun to try to ride them.

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