• Mayday Pier
• Orange Street
• Mary Ann Nelson Park
• Bayfront Park
• The Duck Pond
• Hollingers Island
• Dauphin Island

• Alligator Point (beyond the Bay Pointe Marriott) N, E and S (sea breeze) directions will be put up shortly as I know how to get there but the names of the streets elude me. In the meantime, phone Bayside Windsurfing for directions. It works great for most directions except west. This is a good place to sail the sea breeze. It's shallow for a small area for teaching or beginners and more able sailors can sail all the way across towards Tyndall AFB. This launch is just inside the pass from St. Andrews Park. St. Andrews Park has access to the same slalom conditions but it is a hike across the dunes from the parking lot. The park is a good place for wave sailing and if you get skunked the park rents SCUBA gear if you have a C card.
• Panama City Ramada Inn: Hotel and staff reportedly don't mind people ws there. Nice grassy rigging area. Good for W, SW, S winds. US 231 South to US98. West on US98 to large intersection (about 2 mi) with Beck Ave. Left on Beck to the end. Entrance to Ramada Inn and Harbor House is at the end on the right. Proceed to the end of the parking lot.
• Panama City - Gulf Coast Community College/Carl Grey Park: Excellent ws for N, NW, and W winds. Semi-grassy area for rigging. "The place" for winter ws in the area. This area is at the eastern side of the Hathaway Bridge which divides PC from PCB. US 231S to US 98. West on US98 to Gulf Coast Community College (a few miles). GET IN RIGHT HAND LANE. Just pass the college entrance will be another small street. Florida Highway Patrol station is visible from the road. Turn on this street which is just before the station, a couple of hundred feet up the traffic sign and then left into the parking area. Rig anywhere. CAUTIONS: Don't park on the grass. Don't even let your tires TOUCH the non-paved area or you will be ticketed. Also, keep away from the immediate area of the bridge. Stong currents will take you through to the south side forcing you to make a long trek back.
• Callaway - About 9 miles East of Panama City at the eastern foot of the Dupont Bridge which leads to Tyndall AFB. Good for N winds on western side and NE to E on eastern side. US98 east to Dupont Bridge, cross bridge and select a lane for turning depending on which side you want. Grassy rigging areas. NE and E ws is excellent with long runs. N side has short runs and tricky windshifts (which is why we go to Carl Grey Park).
• Tyndall AFB - Military/Govnt ID card required. Excellent for E, SE, E, SW, W, NW ws. US98E, continue over the Dupont Bridge about 1 mile to first gate on right. After guard clearing, continue approximately three or four miles on this road. You will enter a housing area, observe speed limits and continue to almost the end of the housing area. Turn on the last street on the left where housing appears to end. Make the next right on a gravel road and you'll continue down a fairly steep embankment to the water's edge. Grassy rigging, long (up to 5 mi) runs. Shell Island is a few hundred yards from Tyndall offering flat water speed runs.

My observations (as an intermediate) are:
From fall thru spring I rely on frontal passages. A fast moving cold front will kickup 15-30kt E-S.E. winds prior to passage. Eagle Harbor in the state park is perfect for such conditions as the 4+ mile fetch across the bay ensures clean air and on or cross onshore wind. The N-NW blast after frontal passage will give some of your members a terrific time. Look for 3-4' chop in the bay due east of Eagle Harbor.
Outside of fronts, i.e. the summer, the prevailing SW sea breeze starts around 11:00 am and dies of course around sunset. I'd guess that every third day or so the seabreeze tops around 15 kts. In this case you'll have to sail the gulf or launch on the east side of the bay at the county park in Port St. Joe to have onshore wind. While not typically very strong, the seabreeze is quite reliable, and can be fun even on a longboard as you look at the critters on the bottom. I am not kidding when I say that on a low wind day on the gulf it looks like you're floating in space above hard ground. For campers in the state park the gulf is a three minute walk.

Lodging: Plan ahead! Especially in the busy summer. It's not that the beaches are ever crowded, there just isn't that much in the way of rental vacation properties. The state park has about a dozen "cabins" in a woodland setting which are really quite comfortable and can sleep about 10 friendly people. They are right on St. Joe Bay. Don't forget to bring your food and beverages too. The nearest grocery store is 18 miles away in Port St. Joe.

Lodging phone #s:
Anchor Vacation Properties: (800) 824-0416
Cape San Blas Realty: (904) 227-2160
T.H. Stone State Park: (904) 227-1327
I rarely see other boardheads, so give me a holler if a member wants additional info or plans to visit.

Another view of San Blas

(In response to a rec.windsurfing post about Cape San Blas) I am one of small group of wave sailors that regularly sails the wave venues along North Florida's Gulf Coast. Wardog is wondering what it is like when CSB fires. This happens usually in the winter months after the passage of a cold front. A solid 20 mph push from SE to WNW makes this worth the 2+ hour drive from where we live in Tallahappy . Add in any swell and CSB can get some clean head high, point-wrapping peelers that make for some centerfold-worthy down-the-line slashing and NASA certified air. As it clocks more to the north (NW to NNW), Mexico Beach, the mainland beach opposing CSB becomes the place. Because the wide channel goes from deep to shallow relatively close to the beach, things jack up pretty close to shore. We were there one day in early March of this year and it was mast high and crunchy. Too much west component and the outside becomes a mogul field on crack. There can also be some pretty good currents depending on the tide. But it is really the only wave venue for something with a lot of north in it. And when its clean, it is exceptionally clean.

As the fronts progress and the wind starts to clock to the east, we opt for St. George Island (SGI) which is about 30 miles east of CSB/Mexico Beach and about 30 minutes closer for us. A dog-leg shaped barrier island that dips down into the Gulf, there are a series of outer sand bars and shoals along this 25 mile long stretch of beach that can red-line the pucker factor. At the east end of the Island there is a State Park with restrooms and showers. Very pristine and undeveloped. We usually launch near one of the turnouts before these pavilions, rig by the side of the road and carry our gear the 100 yards down the boardwalk to the beach. The waves there are usually thick with plenty of amplitude and pitch. Coming off the top, the drop can surprise you. In one session last fall, they claimed an eardrum and a knee from two sailors. Definitely not for the meek or uninitiated.

Closer to home, our regular venue is Alligator Point, another barrier island between Shell Point and SGI. This venue is wave sailable on anything from a SE to a NW. Waves are typically waist high on a 20-22 mph day. Fun stuff for tricks and just b&j blasting. It gets proportionately bigger with increased wind/swell. A summer cyclone in the Gulf can render it head high.

For speed sailing, the bay at Alligator point is separated on the west end by a 20' wide spit of land that sets up like Coche on a S to SE: mile long half moon, glass flat, off-shore plate of water where you can scare the fish.

• Tierra Verde/ Ft. Desoto Pk. Exit 5 (FL-682, Pinellas Bwy) off I-275 to the west towards St. Pete Beach. Go through .50 toll and make left at second stop light on FL-679, towards Ft. Desoto Park. On the left of the causeway to Tierra Verde (before 1st drawbridge) is shallow and great for novice to slalom sailing. Works best on E and S but will work for anything in a big blow or light air. Its shallow (check the tides) and weedy in the summer. Ft. Desoto Park has more challenging conditions as it is on the pass out of Tampa Bay (i.e. currents and chop). Tom Mabrey's notes: "Can be very shallow at low tide or sand bar where you park can be flooded at extreme high tide (normally during big storms, park on grass if this is the case.) Water stays flatter than Skyway or North Shore. Good on Easterly or East/ South Easterly. Can be nice if you are looking for a less exposed area on a strong Northerly. Also you can sail on other side on other side on westerly. Bring your booties. Lots of stuff to cut feet on. No parking fees."
• Dunedin Causeway. West on Curlew Creek Rd (Fl 586) from US 19. From I-275 take Hillsborough Ave. west (Fl 580, Fl 584 after you pass Oldsmar). In two miles turn left on 586. Alternatively, or from the south on 275 take Courtney Campbell Causeway to US 19 N. Left on 586. Because of the lack of windshadows and exposure, the causeway works from just about any direction.
• Fred Howard Park. US 19 North of Crystal Beach and west of Tarpon Springs. Take Klosterman Rd west and follow signs after crossing Alt. 19. Since the writer is of Greek descent, he can highly recommend having dinner in Tarpon Springs after your session. Works well from any direction except possibly direct east.
• The following St. Pete spots are courtesy of Tom Mabrey:
  • "The Sunshine Skyway bridge north approach. Just take 275 south from St. Pete. Go through the $1.00 toll, exit at the first rest stop, about 2 miles after toll, go left underneath 275 and follow access road around to the beach area. I would recommend stopping on the right side before you get to the big sandy area. The grass is a great rigging area. Easterlies blow early and end early this time of year. Get out about 7:00 am and you will probably be out of wind by 11:00/12:00. The skyway is great bump and jump. I would definately suggest booties. Bare feet can get cut up pretty good out there. No parking fees."
  • "North Shore Park. Near the Pier in picturesque downtown St. Pete. Good grass launch, no parking meters. Sand bar/grass flat about 300 yds off shore. Best on a strong North East. Get out early again, go home early. Great spot if you are near downtown. Bump and Jump."
  • Tierra Verde Causeway. See above for combined notes.
  • "Fort Desoto Park. East beach. Go to Tierra Verde Causeway. Go over Draw bridge and straight ahead. Follow signs out to Ft. Desoto St. Park. (.35 cent toll access.) At T in road go left to first parking area on right (just past ranger station.) It is quite a walk to water past the kids play ground. Fresh water, nice bathrooms, great on South/South easterly and South, and West. Bump and Jump. Strong currents off shore, but nothing too serious if you are comfortable with water starting or very proficient with the long board. Bring your rollerblades, bike, running shoes if it doesn't blow. There is a real nice trail for recreational use. No fees."
  • "Like Waves? on the Gulf coast? (I know, an oxymoron) Passegrille Beach, Upham Beach, or behind any of the hotels on St. Pete Beach work best on N, NW, W, SW. The waves ain't real pretty but it is fun. All the beach's charge .25 per 25minutes! Big bucks on a long northerly but worth it. The windsurfers are at the north end of Passegrille (where public parking starts for the beach.) The surfers are at Upham and it can be real nice for sailing but you have to deal with the agro. scene. "It's our turf, waaaaaah!" You know. On the north side of Upham is Sunset Pass. Launch on the extreme southern end of Sunset Beach and sail the pass. It can be real nice. Also further north toward John's Pass is the public parking north of the draw bridge. Sailing there on a higher tide can be nice as well if you are staying on the northern Pinellas beaches. For accurate directions to Passegrille, Upham, Sunset, or John's Pass ask a local liquor store clerk, bait store clerk, cop, hotel front desk person... whom ever. Most folks down here know those beaches pretty well and should be able to get you good directions."
    Note: Passegrille is at the extreme southend of St. Pete Beach. Go south along the beach till you can't go anymore. A couple of the bar/restaurants (I forget the names, it's been awhile) make wonderful spots to have a post-sesh brew, grouper sandwich and watch the sunset- especially with your sweetie.
  • "My favorite for North, North West, and South West is Ft. Desoto Park NORTH BEACH. Remember the directions above? Well when you get to the T in the road go right. Follow the road till it don't go no mo'. Turn into the last parking lot on the left. Make a right. Drive to the very northern end of the lot. Great big rigging areas, fresh water, rest rooms. Rig and walk out to beach (over the river and through the woods...really..., then walk across little bay (very shallow) to sand bar and sail on the gulf side of the sand bar. Great sailing on a North or North West. South West can be nice. West is on shore and can be very challenging. Negatives: Long, Long walk with equipment over the grass and then across to sand bar. Bummer when you need to rig something else also. Positives: Worth it! No crowd or very little crowd, great sailing, super facility. No fees. Great picnicking!"
  Thanks Tom!