Crissy Field is the most popular windsurfing location in the Bay Area. On any given day you’ll find dozens of windsurfers sampling the conditions, and on windy weekends that number swells into the hundreds. What’s so great about Crissy Field is that not only is it immensely beautiful, but the conditions rip too.

When it happens
Crissy Field is typically best from mid-March through September. It works on both the Spring northwesterlies and the Summer thermals. During the Summer months, if the inland temperatures reach 100 degrees or more, wind at Crissy Field is almost a given. The Spring northwesterlies tend to fill-in all the way to the shore, while the Summer thermal winds can leave a distinct offshore wind line.

What are the conditions like?
A typical day at Crissy Field is 5.0 to 6.0 sail size on a slalom or bump-&-jump board. Quite frequently it gets windier than that, and 4.0 days are not uncommon. Crissy Field is very tidal dependent. When the tide is flooding the water can be smooth and flat even when the wind is really howling. But sailing in a flood tide can be sketchy because if you don’t stay upwind you might get sucked into the bay. When the tide is ebbing, Crissy Field is chop jump nirvana. Mounds are everywhere and staying upwind is not an issue. The best chop can be found at the convergence zone along the north west side of the bay. Here open ocean swells combine with the tidal flow to create some excellent ramps. And the wind tends to intensify along this section of the Bay. The net result is a beautiful thing. Large, open swells with nicely groomed faces to carve.

How's the temperature?
Cold to sometimes very cold. Even in the Summer you almost always need a full wetsuit to be comfortable and safe at Crissy Field. In fact, it can be the coldest in Summer.

Getting there
Crissy Field is located on the San Fransisco Presidio. It is easiest to access Crissy Field from Marina Blvd.

From the south: Come up Franklin Street heading north until you reach Bay Street. Make a left on Bay and proceed for three blocks until you reach Marina Blvd. Make a right on Marina Blvd and proceed into the entrance of the Presideo. Crissy Field is the first turnout on the right.

From the Golden Gate Bridge: Take the Lombard Street exit. Make your first right on Gorgas Avenue (there is a street sign posted for Crissy Field). Follow Gorgas back under the freeway and you'll intersect Marina at Crissy Field.