San Luis Reservoir is located on route 152 about five miles west of Los Banos. Take route 101 south to Gilroy and then head east on Route 152. Most everyone sails on the west end of the O'Neil Forebay, an area known as Catfish Flats. You can launch on either the north or south shores and you can camp on the south shore.

Access to the north shore is directly from Route 152. Make a left into the San Luis Creek Campground entrance, located just across from the main reservoir dam. Access to the south shore is through the Medeiros Campground entrance, which is on Route 33 just slightly north of Route 152. Take the Route 33 exit and go north towards Santa Nella. The Medeiros Campground entrance is the very first road that you come to and it's on the left.

San Luis Reservoir is renowned for its high winds and hot temperatures. The water is fresh and flat. You'll need a weed fin or two starting in late July or early August. The reach is about 1.5 miles long. The water out in the channel of the Forebay, or Foreplay as it's often called, is cool and refreshing. This water stays cool all summer long because it is continuously circulated with the main reservoir to generate electricity.

The water along shore is warm, delightful, and perfect for the kids to swim in. A 5.5 m^2 sail fully powered with hot northwest winds is a typical day on the Forebay. The area is extremely clean with plenty of grass-covered rigging areas. The campground along the south shore provides cabanas, grills, and drinking water. Hot showers are available at other areas of the campground.

There's also a very active windsurfing safety patrol at the Forebay. At any given time, there's at least three to five safety patrol members out on the water. You can't find a friendlier bunch of windsurfers anywhere. The crowd is warm and friendly - kids and dogs abound.

Sailing on the main reservoir is permitted, but you should be skilled enough to be able to jibe and you must sail with a buddy. The winds are much stronger and 3.5 - 4.5 m^2 sail conditions are fairly typical. The main reservoir is huge and the water is quite cold so a 4/3 mm thick wetsuit and a lifevest are strongly recommended.

Most people launch from Dinosaur Point which is one of the very first campground entrances off of Route 152 just as you begin to enter the reservoir area. The wind robot telephone number is 209-826-9019. Finally, if there's an emergency, you can reach the San Luis Park Ranger at 209-826-1196 or the CA State Parks Northern Communication Dispatch Center at 916-988-7322. Happy sailing!