Windsurfing near Belmont Shore
- Alamitos Bay (2 km)
- Seal Beach/River's End (3 km)
- Sunset Beach (8 km)
- Cabrillo Beach (14 km)
- Huntington City Beach (16 km)
- Royal Palms (17 km)
- Soak City Wave Pool (17 km)
Nearby Windguru Forecasts
Belmont Shore is kiting central for Southern California, but it is a good place to windsurf as well. The kiters need more space for each other than for windsurfers and they are friendly. Most ocean windsurfers go to Cabrillo Beach or Seal Beach, but occasionally you will see a couple windsurfers on the ocean--including me.
The wind here is cross-onshore, and decent from April through August: 10-15 knots, with more on good days and occassional 20+ knot days. Winters are pretty dead here, although when a storm comes through it can really crank.
This is a great place for folks learning ocean windsurfing because the waves are very small to nonexistent--due to a breaker jetty that seals in the area about a mile out from the shore.
You can rig near the pier, but you'll have to pay for parking. I usually park on the street for free at Alamitos Bay. That way I can sail either side depending on the conditions.
WORD OF WARNING: Stingrays cruise the sand here, especially when the water is warm. So it is important to do the "Stingray Shuffle": shuffle/slide your feet in and out of the surf instead of stepping up and down. Stingrays are more likely to swim away when you bump them rather than lash out when you step on them. If you do get nailed, put your foot in really hot water for a couple hours; it will absolutely kill the pain. The lifeguard shack across the street at Alamitos Bay has a hot water spout and bucket that really helped when I got a solid sting on the side of my foot last summer. Other than that I have only felt wiggles underfoot on a few occasions.
Christopher @ Clew First Windsurfing (http://www.clewfirst.com)