Windsurfing near Lake Mojave
- Lake Mead (127 km)
- Sand Hollow (235 km)
- Quail Creek Reservoir (237 km)
- Lake Pleasant (262 km)
- Lake Perris (281 km)
Lake Mohave... Ahhhh, an oasis for SW windsurfers in the middle of the desert
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Wind Weather:
Reasonable chance of sailing nearly year round. Summer thermals from the south. Fall, Winter and Spring combination of thermal sailing and frontal activity. For the strongest winds look for a strong Santa Anna wind forecast for Southern California. But just about any week will see a minimum of 3 to 5 days of sailing with winds in the 12-20mph range in the afternoon. The wind tends to bump from 10:00am to 12:00pm then die for an hour or two then come back up from 2:00pm till 4:30pm. Frontal activity can boost winds into the upper 20's mph - 40's mph. Conditions can be a bit up and down to downright "holey". But compared to other lake sailing in the SW Mohave is pretty steady.
Air Temps are very hot in the summer months. Low triple digits. Nights in the upper 80's. The closer to the water you are the less the temperature fluctuates. UV index is very high. Bring your sunscreen and sun protective clothing. Protect against dehydration. Starting in October the days start to moderate to mid 90's and nights in the 60's. Winter days can be very cold. But generally 50's to 70's. Nights in the 30's and 50's. Moderating temperatures begin again in earnest in April. It snowed pretty heavily in January driving from Kingman, AZ to Searchlight, NV. So be prepared. Even with snow at the higher elevations the lake had 15 degrees warmer air temps.
Water Temps very comfortable from April to October. No less than 70 degrees. Summer water temps not more than high 70's. Always refreshing and comfortable when it is hot outside. Winter water temps in the low 50's. A good 5/4 steamer will do the trick. A hood or some sort of thermal barrier for the head is a good idea during winter months.
Water quality... outstanding. Rocky bottom and deep lake combine to make water clarity and quality very high. A lovely place to sail.
Launches
Many and varied. If you have a boat your opportunities are endless. Mohave is truly a boaters paradise. An outback for boaters. Countless coves and hidden beaches to camp in, sail from or just explore. Any site you sail from is going to be a rock or dirt rigging area with a rock launch. Bring a ground tarp to rig on unless you are sponsored or using your ex's or soon to be ex's equipment.
If you are traveling by car then there are 2 main sailing sites.
North Wind. Cabinsite Cove on the South East side of the lake complex. Cabinsite is near the Katherine's Landing campsite easily accessible by any vehicle from the Bullhead City, AZ area. Ask for directions from the Ranger or get a park map and you will find Cabinsite Cove listed.
Cabinsite Cove October 2005 (http://thewindmap.com/wiki/images/2/22/Small_csite.JPG)
South Wind. Six Mile Cove on the Central West side of the lake complex. This area is accessible by nearly any car if you are careful. Dirt road the final 10 miles or so. Access via the Searchlight Nevada area by following the signs for Cottonwood Marina. Six mile seems to be the Kite beach. Many kiters there when favorable conditions exist and a much less sketchy launch than Cabinsite.
South winds tend to generate larger swell in the middle of the lake. What current there is runs from North to South. Sailing from Six Mile you can have some nice ramps and occassional swell trains. Swell ranges from Knee to Shoulder high in the middle of the lake. There are warning signs in the Park Office of waves to 8 feet. But I haven't seen anything like that. Sailing from Cabinsite provides much smaller swell in the ankle to knee high range.
Drive time from Cabinsite to Six Mile is in excess of 1 hr.
There are jeep roads that lead to other sailing sites as well. But a 4X4 is recommended and in most cases absolutely necessary. Many of the jeep roads lead to coves that have limited access to points from which to launch.
Other launch sites; Cottonwood road East. Sandy Wash rd. Paradise Cove.
Paradise Cove Winter 2004 (http://thewindmap.com/wiki/images/d/d0/Small_PCove.jpg)
Sandy Wash Rd Winter 2004 (http://thewindmap.com/wiki/images/8/88/Small_SWash.jpg)
Lodging and Food:
Laughlin, NV which is just across the Colorado River from Bullhead City, AZ and is a Casino town. Nothing like Vegas, but there are cheap hotel rooms, numerous restaurants in the casinos and all the shopping ammenities. It is a bit "cheesy" but can be fun if you are in the right frame of mind. Laughlin and Bullhead City are at the extreme south end of the lake. Camping is available in the Park proper at designated campsites or also in designated backcountry locations.
Park entry is 5$ for 5 days per vehicle. Camping is $10.00/night in the established campgrounds.
Las Vegas is about 1.5 to 2.5 hours north of Laughlin, NV depending on your driving habits.
Hazards:
Natural venemous creatures (never heard of a problem... but be careful where you put your fingers and toes), dehydration, prolonged exposure to intense sunlight and the ever present danger of just enjoying yourself too damn much.
Boat traffic on the lake is probably your most pressing danger. Weekends are amazingly busy with boaters. Week days are just the opposite. Many boaters do not have the visibility to easily see monofilm sails and don't understand the speeds at which we travel when we are planing. You have to have your head on a swivel during the weekends and remember that you may have the right of way but you are much smarter not to press the issue. Windsurfers and Kiters are still pretty rare on the lake. Boaters are not looking for you. Use Caution.
Personal Note:
I am not a local although I get up there at least a handful of times a year. I could be a bit off on air and water temps. Water temps based on the park's AM radio station weekly forecast when I have been there and my memories... so take that for what it is worth. We have a 6 hour drive to get there so we normally go for at least 3 days. There is always some wind. Usually I sail a 6.2 or 7.2 during the summer on a 135 litre board or an 85 litre wave board. Winter I bring everything in my quiver. I have sailed 3.7 to 7.2. 72 litre wave board to the 165 litre formula style board. I weigh 205lbs. It can run the full gambit over the course of 3 days. If you stay a week or a month you are definately going to get in some great sailing if you follow the wind. If you have a boat I would say Mohave is a sure thing. All of the sailors and kiters that I have met on the lake are friendly, helpful and social. The everyday folk in Bullhead and Laughlin also seem genuinely nice.
Finally:
Good for all ability levels. Rocky launches make it a bit hard on beginners. Windsurfability Grade 7.0 on a scale of 10. Lacks big swell and reliable strong winds. Local attractions and natural beauty make this a fun destination for the whole family. Bring Sense of Adventure, Camping gear, Mtn Bike, Kayak, Dive gear, Boat, Fishing pole, 4X4.
MAPS
Southern Lake M includes Cabinsite Cove [1] (http://www.nps.gov/lame/slmohave.pdf)
All Park Maps [2] (http://www.nps.gov/lame/maps.html#slmohave)