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Crissy Field
San Francisco Bay · San Francisco, California
also known as Crissy Field East Beach, Anita Rock-Crissy Field, Golden Gate Bridge
Riding essentials
Season
Apr–Oct
Months riders and schools name
How windy
15-20+ knots
Character: mixed
Room to launch
ok
access rules on record, below
Water
mixed
14 °C in summerFrom the beach out to Anita Rock the wind is often lighter and holey and a downed kite is hard to relaunch
Hazards
15
Reported by riders
Level
Advanced only
With a caveat: see Your level
Crowds
high crowds · busy Jun Jul Aug May
Schools
4
named at this spot
From the airport
24 min
International Airport (SFO)
On the clock
03:00
Midday to afternoon; local SFBA guidance says the safest typical window in season is often around 3:00-5:00pm after the wind has ramped.
The mark is the clock time the record names, laid on a 24-hour day. The fade after it is not an end time, and not a promise of wind.
Nearbystraight-line distance
Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.
- Alameda / Crown Memorial State Beachno page yet
- Berkeley Marinano page yet
- Treasure Islandno page yet
- Fort Pointno page yet
- Waddell Creek
The spot
The gradient
Hazards and conditions
Who should ride here
The wind
locals call it San Francisco Bay thermal / Golden Gate sea breeze
Direction
Direction to shore
cross-off
Dominant direction
W to WNW/NW; SW can occur in pre-frontal conditions and NW in post-frontal clearing conditions.
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
The quiver, in words
An 80 kg rider is reportedly on about a 10 m, and 9 m gets quoted as the average men's kite here: a one-size spread with no wind band attached to either figure. Pack for 10-30 knots and expect to be on something smaller than the beach suggests once you are outside Anita Rock.Nobody publishes a size-by-weight table for this spot.
Character
Average strength
16-20 knots on a good thermal day, and about 18 knots as a Bay Area summer afternoon average. No monthly statistics exist for Crissy Field itself.
Typical strength
15-20+ knots at Anita Rock is a common local go/no-go cue, often translating to stronger 20+ knot wind in the channel; broader Bay Area guides advise packing for roughly 10-30 knots.
Season and core wind
Wind gradient across the site
Forecast
Live forecast
Month by month
- Jan27
- Feb32
- Mar50
- Apr, riders' month77
- May, riders' month89
- Jun, riders' month100
- Jul, riders' month100
- Aug, riders' month92
- Sep, riders' month87
- Oct, riders' month37
- Nov13
- Dec13
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct.
- 27%Jan12°
- 32%Feb12°
- 50%Mar12°
- 77%Apr12°
- 89%May12°
- 100%Jun12°
- 100%Jul13°
- 92%Aug14°
- 87%Sep14°
- 37%Oct14°
- 13%Nov13°
- 13%Dec12°
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · water °C below · season highlighted
Modelled from the operational forecast archive at 1.5–7 km (2023-2024), daylight hours only, not a ground station: it resolves thermal, lake and valley winds far better than coarse reanalysis but still tends to understate a strong local thermal.
Every figure, month by monthWindy days · Force 4+ · 12 kn or more · Knots · Wind from · Peaks at · Air · Water · Readings
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | Wind from | Peaks at | Air | Water | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27% | 58% | 50% | 12.8 kt | W | 15:00 | 10.6 °C | 11.7 °C | 62 |
| Feb | 32% | 58% | 51% | 12.9 kt | WNW | 16:00 | 12.2 °C | 11.7 °C | 57 |
| Mar | 50% | 87% | 73% | 14.7 kt | W | 16:00 | 13.3 °C | 12.2 °C | 62 |
| Apr | 77% | 95% | 90% | 16.5 kt | W | 17:00 | 13.9 °C | 11.7 °C | 60 |
| May | 89% | 98% | 95% | 16.8 kt | W | 17:00 | 15 °C | 11.7 °C | 62 |
| Jun | 100% | 100% | 100% | 18.4 kt | W | 18:00 | 16.1 °C | 12.2 °C | 60 |
| Jul | 100% | 100% | 100% | 18.7 kt | W | 17:00 | 16.7 °C | 13.3 °C | 62 |
| Aug | 92% | 100% | 98% | 17.3 kt | W | 17:00 | 16.7 °C | 13.9 °C | 62 |
| Sep | 87% | 98% | 95% | 15.9 kt | W | 17:00 | 17.2 °C | 14.4 °C | 60 |
| Oct | 37% | 85% | 74% | 13.5 kt | W | 16:00 | 16.7 °C | 13.9 °C | 62 |
| Nov | 13% | 43% | 35% | 11.2 kt | W | 15:00 | 13.9 °C | 13.3 °C | 60 |
| Dec | 13% | 40% | 37% | 10.9 kt | NE | 13:00 | 10.6 °C | 12.2 °C | 62 |
How this is modelledmodelled · 2023-2024
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
A windy day has at least three consecutive daylight hours at 12 knots or more. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.
High-resolution weather model (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical forecast archive — best-match operational model (ICON-D2 / AROME / ICON-EU / GFS by region), not a ground station · 2023-2024
The water
Type
mixed
Standing depth
Nothing you can stand in. The bottom off East Beach is already around 3 m down a short way out and falls to 15-20 m before the shipping channel, which is why a lost board out by Anita Rock means a swim in rather than a walk. Depth over the rock itself at low water is unconfirmed.
Tides
A big exchange squeezed through a narrow gate: mean range about 1.25 m (4.09 ft) at the shoreline station, and 1.78 m (5.84 ft) from the lowest to the highest water of the day. The height matters less than the flow it drives. Know ebb, flood and the counter-currents before launching; slack going into an ebb is the window most locals treat as safest.Water conditions by board typeThe current turns first on the inside near the beach and then spreads across the bay. Twin-tip riders wait for the wind to fill and the tide to ebb, while foil and race boards cope better with flood or variable water.
Temperature
14 °C summer · 10 °C winter
Modelled monthly average: 12–14 °C
Wetsuit
Full wetsuit year-round; local SFBA guidance says most Crissy riders wear a 4/3 or 5/4/3, and Fort Point water-temperature guidance recommends 4/3 plus boots at the warmest end and 5/3 for longer or cold windy sessions.
Currents
Strong tidal current at the Golden Gate, with a maximum around +/-4.5 knots. On a flood or an ebb it will take you away from the launch: toward Alcatraz, into the piers, or out the Gate.
Conditions
Your level
not for beginners herenot for intermediates here
The scene
What riders come here for
Launch and rules
three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you
With a school or a boat
4 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: ok
Somewhere else
5 spots nearby
Rescue
VHF 16
Launch
Sandy East Beach launch in the Presidio, commonly rigged/managed around the west side of the bathrooms/central lawn. Local etiquette is to set up farther west when crowded, launch toward the water, keep the kite low, get off the beach quickly, and avoid teaching, trainer kites, jumping or standing with a kite in the air on the beach or promenade.
Rules & access
1 min read
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Schools that ride here
Rider tips
- Get someone who rides here to walk you through the tide, the launch and the wind line before your first session.
- Read Anita Rock and the visible wind line rather than the beach; rig for the channel, which is stronger.
- Carry a VHF in a waterproof case, plus a phone, a whistle, an impact vest and a warm suit.
- Stay out of the shipping channel except to cross it, and give commercial traffic room.
- On a flood tide, if you cannot hold upwind of Anita Rock on the first reach, head in and land where you can, Last Chance Beach included.
- Do not teach, jump or fly a trainer kite on the beach, and come in before the wind line moves offshore.
Getting there
Airport
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
Route
Drive or take a rideshare from SFO into the Presidio. On transit it is BART plus Muni: the 30 Stockton to Mason Street and Yacht Road, or the Presidio GO Downtown route to the Presidio Transit Center and a 10-minute walk to East Beach. Parking at the Crissy Field Beach lot is free, with paid parking across Mason Street.
Transfer
24 min
Cost level
high
Staying
Stay in the city. The Marina and Cow Hollow are the short hop to East Beach and anything Presidio-adjacent works. There is no rider lodging at the beach itself.
No-wind days
Golden Gate Promenade/Bay Trail, Presidio Tunnel Tops, Crissy Marsh birding, Fort Point, Golden Gate Bridge viewpoints, Warming Hut, San Francisco museums, dining, cycling and hiking.
Photos
FAQ
Is Crissy Field suitable for beginners?
No, it should be treated as advanced or expert only; gusty near-shore wind, strong current, cold water, and ship traffic make it unsafe for beginners.
When is the best time to kite at Crissy Field?
The thermal season runs roughly April through October, with wind commonly reaching 16-20+ knots on good afternoons, often strongest outside Anita Rock.
What are the hazards at Crissy Field?
Strong tidal currents, commercial shipping traffic, cold water, and wind shadows near the Golden Gate Bridge towers are the main risks, alongside light and fluky wind close to the beach.
What are the rules at Crissy Field?
As of 2026, the National Park Service closes the Crissy Field Wildlife Protection Area to kiteboards within 300 ft of shore, prohibits glass containers, and closes the beach parking lot from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Are there kite schools near Crissy Field?
Yes, including Kite The Bay, which offers boat-supported instruction, and Boardsports California nearby at Alameda.
The bigger pictureEverything about San Francisco Bay
Last updated: August 2026