Just wondering about the status of ocean beach sf CA...a guy I work with said he sat and watched a few buggies zip up and down ocean beach..about 5 moths ago....thats well after the ban took hold...does anybody know the status


I WANT TO GO BACK!!!!!

DQ

anyone in the area know?

I was thinking of just heading down there with gear in the car and have a look around. If no prohibitive signs and an empty beach I was going to unload and see how it goes. I've only been in the area for 6 weeks so ignorance is bliss. If someone with authority indicated I shouldn't be there, I'd respectfully pack up while having a conversation about why this is the case. When the wind blows without rain, I'm heading that way. I need to feel the pull. If I can't ride there, I'll just keep heading south till I find a beach.

I think I may join you, I was never actually warned by anyone to "not do it again", I still have a proper warning while sitting in my bug coming. I just heard about the ban through the grapevine. I did ask the lifeguards about it a couple of times when I've been down there since the ban, the first time they actually said that it was an individual supervisor that had a bug in his bum about people using vehicles - said it was like a skateboard law. The lifeguards said that the person in question wasn't there that day and that if I wanted to buggy that they didn't mind. Another time the lifeguard I spoke to just said that any vehicle wasn't allowed - I may have been talking to the person in question. But hey - it's been 8 months since I've been down there - I am willing to give it a shot next time a good day happens - best during the week since there are less crowds.

This would be a weekday during business hours for me. Are there even lifeguards on duty in February? I can't find any municipal site that talks about OB or anything about its lifeguards.

I'm in SF this weekend I will try and go by to look for signs

Oh, that would be a huge step in the right direction. Keep from waisting a trip or know that chances are better with that info.

The lifeguards patrolled everyday when I used to go there - in these budget strapped times who knows. I don't think you're going to see any signs posted - they are enforcing an older code dealing with skateboarders in public places, which the older supervisor just didn't apply to us. Asking any lifeguards you see to find out if anything has changed would be great.

Tomorrow looks like it would be a good day . . . . but . . . . I was just checking out an old resource I used to use when watching conditions down at OB, the good ol' USGS webcam at the Cliffhouse restaurant

- it does an amazing time lapse for the entire past week - showing beach erosion and tide movement. It showed me the one thing that told me tomorrow is a no go - crowding - you can see that during the week there are still people there but nothing like the weekends.

Any luck at OB? I am in Aberdeen Scotland working 12-16 hr days on graveyard shift. There is wind but I have no time to fly. I actually packed the beamer with me just in case.
I am nackered!

I made it down last Sunday and was able to buggy - I guessed it right earlier, no budget for patrols - didn't see the lifeguard truck all day - very, very rare. Was doing some static flying with both the 12m phantom and the 18m guerilla. The guerilla was a blast when the winds picked up to about 12mph.

Was crowded around noon (about 50 people per 100yds) but evened out later in the day. Here's a video an anonymous person shot of me and posted on youtube.

It was pretty crowded at that point as well - and after the turn I was headed upwind . but was still just fun to be back on that turf - if only for the day.

That's fantastic. Very encouraging that you got to roll. I'll make a go of it one weekday when the wind starts blowing before 4 pm.

I have some days off coming to me after this last trip when I return on the 20th.
I will take them off when there is wind down at OB!

I live a short bus ride from OB so I try to get there as often as I can. Haven't seen any wheeled kiters this year. Lots of surfers. Cops are a regular presence on weekends, but not weekend afternoons when the wind in up.

Hit me up if you're in the 'hood.

Went to Ocean Beach last night at 6 PM. Winds were 15-17 mph. Police were visible and active. Lots of kites and kitesurfers. No wheeled kiters.

Brought my new Prism Stylus P4 out and scudded as soon as it launched. Achieved my first faceplant on second launch! Happy to report the sand is very soft. Can't wait to go back!
:wee:

Just went today (april 23) from 1pm to 4pm. I didn't spot any life guard on duty. The winds were light and the population was low so I did some low speed kitelandboarding.

Beach Patrol is on the roll.

I stick to weekdays after 5pm, avoiding the GG Park area and its crowds. Haven't been warned to stop since about a year ago.

Some friends scared beach folks and had the cops called on em.

Just keep it safe and reasonable... under the radar...

All,
i am a newbie, still havent bought my kite or learned yet, but i did go down to OB and spotted a ranger there. Asked lady nicely if buggying is allowed and she didnt know what i was talking about. I explained it to her and she immediately said "no, not allowed to operate a vehicle". I explained nicely that its not really a vehicle and that it has been practiced here as a sport before. She immediately softened and said that if the community has been buggying here before, then its fine to buggy by her.

She did mention staying out of the snowy plower region.

I say its worth a shot. Anyone been buggying lately?

shridhar

Was it a ranger or a lifeguard? Lifeguards are the ones in the white trucks with the red stripes. The lifeguards in the past have always been tolerant of buggiers and landboards due to the mutual respect we had for one another - the problems started with a new supervisor and their specific agenda towards the safety of beach goers and the exclusion of what was/is seen as a dangerous hobby. The individual lifeguard may have a favorable view of us with our history there but I would be careful and step very cautiously as you explore your new freedoms. Keep us posted as more information and experiences unfold. Thanks for the update - I always loved riding down there.

P.S. the plovers nest from September to May - so there really is no reason to be banned from that area - there is a giant metal info booth shaped ironically like a plover and located on the furthermost North end of their habitat that has all their data printed on them.

It was a ranger. In a ranger SUV. She was cute too ;-):singing:

That's a rarity, usually don't see the rangers too often. Right now there are going to be a lot of patrols by the lifeguards in their white truck - been watching the USGS Ocean Beach webcam and have seen them down there everyday. Can someone clarify if they were ever issued a citation by one of the lifeguards? Doesn't really seem within their scope of authority to do so. The rangers could, that's their job. If you get a chance srileo definitely ask some more questions of the rangers and lifeguards that you see. Knowledge is power, thanks again for your efforts.

Here are some images I just got from my spy cam at Ocean Beach.

Lifeguard Truck



Zoomed



And other vehicle, is this the rangers truck? I've never seen a vehicle like this down there before.



Zoomed

I feel like I need special clearance to view these spy photos :wow:

Top Secret !!!!!!

Quote:

Originally posted by DAKITEZ I feel like I need special clearance to view these spy photos :wow: Top Secret !!!!!!

Send Ripsessions a u2u for special viewing credentials.

I hope this issue is working itself out. I'd love to go down there and put some miles in one weekday. Plovers rule after September? Can they be avoided?

The plovers have a very defined section of the beach in which they are protected to propagate (Barry White music starting up) . . . and apparently they start in September and do it all the way to May. The section that is not protected year round is the Northern section of the beach which is a 3/4 mile run and not too curvy, but the mostly propagated by humans, and we all know how much of the year they take up to propagate. (wah, wah, wah!)

I'll be in SF in Feb, 2011, working on a show. Is it cool to landboard ocean beach then or are the plovers still doing it?
:-)
m

If you go to this site http://www.evsboca.com/usgs/default.htm and check the daily images - you'll be looking for any kind of vehicle. If you don't see one for the previous couple of weeks then I would give it a shot on the Northern most part of the beach (watch out for Kitesurfers - this is their goto spot on the beach - you'll want to give them a bit of space - they've been there a long time and could make things difficult if they feel pushed). The Northern part of the beach is as far as you can get from the plovers area - so that way anyone stopping you can't site the plovers as a reason to take a hike. Take care and report back what you find.