Kite-Surfing Opportunities
San Felipe is blessed with lots of wind. There is rarely a day when they do not get at least a 5 m.p.h. steady breeze, however some times of the year are much better than others.
Below is a brief sysnopsis of conditions:
Winds are predominantly from the North from around 9 a.m. through late afternoons. Typical wind speeds are in the 5-8 mph range. If
The beaches south of San Felipe are also great for wind sports. You need to go at least as far south as Bahia Santa Maria in order to get away from the wind shadow of the mountains at Punta Estrella. Watch for submerged rocks! The road south of San Felipe is good for the first 30 km and there are campos catering to retirees all along the coast from San Felipe down to Puertecitos. You can go to any of these campos and, provided you are courteous, you will be welcomed and will have no problems launching windsurfers. Boats are another matter. There are no good launch spots until you get down to Puertecitos (80 km south of San Felipe - very rough road).
Spring (March - May ) - lighter winds
Winds moderate and become North to East. Again, the strong winds are caused by the developing of high pressure over
Summer (June- September) - baby winds, except when storms come
Warm and humid. Sea temperatures rise to around 90F by August and the typical winds (also 90F) are out of the East at 5-10 mph in the late mornings to mid-afternoons. The sea has a gentle chop with occasional whitecaps. In late afternoons (4 p.m.) there is a sudden shift of wind and it blows strongly from the south for a couple of hours. This is a very dry wind and the air temperature may shoot up over 100F for this period. Out on the water it is no problem but sailors should be aware of this sudden switch in direction - it occurs fast, often shifting from East to South in under 10 minutes, then blowing quite a gale. Beach people have to grab their umberellas and bags and rush to their hotels to avoid being sand-blasted. Mornings can be dead calm and intolerably humid so you can plan to sleep late. You definitely need accommodations with air conditioning for sleeping during this season.
Late September brings the hurricane season. Low pressure centers move from the Pacific over the Baja peninsular and into the
Autumn (October - mid-November) - increasing wind
Fall is a very short season here. Generally it is clear, cloudless and relatively calm. Days start calm and easterly breezes pick up in the late morning. Typical conditions are to see 5 -8 mph breezes from mid-morning through late afternoon. Good for light sailing but not for extreme sports. Water temperatures cool rapidly from their summer highs to the mid 70's. Camping out along the beaches south of town is a good option.
The map below shows the typical situation when we have North winds. The area of the bay close to town is well protected from these cold, dry, winds (which is the reason that the town sprung up where it did). When the winds are from the East, the winds are generally moderate and pleasant. The bay is then a great place for Hobie Cats and windsurfing.
