Swimming is Safer upto 100m meters or yards
300’ feet from shore
Baker Beach Bay SF CA USA San Francisco California water Pacific Ocean North end Warmest section of warmest beach in San Francisco where burning man began 1986-1990
Swimming UNSAFE PAST 300’ 100m 100 yds
Currents flowing north 500 feet West off shore may carry you North into outflow from SF Bay after high tide. this would very likely be fatal unless you were fortunate enough to be seen, spotted and rescued by US Coast Guard, and or emergency responders
WATER TEMP
Water temps at Baker Beach are very warm as combination of half Pacific Ocean water of Baker Bay plus half saline water of San Francisco Bay various mixtures of hydrology depend on cycle and status of tide and ebb flow
AIR TEMP
Air Temps Baker Beach SF CA, pleasantly warm for five reasons
Warm Breeze SW
9/10 days breeze comes from Southwest or west southwest Hawaii
Lands End SSW cuts off all breezes from south southwest and half of breeze from Southwest
Water of Baker Bay is extremely shallow dropping only 10 feet per City block on fathoms chart therefore approximately
50 feet deep at five blocks out or
60 feet deep at six blocks out
Soft warm breeze flowing over soft warm water allows warm convection of what little air does drift towards north Baker Beach, which intern is protected
North end of Baker Beach forms, a cove with rock sand wall to north and sand wall to east
Sunshine heats, sand, rocks and surfaces of North Cove of Baker Beach all day long radiating heat out to humans sunbathing.
I have studied the entire 2 miles of California coastline south of the Golden Gate Bridge within intense focus for 33 years 1989-2022
I have stood a top cliff, watching the water currents on the ocean surface flow north words into a manifold of hydrology turmoil as soft, gentle slow north current from 500 feet west of Baker Beach SF meets merges collides and tumbles into deadly rapid outflow of tide from SF bay
Human being without a neoprene, wetsuit and proper safety equipment would of drowning and or eventual hypothermia in these conditions, if not rescued by emergency, responders or boat
I have been swimming in these waters of Baker Beach SF for 33 years and can state they are very much safer than
Ocean Beach SF, in which I would never swim, nor enter without flotation equipment, and or neoprene wetsuit under any conditions due to
Risk of death by drowning, and or hypothermia, if carried out by riptide.
Baker Beach SF California contains two
EDDYS to my observation
50 M 50 yd counterclockwise Eddie north end Baker Beach
https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7980792,-122.4823034,17z
I personally was pulled out in a small riptide, which I believe to be part of a 150 foot diameter spiral or circle created by rock Peninsula, extending into Baker Bay of Pacific Ocean from north end of 1 mile long baker beach SF interrupting 24 seven, 365 Northward flow
My first ever riptide experience, feeling helpless. I looked Westward to my friend Santosh standing 6‘6“ tall on Baker Beach looking at me? Perhaps? Or at least in my direction Westward.
I felt assured that I had a witness in the event I were sucked out to sea.
I did not want to know what to do as I had not read up on how to avoid being taken by a riptide.
I ceased fighting the riptide so that I could catch my breath while contemplating my unfortunate novel predicament.
I elected to swim south parallel to the beach some minutes then south south east a few minutes then south east towards the beach.
Winded, I was able to set foot on beach.
On other days of swimming over 33 years at this beach, I have not again experienced this riptide or Eddie, and I do not believe this area speaking to be dangerous, but I would encourage people to use the BUDDY system.
BUDDY system.
I learned in Boy Scouts, a rule I broke that day.
To always use the buddy system when entering the water such that your friend or accomplice, could rescue you, assist with CPR, first aid, or medical attention
and/or seek help from other caregivers or emergency first responders.
24/7/365 1 mph Northwood current of water along Baker Beach SFCA exists always
Any frisbee you lose in the ocean here will migrate north slowly, regardless of whether it is as surface in mid water or an ocean floor
This is true, both of two conditions which can exist in tide
In my belief, IMHO of my creation, that is my hypothesis
Rising tide brings Pacific water into SF funneling through Baker Bay, causing 1 mph Northward flow of water along Baker Beach SF
Lowering EB tide exiting through Golden Gate Bridge creates a 2 mile Radius Counterclockwise Circle, Eddie in the shape of the entire baker Bay
2 mile diameter or 3 km diameter counterclockwise Eddie of Baker Bay. Also causes frisbees lost in Pacific Ocean to migrate northward at 1 mph.
submerged frisbee will likely migrate north at 1.5 KM pH 1-2 kilometers per hour
Southern Eddy
Baker Beach SF CA
https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7900541,-122.4867081,18z
Second, Eddie on south end of 1 mile long Baker Beach is a very long stretched string bean shape or green bean shape running north south approximately 50 to 100 feet or 30 cam offshore west of Baker Beach
One late afternoon early evening, I did observe a man who appeared to be swimming incredibly rapidly north 30 m offshore
Amazed at his extra speed, I made a mental note to converse with him upon his exit
This man told me he was taking advantage of a North current Eddie off Baker Beach Southend
This very long flow stretched from south end of Baker Beach many hundred yards north
His section of swim was over 1/8 mile yet less than 1/4 mile of North current .2km -.5km
Near Death Experience
Thomas from Cornwall
North of Baker Beach SF CA
https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7996287,-122.4814879,17z
Thomas from Cornwall England Sucked North in Baker Bay life-threatening situation, but he got out ALIVE because he was not drunk.
He had smoked some herbal California organic kind bud, which was OK.
Herb is your friend. Alcohol not friend.
Typical of my evening, bouldering, climbing, hiking exploration, walks north from Baker Beach to Golden Gate Bridge, on one of a half dozen deadly dangerous routes, which I appreciate as a rock climber
I did notice a man swimming in the Pacific Ocean as I walked south upon a cliff overlooking Baker Bay of Pacific Ocean
I had presumed this man was in the ocean, because while he looked at me, he did not wave at me
Moments later, as I continue to hike towards Baker Beach SF, it occurred to me
A drowning or endangered man might not wave to me if he was carelessly treading water
Upon arriving to the north end of Baker Beach proper some 1015 minutes later, I came upon a man looking distraught and concerned, staring at the ocean
This man had lost his brother Thomas just now in the Pacific Ocean sucked north by the currents sadly and despair
I explained this man from England that I had seen his brother floating north, and described my mental process as stated above
Brother, inform me that indeed Thomas was sucked north by the tide and confirmed to me that he was swimming farther but 100 m offshore. DANGER
DANGER
I IMMEDIATELY CALLED PARK PRESIDIO POLICE DISPATCH AT
415 561 5505
to give a detailed prescription of precise location and vector tide flow.
Current of man swept North
I left Thomas brother Mathius on beach to venture north and assist emergency responders from my viewpoint high upon the cliffs 1/8 mile to 1/4 mile north of Baker Beach proper.
Fortunately, Thomas was able to cut in between Rock Island to gain access to dryland on the southernmost sand of Marshall Beach, SF below or south of Golden Gate Beach, SF below or south of Golden Gate Bridge
Thomas informed me he was unsure whether to swim in east to shore before these treacherous rock Islands or attempt to ride out the flow of the current north to go around these treacherous rock looking islands
Fortunately, Thomas chose to swim east, and risk passage between dangerous rock Islands
https://www.google.com/maps/@37.8007518,-122.4810236,18z/data=!3m1!1e3
I informed Thomas and pointed to the actual visible current flow of Pacific Ocean water, carrying objects floating into outflow of SFA, then into Pacific Ocean, cold, hypothermic waters
Thomas is alive today because
He was not drunk
He elected to swim East to shore at what may have been the last moment he had to make the correct choice of his life
I immediately called Dispatch back on Phone when Thomas set foot on dryland of Sandy Beach to inform Dispatch thus
WM30 white male 30 years old was alive in good health, conscious and sober
CODE 4
No emergency response needed
Katie on the other hand is another story, but for reasons of brevity, I will not discuss her here
Suffice it to say, the Pacific Ocean will claim your life if you let it.
No human should ever enter the Pacific or any ocean, if not sober, in good health of sufficient athletic ability.
No human should ever enter waves taller than human, without inhaling a maximum full breath of oxygen air
No human should ever approach any set of waves without fully oxygenating lungs with several, if not many cycles of full breath of oxygenated air thereby increasing the actual VO2 of blood in body
Human struck by wave, one or two times human height will be tumbled under surface of water, likely against ocean floor as a piece of laundry or wet, rag, and a washing machine on agitate cycle, not knowing which way is up, nor having any ability to use sunlight, which in this case is Ambient and homogenous such that you cannot know what direction is up when you are being beaten and battered about the ocean floor by turbulent waves
Breath of air held in before final wave hits your body plus several cycles of deep breathing before human body was struck by huge wave is your only defense and assurance of coming out from a situation. You cannot control.
If you want to live, follow me
I wrote this today after scratching my head reading scores of reviews of Baker Beach on a great many websites. Failing to accurately describe Baker Beach, San Francisco, California, by any measure of common sense.
Discouraged by websites that show a dozen pictures of unknown, coastal ranges, none of which are in San Francisco on a page which is supposed to be about Baker Beach caused me to feel a need for better descriptions of Baker Beach
Loss of life in waters, south, and north of Baker Beach caused me to wanted to describe these waters more accurately
Deadly Riptide North
Ocean Beach SF CA
https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7784341,-122.5161014,17z
I observed a WM 20 white male 20s swept northwesterly in Pacific Ocean off Cliff house Sutro baths SF CA USA
San Francisco, California
At the time I could not know if he was in distress or not I merely just observed his unusually rapid motion of northwesterly vector
Concerned, I spoke to him upon his reentry to land
He was not OK
He had been swept out
Fortunately, he was able to navigate back to land
I do not feel well about perilous situation
Surviving riptide this is a fortunate man
- Sat Dec 7 2024
Swimming Safer upto 100m yds 300’ off shore Baker Beach Bay SF CA USA San Francisco California water Pacific Ocean Warmest beach Burningman 1986-1990
https://fetlife.com/users/806217/posts/11660068
Tags Ocean Beach swim water San Francisco
- Sat Dec 7 2024
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