Treasure Island often has great swell and consistent wind, also the launch is small and the current can be strong so I recommend advanced skills, the buddy system, and a radio. Treasure Island has a pretty wild history including use of radioactive toxins, explosives, and other dangerous materials (Business Insider, Reuters, SFGate, SFBayview), and it seems toxic nuclear radiation still exits on the island.
One of the reasons I want to bring more people to the bay and the ocean is to build strong communities that protect the land and sea and hold polluters accountable and stop any further pollution. There is a plan to build 8,000 homes and bring 20,000 or more residents to Treasure Island all while the toxic cleanup plan is uncertain and the outcome unknown. Also the plan for a wind sports launch or access is uncertain, and there has been talk of an access toll which in addition to the bridge toll could bring the day use fee to $17. What does it cost to get a hazmat suit and a Geiger counter?
What is the solution? Outsourcing our power and control to far away huge institutions has proven to be a literal disaster. I heard a story of indigenous women in the Great Lakes area. They were noticing the water was getting polluted, so they walked around the entire shoreline talking to everyone to both raise awareness and find the source of the problem. The way I see it we need more people to care about the water, the land, and all the creatures, many hands make light work. Living in a high rise, and traveling in a dry ferry or a bus over a tall bridge to a climate controlled office disconnects us from the land air and sea.
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The Minamata tragedy shows how local communities are connected to the water and fish and they notice and suffer first when these resources are contaminated with deadly toxins. Using humans as canaries in the coal mine needs to stop. Organizations like Baykeeper are working to clean up the bay, and SFBA is working to secure good safe access to the bay. I have been riding bumps out at treasure island for years, I had heard it was polluted from friends who worked there and even then only learned yesterday that the island is radioactive. Are the rides good enough to keep going back? Here is a downwind video from an epic day several years ago, this was the first time I saw ocean size swells in the bay. I have been hooked ever since.
