Directions and descriptions of individual sites is on the long term to do list but the launches are generally quite accurately marked on the map if you zoom in enough.
Outside of Lake Logan Martin, near Talledega east of B'ham, you are basically stuck halfway between two great windsurfing areas but not really close to either one. Logan Martin is a bit small - I've only done a dingy race there many years ago. No idea of any good launches.
Guntersville isn't that far and there are some good spots there. Generally, the Tennessee River can be good to epic in the right conditions. It's wide, sometimes very long fetches and even has barges to make you feel like you are in the Gorge. The Point near Muscle Shoals and Athens/Decatur can be killer in W/NW winds.
Mobile Bay and the Gulf Coast are, again in the correct conditions, a lot of fun. You can sail the same wind we do in winter cold fronts but the water is going to be a lot warmer. In spring and early summer, you'll get nice sea breezes until the Gulf heats up and then there is always the chance for some tropical weather action assuming it's nothing severe.
Nothing is very close for a quick sail but that's balanced by some great places just a bit further away. North Alabama gets better warm weather winds than Atlanta so you might find yourself getting in sessions that we don't.
Hopefully, someone else knows about a secret spot I don't.
Having dragged a windsurfing trailer many times from Birmingham to sail, I'll agree with above. The only good place in daytrip range is Lake Guntersville. We (Myra and I) rig and launch from the parking lot next to the grey block public restrooms about a 1/4 mile west of the Piggly Wiggly. It's about 150 miles from the east side of B'ham near Irondale, but being on the far side of Guntersville, takes about 2.5 hours to drive.
The public parks in Fairhope are very nice to sail the Mobile Bay. The water at the parks is shallow but very soft. Careful of trailer parking restrictions.
The Ft Walton spot mentioned in the W FL Map above is a very good flat water public sailing spot on the Choctawhatchee Bay. We found it last year thanks to one sailboard and two kiters on the water that late April day. The sailor was a local navy guy who travels 45 minutes to sail from there even though he lives on the bay elsewhere.
Tell me more about what type/level of sailing you do/want if I can suggest more.
I think the spot that Slogger is referring to is marked as Guntersville Park and Rec. We, by coincidence, both happened to be there in early August and there were white caps. The bad news is that it was the evening before I was supposed to do a triathlon from that very spot. I was kind of shattered the next morning.
Alabama Map
West Florida Panhandle Map
Directions and descriptions of individual sites is on the long term to do list but the launches are generally quite accurately marked on the map if you zoom in enough.
Outside of Lake Logan Martin, near Talledega east of B'ham, you are basically stuck halfway between two great windsurfing areas but not really close to either one. Logan Martin is a bit small - I've only done a dingy race there many years ago. No idea of any good launches.
Guntersville isn't that far and there are some good spots there. Generally, the Tennessee River can be good to epic in the right conditions. It's wide, sometimes very long fetches and even has barges to make you feel like you are in the Gorge. The Point near Muscle Shoals and Athens/Decatur can be killer in W/NW winds.
http://windsurfatlanta.org/sites/all/pastnews/200005.pdf (look at page
Mobile Bay and the Gulf Coast are, again in the correct conditions, a lot of fun. You can sail the same wind we do in winter cold fronts but the water is going to be a lot warmer. In spring and early summer, you'll get nice sea breezes until the Gulf heats up and then there is always the chance for some tropical weather action assuming it's nothing severe.
Nothing is very close for a quick sail but that's balanced by some great places just a bit further away. North Alabama gets better warm weather winds than Atlanta so you might find yourself getting in sessions that we don't.
Hopefully, someone else knows about a secret spot I don't.
Thanks very much
Having dragged a windsurfing trailer many times from Birmingham to sail, I'll agree with above. The only good place in daytrip range is Lake Guntersville. We (Myra and I) rig and launch from the parking lot next to the grey block public restrooms about a 1/4 mile west of the Piggly Wiggly. It's about 150 miles from the east side of B'ham near Irondale, but being on the far side of Guntersville, takes about 2.5 hours to drive.
The public parks in Fairhope are very nice to sail the Mobile Bay. The water at the parks is shallow but very soft. Careful of trailer parking restrictions.
The Ft Walton spot mentioned in the W FL Map above is a very good flat water public sailing spot on the Choctawhatchee Bay. We found it last year thanks to one sailboard and two kiters on the water that late April day. The sailor was a local navy guy who travels 45 minutes to sail from there even though he lives on the bay elsewhere.
Tell me more about what type/level of sailing you do/want if I can suggest more.
May your water be smooth and your winds be swift.
I think the spot that Slogger is referring to is marked as Guntersville Park and Rec. We, by coincidence, both happened to be there in early August and there were white caps. The bad news is that it was the evening before I was supposed to do a triathlon from that very spot. I was kind of shattered the next morning.
No regrets, however.