Does anyone know anything about a tidal wave that forms between Tiburon and Angel Island down in the Bay area? I was just told that when the tide is either up or down, a nice four to five foot standing wave appears there. Does anyone know if this is true or not and if so, what is the beta on it?

When paddling in a flat water boat I've seen big waves off the end of Alcatraz. The island itself makes a huge eddy during ebb and flood then just outside of the eddy were several 2-4 ft. standing waves. I've often thought about towing a play boat out there??

The water ebbing between Tiburon and Angel is constricted and slams into Yellow Bluff before leaving under the gate. Yellow bluff is the bluff to the east of the Fort Baker marina. Wind or boat swells and bay chop waves heading up into Richardson Bay meet the surge of ebb off the bluff and standing waves do appear - sometimes they appear when the bay is calm as well. Ideal conditions for this are about as frequent as snows on Mt. Tam. There's a lot of factors involved and most of the time it's junk. Look for a big exchange with lots of water coming into the bay from the delta - wintertime or a scheduled release is key. As for Alcatraz I've heard rumors of a pourover rock that takes the shape of a rodeo hole - but again many factors are involved and it would be a long paddle from Crissy in a spud boat.

If you want a tidal rapid go to the russian river mouth during the peak of a strong ebb, catch a set wave directly outside the river mouth and hold on! Imagine a 10-foot high foam pile with good shoulders stalling out from the force of the ebb and the previous wave sucking back out of the river mouth. Unfortunately, there's a STRONG chance you will be bitten by a shark here - especially if you're flopping around in a 6-foot spud boat.

Playboating in and around SF bay is virtually untapped, but there are many, IMO, spots to explore but a deep knowledge of currents, swell and other bayisms along with a fast boat is required to score.

Good luck!