Sail Bay

Best place to go in san diego for the beach life without the tourists! All the foreigners and tourists go to the beach, but the locals go to the bay. Great place for paddleboarding, boating, volleyball, drinking (water ;)), and having fun. Felspar Park is great for the pups!

Although I don’t like Pacific Beach, Sail Bay is a nice area. It’s not that crowded. «Tranquillo»

I live here… literally… not just to visit — but across the street… and I love it! Quiet, peaceful except on the weekends when some toolboxes (empty ones) drive their boats and crank up their waaaayyy inappropriate language music so loud that everyone is annoyed. But don’t worry — that doesn’t happen that often… plus I am praying their speakers blow and their boat sinks… either one or both — I will be happy with! LOL
Perfect days — weekdays. Ahhhh… my kids are riding their bikes here and people have been really awesome at forgiving their learning curves :)

Sail Bay is my favorite place to ride my bike and relax. Depending on what day/​time you go, it’s rarely ever crowded. My dog loves this place too.

I absolutely LOVE Sail Bay. This is a place were you can actually relax and enjoy the bay. Great place for paddle boarding as well. This is also a great place for running and walking along the boardwalk area. Parking is limited of course; however, it’s definitely worth the visit. Sunrises and sunsets are absolutely beautiful here. I have been able to capture the most beautiful photos while at Sail Bay. I would highly recommend a visit to this area to everyone and anyone.

Fun and quiet place to chill on the beach. Rarely crowded, but not usually a ton of facilities.

The wide marshlands that once were no more than muddy flats have been dredged and designated as an aquatic playground. Mission Bay Park covers 4200 acres in San Diego. There are waterways, inlets, islands, bays and islets that make up Mission Bay. Most of the 27 miles of Mission Bay shoreline are sandy beaches, with the remainder devoted to marinas and resorts. The small area bordered by Rivera Dr. on the east and Bayside Lane on the west is called Sail Bay. It is a protected part of Mission Bay that usually has a good light breeze going and makes it perfect for watery fun. There is always something going on at Sail Bay – from water-​skiing and wake-​boarding to sailing and kayaking. The Bahia Belle paddle boat will sometimes take a cruise through the area.
Along the Mission Beach potion of Sail Bay, you have the Mission Bay Aquatic Center at Santa Clara Pt., which offers college sailing classes and summer programs for kids. There is also the Mission Bay Yacht Club at El Carmel Point which promotes general boating and yachting activities. On the other side of Sail Bay – in Pacific Beach, along Rivera Dr., there is a sandy beach where locals leave their sailboats tied up (and locked) for easy access.
The only minus to Sail Bay, as far as I’m concerned is that the bottom shoreline is muddy and mucky and makes for an unpleasant swimming experience. I have managed to go in on a hot day and the squishy sensation you get while wading is kind of gross. Additionally, water quality in that part of the Bay is not great although tidal flushing does freshen it up. Deducted 1 Unilocal STAR for icky under foot and brackish water at times.
Otherwise Sail Bay is a great little area to enjoy marine recreation and a nice walk along the well-​maintained bike path that transits the area.