I once tried to swim across Mission Bay. I underestimated how hard the current would be, and started to struggle. I turned around, and was pretty sure I might not make it back to shore when I was rescued by a dog, a black lab swam out to me, I grabbed ahold of his collar and he pulled me back to shore. My friends had fallen asleep on the beach and had no idea what i was doing. Dumb move on my part, but that dog saved my life. When we got back to shore, it took off and I never knew where he came from.
For those thinking it's easy with current: watch the paris olympics open water swimming and see when they turn from downstream to upstream and get jetted downstream several meters on the turn. Those are the best swimers in the world, everyone else would be far, far, far more downstream when they got around to turning.
Steve! When you said you had to be rescued, and you panned the camera over to your wife standing in the water holding your raft, I blew the drink l was drinking out my nose! FUNNY!!! Seriously, thank you for all your videos, and especially your presentation. You keep on shooting, and I'll keep on watching! RV
I was born in San Diego in 1959. My family would rent a cabin in Mission Bay with another family (friends). It had a concrete floor in the living room with a drain in the center. For over a decade we would spend all summer there in the 60s. My sister and I ran free. "Here's a dollar. See you at dinner." when I was only 6. Different world... I don't remember there being an island. I do remember that I couldn't stand the feeling of the grass in the sand near the shore. My mom would have to float me out on a raft until we were past it. Picky kid! We spent more time on the ocean side. Thank you for the into and the memories.
I've lived in San Diego over 50 years, and I never knew about this place. This is a fascinating video. Also, you are a great video host. I learned a lot from this video and I really enjoyed watching it.
Very interesting and entertaining. A friend and I rented a 16 foot Snipe sailboat on Mission Bay back in the late 1970s. We had a wonderful time sailing, beached the boat on West Ski Island and had our lunch on the beach there. It was very relaxing. Thanks for posting this video!
@@lifeinpalawan I don't remember it being an issue. IIRC the Snipe centerboard swivels up. It's not a dagger board. I've sailed my 15' SeaSpray Cat into water about 18 inches deep in southern San Diego Bay. That got kind of scary. There were turtles.
My Grama used to bring us here every Wednesday (those were our half days at school). She'd swim out to that island with us, such good memories from the 70's. Love and miss my Gram.
You find the coolest things to research Steve... most people wouldn't care about some tiny island but this is what sets you apart from other channels. Thank you for protecting the seagull and thank you Mrs. Steve for your lifesaving efforts 😊
@@deandupont5503 Seagulls were always on my shit list, but take one trip to the Farallon Islands and you'll want to shoot every last one of them. This is the last avian on the planet that deserves protection.
Lived in SD 37 years, never knew about these little islands, i also never knew that mission bay is the biggest "manmade aquatic park" pretty cool! Love learning more about our awesome city. Great job BTW on the video and hosting .
Reminds me of the weird Beachcombers Island that Disney World created for recreational activities too, for a wave machine for surfing! When the Polynesian Resort was being constructed, the Vice President of Park Operations (Dick Nunis) came up with the idea of adding surfing as a recreational activity for guests, since Disney wanted to be able to compete with the miles and miles of existing Floridian beaches, and they believed outdoor recreation was the key! They knew they had to build it before the Seven Seas Lagoon was filled, a cove area would have to be carved out, and the costs of building WDW were already extremely high, but he wouldn't take no for an answer and with help from WED and Roy O. Disney, he secured the funds. The wave machine had three problems that Disney did not expect. The main thing was the Seven Seas Lagoon and the beaches suffered from severe erosion. The wave machine did such a good job of creating ocean like waves that the manmade beaches could not withstand the force. Another issue was the transportation around the lagoon. The wave machine made it very difficult to operate watercraft in and around the Polynesian docks, specifically the Southern Seas. The Southern Seas was the 100 foot long side steamship used to transport guests from 1971 to 1975. It was incredibly vulnerable to the rolling waves coming off of Beachcomber cove and made it difficult for the captains to navigate the area. There were also reports that the wave machine machinery failed often, and the wave machine could only run for a few hours at a time.
I grew up in the 1950s and 60s in San Diego. I still remember seeing the dredging operations. As they were dredging they dug up all the oil, petroleum and other waste that had accumulated from the ships that dumped it there and the smell was terrible depending on the wind. i was also in one of the first school trips to visit Sea World when it first opened. The Marines used that area when it was still a swamp to train. You could see them occasionally from the highway and my Dad, who was in the Navy, would always laugh and point at the Swamp Turkeys when we drove by. Thanks for your videos as they always bring back memories of the years my brother and I lived in San Diego as boys.
I've lived in San Diego for most of my adult life. I worked at Sea World from 1990 to 2009 and never knew there was an East Ski Island. I also didn't know what West Ski Island was called, just remember seeing it from Ski Beach when we had bonfires there. Thanks for making this video.
Born there in 1949... I lived in Mission Beach in the 60s. I remember swimming in the bay and thinking how yucky, mucky the bottom was. It freaked me out, so mostly, I crossed MB Blvd and did my swimming in the ocean. I used to live on San Jose Pl for $100/mo. Boy... are those days gone!
In about 1967, my parents bought a 16 foot boat with a 100 horsepower outboard. We learned how to waterski, and we landed on both ski islands at times to take a break. People were allowed on the islands back then. The West island was the larger of the two, and it was solid all the way across. When the bay was being dredged in the winter, one place they would pump the sand was the ski islands, Fiesta island was the other. Once I jumped out of the boat at East Ski island, and I landed on a broken beer bottle, cutting my right foot.
Stepping on a broken bottle is always my biggest fear at the beach. Makes me cringe just thinking about it! I was really surprised that we didn't see anyone water skiing while we were out there.
@@SidetrackAdventures I know what you mean. We had beached the boat on the sand, but it was still in the water. I couldn't see the broken bottle in the water, and I landed on it. The other thing that has happened to me on the beach is stepping on a lit cigarette in the dry sand. Thanks for the great video.
Great video. We have lived in San Diego since 1988, and always love Mission Bay. For those who have never been, the boating, water skiing, kayaking, jet skiing of course, are all easily accessible. Also, boating events like Thunderboats; and even concerts by the Bay. There is waterfront shopping and great seaside restaurants. We are so fortunate to live here!
Here's another odd island that's a part of the US that people don't think about: Wake Island. It even has its own unofficial flag that was designed in 1976 for the US Bicentennial by Filipino workers on the island. What if I were to tell you that this random island in middle of the Pacific was the ORIGINAL San Francisco? Wake Island derives its name from British sea captain Samuel Wake, who rediscovered the atoll in 1796. However, the first Europeans to discover the island were the SPANISH by Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira! He saw the island on October 2, 1568, the eve of the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, so he named it San Francisco. The more famous San Francisco in California on the other hand wasn't named as such until JUNE 1776!
Again, Steve, really appreciate the video, as always. As a graduate of Mission Bay High School back in the mid-70s, this one was of particular interest to me as I'd never noticed the islands of the bay much, either. Hit some strong nostalgia with the videos of the sidewalks I use to run for high school sports and such. I also worked a spell at Mission Bay Campland...don't know if that's still the name of the campgroup out behind my high school. As I sit up here in Washington State on a chilling fall day I can feel some of the warm of a San Diego day. As a history buff, I also found the old map of Mission Bay really informative and it gave me a greater appreciation for the changes that were made. Thanks for the info and memories.
i live in san diego now and it’s really weird living in such a popular place. i’ve sat on the beach in the beginning on the video and it makes me get the chills. only been a year and i’ve seen so many people talk about things i live only miles from.
I've lived in San Diego my whole life, and even grew up across the street on crown point drive in the early 90's and never knew any of this.. hadn't even realized that the little island I saw growing up had since changed into that shape.. I appreciate your content, thank you
Great video Steve! I lived a block from the bay and always wondered about that island. It never made any sense to me so thanks for the history lesson. San Diego is so full of interesting history. I must say that I laughed when you started to try and sail your way there on that "boat" lol. I was like there's no way he's gonna make it on that thing!
How much did that “boat” cost? Were you paddling against the wind and/or the tide? Getting rescued by an island girl is nice. 😁. Did she take you to the luau at the Catamaran?
Growing up in the '50s I remember the stench from the swamp that was to become Mission Bay. When it finally got finished we lived in Clairemont (near Genesse/Balboa) and I could hear the jet boats on Saturday morning ripping up the water. GRRRRRRRRRRRRR the engines roared and I loved listening to them. My dad always said that it was Frank Curren that was responsible for getting Mission Bay approved/completed. Don't know if that's true or not.
I'm not sure on Frank Curren. It's possible he was involved in it. Everything was already underway a few years before he was elected to the city council but he could have been involved before that.
“Rescued!” Great laugh! I have not been on Mission Bay for forty years. I had no idea that the two ski islands had changed. Your maps and drone footage showed me the bay as I have never seen it. What a fun video!
Some more factoids about the bay and surrounding area for anyone interested: The eastern part of the bay used to be called Duckville, which had a shanty town erected above it with its own mayor and was used by the male population of San Diego for duck hunting, boozing, and any other activities that would not be socially acceptable in town. Duckville and its mayor got washed out to sea in the great flood of 1916, and was never rebuilt thereafter. Southward you'll find what are today the SPAWAR buildings (the big buildings along the i5-South with the jagged roofs). Those used to be the old Consolidated Aircraft factory that built the PBY Catalina flying boats during WW2. The flying boats would be built at the plant, then taxied across what is now San Diego International and into the waters of San Diego bay using concrete ramps. The ramps are still visible today at the neighboring coast guard station and on North Island. After the war, Consolidated Aircraft merged with Vultee aircraft to form Convair. Convair produced aircraft, rockets, cruise missiles, you name it.. Due to San Diego's lax regulations and willingness to turn a blind eye at the time, all of the industrial waste from Convair's manufacturing was stored in steel barrels and buried under Anna street (now Sea World Drive), which runs along the southern edge of Mission Bay. If you drive along Sea World Drive today, you'll notice that the street seems to sink in certain spots. This is due to the decay and collapse of the barrels stored underneath. I believe Ramada Inn tried to build a hotel next to Sea World once and was denied permits due to the existence of the industrial waste. I also vaguely remember a story about an accident that occurred while dredging Mission Bay related to the toxic waste - apparently one of the barges used for dredging managed to hit a pocket of the toxic waste, causing immediate severe illness to the crew.
As a SD native, this video was so fascinating. I always loved the islands in mission bay and i can’t believe i never heard of this one! Keep up the good work!
Hi Steve! Love watching all your videos. I spent years skiing around those islands, and we were always reminded by Harbor Patrol not to set-foot on the islands. Thanks for taking us there for another view!
I just found your channel. I love San Diego, but live in Mississippi. I come out every 2-3 months. I'm loving your videos to find new stuff to check out. Looking forward to my trip in October.
I laughed out loud when you got tired because when I was about 12 I tried to swim out to it thinking it was going to be easy. It was waaaay harder than it looked.
Word of warning; ALWAYS wear a life jacket in ANY body of water. I was kinda fearful of that little, Mickey Mouse inflatable toy balloon out in that bay. I'm so glad you abandoned, friend. Great video, as usual, Steve! Greetings, from warm and tropical Glasgow, Scotland!
When we first moved to SD, we lived in Claremont, my Stepfather retired from sea world, we would fly kits. In Mission bay. Later we moved to San tee , thanks for your documentaries
That rescue misson was heoric yo say the least. As usual, great narrating and to the point...almost . ..and you got your virgin jetski trip. Great channel. No fuss, no clickbait. Keep it that way, please.
Not sure how this ended up in my recommended videos, but I checked it out and found it very interesting. I've been to Mission Bay many times and never heard of the Ski Islands.
Have you ever thought about trekking out to the one island in the Mission Beach area that has what looks like a small Statue of Liberty on it? I have always wondered about taking a jet ski or small boat out to that island, just to Check it out, if I’m allowed to.
That is so sad that the city got rid of one island and put cement blocks around the other one! They were fun places to go! And yes, you needed a boat. I saw these changes on google earth recently and couldn’t believe my eyes. Thank you for the update!
Lol. No it’s not. That raft was for kids. Can you imagine getting on that boat and trying to go to that island that almost look like a sandbar. Coast Guard have get somebody because they got swept out to sea. Stuff like that.
Enjoy your videos, Steve! I was raised in San Diego, and now retired in Arizona. Learning lots of interesting things about both places thru your videos! Humorous, well-photographed and well-researched!
Exactly why I clicked on this SD native and although I didn't go tooling around the bay on a yacht, I was at Misson Bay, Misson Beach, La Jolla ALL the time and never knew about this!
I love and am a native 40yr old of San Diego. Had no idea the islands were there! .... You're videos are great! And well narrated. I went and got them up w my seadoos and it's no where near shallow enough to cause damage! get back out there ....
Man I've lived in San Diego for 10 years and I've been over to the island several times. It's a great place to park when you're Jetskiing and want to take a break. Just cruise over to Seaforth Boat Rentals and get a ski over there and have a blast going out to the island. There's also a bunch of baby crabs that hang out inside the holes of the blocks during certain times of the season.
We live about 3 miles from there and have gone out on the bay relatively frequently over the past 50 years or so. I saw as they refurbish that island. We've got a jet boat, so it wouldn't affect us, but there used to be a fairly large area of shallow water around both of those islands. Not good for propellers or sailboat keels. The East island was pretty much right in the way of the normal course around the bay for waterskiing is probably why they took it out. And until a couple years ago, you could land your boat on that island even after they fixed it.
Another great video STEVE! Love your adventures and so proud of all that you do. Bring the beauty of our wonderful state to light in a time with so much negativity especially towards our state. BTW, congrats on the acquisition of Juan Soto and Bell. Born in L.A a natural Dodger fan who bleeds blue. I'm excited at the competition and the excitement the team has brought to the beautiful city of San Diego. Place is rockin and fun to watch. Although 12 games behind, should still make for interesting games coming up and terribly exciting for you guys in the wild card game (you ain't winning the division 😝) ✌️ Keep up the content, love it! Oh, and lastly, how's about a video from the wooden bridge in Anza Borrego. Always wanted to go there and a history of what gaslamp looked like prior to the revitalization. The jail where Cheesecake Factory is looks interesting too
@@SidetrackAdventures To think of all the players they had at one point in time together. Incredible The wooden bridge in Anza is called the "goat canyon trestle" looks incredible Balboa park is really neat Point Loma and Cabrillo National Monument is really cool too We can't forget the Food brother! Perhaps some of your favorite spots or where the locals go! Old town, little Italy, Belmont Park, Coronado, etc....again, not that you need it, but trying to help with some ideas. I love what you do and always look forward to new videos! Cheers 🍻
I wonder when it got closed off and became only for birds? Around the late 2000s-early 2010s a family friend had a boat we'd sometimes take out here and just spend the day on this island, we always called it Horseshoe island and would play horseshoes on it lol. Lots of fond memories here, there would never be more than 2 other boats out there. The little beach on it had really gross feeling sand though, extremely slimey, freaked me out as a kid.
This was a Great Video Steve. I had no idea that was even there considering I lived in San Diego 65 years. I have a picture in about 1956 of my Dad holding me at Mission Bay they used to allow you to drive down on the sand.
Great video!!! Love that area and have spent a lot of time there and didn't know about this little island. I'm so glad they took the time to protect it. Also, I saw that you rented the jetski from the rental place at Campland. Let's hope San Diegans push to keep Campland alive and not turn it into Condos. Thanks for the great video. Love your videos!!
Thank you for the excellent video! Super interesting. And you answered a debate my friend and I had because I knew that it wasn't always crescent shaped and he was sure they made it like that to begin with.
Dear Sidetrack Steve, You should have had your wife break a bottle of champagne on the bow and christened your rubber boat, SS Minnow. Be careful going out into Mission Bay for a 3 hour tour! I never knew West Sky Island was out there? Your travel videos are just wonderful! 😀⛵️🏝
@@SidetrackAdventures Yes it would, just a figure of speech... a funny? 🙂🤣 I think you know that all boats and ships are christened with a bottle of champagne? 🤔🚢🛳 Anchors aweigh Steve! 🙂
mission bay is one of my top 3 favorite places in the world. i've gone with friends, family and friends and family. giant slices of pizza at luigi's and carne asada fries at roberto''s were traditions for 20+ years and i've also been there alone when my life was falling down around me all emo, borderline catatonic and it was still awesome. i miss cane's! so many good shows. thursday, poison the well, team sleep, GZA. and shoutout to the very cool guy who owns TAANG records!
I grew up in San Diego in the late 70's....Never knew they had names, however I do remember a party on Fiesta Island one Jan. when we carried a bunch of dead Christmas trees out to a sandbar (now I am guessing that was East Ski Island) set them on fire and had a bonfire you could feel the heat from on Fiesta.....lol
Oh man, I had major flashbacks being about 7 years old with my brother and babysitter paddling on an inflatable raft in mission bay in the 90’s. You’re a brave man.
I'm now subscribed Steve. For 20 years nearly every Sunday morning my Father and I would walk or boat on MB and he would tell me Stories of when it was a marsh called False Bay and was primarily used for duck hunting etc.
That's really cool. I was at the south end of the San Diego Bay a couple weeks ago and saw the marsh down there at the wildlife refuge and can imagine that's what Mission Bay looked like.
Hey, Steve! Nice to know your name!! Awesome video - loved your adventure with the raft!! Glad you were rescued! I think it was definitely an elaborate plan to go jet skiing!!
Hey Steve! Another great video...seagull attack and you in the little raft were the best Lol. Been out to Mission Bay many times but never noticed that island. BTW, I guess you and your Padres can say bye bye to Hosmer
Cool video! I lived in SD for about 5 years (all over the city and different parts of the county) and never knew about West Ski Island. Thanks for the info, and I'll be sure to steer clear of that inflatable boat 🤣
This is Totes Island. My grandfather who has lived in PB and La Jolla his whole life "since 1951' " took me here starting back in the 90s. Why people started calling it West Ski Island is besides me.
Hi Steve ! This was quite the workout today...Thanks for all you do to show us ALL this great content ! Always a fun, informative watch.. cheers from Detroit 🇺🇲 P.s... R.I.P. Vin Scully. My Dodgers voice when I lived out there in Solana Beach.
This video makes me wanna go back so bad...my grandparents lived there when I was a child and would go visit every summer...its been well over 20 years since I last been there. And I'm struggling to fully remember my visits to sea world and the zoo, only few core moments...I need to go relive that lol
I've always thought it was odd that the bottom of Mission Bay is mostly just featureless sand with some eel grass, but now it makes sense considering that the whole area was dredged up to create it. Maybe more sea life will spread over time! :) Super interesting video, thanks for looking into all this!
Nicely done! Fun to see your adventurous side attempting in a kiddy raft. Then your smart choice to go jetski. Really appreciate your efforts to take us on your quest.
San Diego Native, 3rd generation and I too, had no idea the island(s) were there. However, my excuse, I'm a Belmont Park kid so our beach house was on the bay side, Bonita Cove and we'd walk over to the ocean side and to the Park. I wasn't exposed to the area you showed in your video and to be honest I still don't truly understand where it is other than knowing where the ILS tower is on the island for Lindberg Filed. Ha, YES, it's Lindbergh Field NOT SD international Airport!!! Just like it's The San Diego Wild Animal Park or The Del Mar Fair or The Price Club, etc. This how I remember San Diego is America's Finest City!!!!
This was a surprise to me. I had a dog walking biz for 10 years, and I have walked around Fiesta Island (or, as I call it, Fester island) about a thousand times. I never noticed this island.
@@unabrazoatodoslosbuenos Yup. My client's dogs, and half the other dogs in San Diego. I used to take dogs to Dusty Rhodes dog park 3 days a week, and each time I would go in with dozens of bags and pick up after 100 dogs. I'd come back two days later and start all over again--it was like Sisyphus, or maybe more like Hercules in the Aegean Stables...
I paddle board out there alot. It's tricky with wind and currents. It can be tough to navigate with wind against you. It's a great workout. They rent boards so I don't have to haul mine everytime. It's wonderful!
I once tried to swim across Mission Bay. I underestimated how hard the current would be, and started to struggle. I turned around, and was pretty sure I might not make it back to shore when I was rescued by a dog, a black lab swam out to me, I grabbed ahold of his collar and he pulled me back to shore. My friends had fallen asleep on the beach and had no idea what i was doing. Dumb move on my part, but that dog saved my life. When we got back to shore, it took off and I never knew where he came from.
For those thinking it's easy with current: watch the paris olympics open water swimming and see when they turn from downstream to upstream and get jetted downstream several meters on the turn. Those are the best swimers in the world, everyone else would be far, far, far more downstream when they got around to turning.
Steve!
When you said you had to be rescued, and you panned the camera over to your wife standing in the water holding your raft, I blew the drink l was drinking out my nose!
FUNNY!!!
Seriously, thank you for all your videos, and especially your presentation.
You keep on shooting, and I'll keep on watching!
RV
I was born in San Diego in 1959. My family would rent a cabin in Mission Bay with another family (friends). It had a concrete floor in the living room with a drain in the center. For over a decade we would spend all summer there in the 60s. My sister and I ran free. "Here's a dollar. See you at dinner." when I was only 6. Different world... I don't remember there being an island. I do remember that I couldn't stand the feeling of the grass in the sand near the shore. My mom would have to float me out on a raft until we were past it. Picky kid! We spent more time on the ocean side. Thank you for the into and the memories.
I've lived in San Diego over 50 years, and I never knew about this place. This is a fascinating video. Also, you are a great video host. I learned a lot from this video and I really enjoyed watching it.
Thank you very much!
@@SidetrackAdventures this place is a joke lol
@@billybobbob3003
What do you mean?
man made shit sucks
It used to be known as Totes island by locals. Maybe you just heard of it by its other Historic name.
“I’m being rescued right now!” 🤣
Very interesting and entertaining. A friend and I rented a 16 foot Snipe sailboat on Mission Bay back in the late 1970s. We had a wonderful time sailing, beached the boat on West Ski Island and had our lunch on the beach there. It was very relaxing. Thanks for posting this video!
Oh wow. I bet that was really nice.
Much better use of the place if you ask me, forget the dang birds!
Bet it was hard lifting the centerboard High enough to get it in shallow ..
@@lifeinpalawan I don't remember it being an issue. IIRC the Snipe centerboard swivels up. It's not a dagger board. I've sailed my 15' SeaSpray Cat into water about 18 inches deep in southern San Diego Bay. That got kind of scary. There were turtles.
@@CaliforniaEBRDude maybe so as we had daggerboard way back in late 60s. Ciao
My Grama used to bring us here every Wednesday (those were our half days at school). She'd swim out to that island with us, such good memories from the 70's. Love and miss my Gram.
You find the coolest things to research Steve... most people wouldn't care about some tiny island but this is what sets you apart from other channels. Thank you for protecting the seagull and thank you Mrs. Steve for your lifesaving efforts 😊
Thank you, I appreciate it. if not for her save I'd be drifting somewhere in the Pacific right now haha
Oh, that seagull didn't need protecting. San Diego seagulls are some tough buggers, they'll pick a fight with a Boeing. 😉
@@deandupont5503 ....And lose. But give 'em credit for picking the fight.
@@deandupont5503 Seagulls were always on my shit list, but take one trip to the Farallon Islands and you'll want to shoot every last one of them. This is the last avian on the planet that deserves protection.
Seagull encounter, history and power sports! This one has it all! AND… it’s darn nice to meet you, Steve, a couple years in.
Thanks!
Lived in SD 37 years, never knew about these little islands, i also never knew that mission bay is the biggest "manmade aquatic park" pretty cool! Love learning more about our awesome city. Great job BTW on the video and hosting .
Reminds me of the weird Beachcombers Island that Disney World created for recreational activities too, for a wave machine for surfing! When the Polynesian Resort was being constructed, the Vice President of Park Operations (Dick Nunis) came up with the idea of adding surfing as a recreational activity for guests, since Disney wanted to be able to compete with the miles and miles of existing Floridian beaches, and they believed outdoor recreation was the key! They knew they had to build it before the Seven Seas Lagoon was filled, a cove area would have to be carved out, and the costs of building WDW were already extremely high, but he wouldn't take no for an answer and with help from WED and Roy O. Disney, he secured the funds.
The wave machine had three problems that Disney did not expect. The main thing was the Seven Seas Lagoon and the beaches suffered from severe erosion. The wave machine did such a good job of creating ocean like waves that the manmade beaches could not withstand the force. Another issue was the transportation around the lagoon. The wave machine made it very difficult to operate watercraft in and around the Polynesian docks, specifically the Southern Seas. The Southern Seas was the 100 foot long side steamship used to transport guests from 1971 to 1975. It was incredibly vulnerable to the rolling waves coming off of Beachcomber cove and made it difficult for the captains to navigate the area. There were also reports that the wave machine machinery failed often, and the wave machine could only run for a few hours at a time.
I had many fun times on Mission Bay and Fiesta Island back in the 1970s and 1980s. Thanks for bringing back those memories.
I grew up in the 1950s and 60s in San Diego. I still remember seeing the dredging operations. As they were dredging they dug up all the oil, petroleum and other waste that had accumulated from the ships that dumped it there and the smell was terrible depending on the wind. i was also in one of the first school trips to visit Sea World when it first opened. The Marines used that area when it was still a swamp to train. You could see them occasionally from the highway and my Dad, who was in the Navy, would always laugh and point at the Swamp Turkeys when we drove by. Thanks for your videos as they always bring back memories of the years my brother and I lived in San Diego as boys.
The orange raft was hilarious.
Hopefully I can find another use for it coming up.
I've lived in San Diego for most of my adult life. I worked at Sea World from 1990 to 2009 and never knew there was an East Ski Island. I also didn't know what West Ski Island was called, just remember seeing it from Ski Beach when we had bonfires there. Thanks for making this video.
I've seen it, I just didn't realize it had a name. How can you miss it??
You must’ve known Bruce Stephens!
FREE TILLY
Born there in 1949... I lived in Mission Beach in the 60s. I remember swimming in the bay and thinking how yucky, mucky the bottom was. It freaked me out, so mostly, I crossed MB Blvd and did my swimming in the ocean. I used to live on San Jose Pl for $100/mo. Boy... are those days gone!
Still seeking the truth? Would be happy to show you the way, Kinky😉
In 1971 I rented an apartment by Balboa for $70 a month.
If you Google West Ski Island the first thing that comes up is this very video. Congratulations Steve!! I love, love, love your channel!
In about 1967, my parents bought a 16 foot boat with a 100 horsepower outboard. We learned how to waterski, and we landed on both ski islands at times to take a break. People were allowed on the islands back then. The West island was the larger of the two, and it was solid all the way across. When the bay was being dredged in the winter, one place they would pump the sand was the ski islands, Fiesta island was the other. Once I jumped out of the boat at East Ski island, and I landed on a broken beer bottle, cutting my right foot.
Stepping on a broken bottle is always my biggest fear at the beach. Makes me cringe just thinking about it! I was really surprised that we didn't see anyone water skiing while we were out there.
@@SidetrackAdventures I know what you mean. We had beached the boat on the sand, but it was still in the water. I couldn't see the broken bottle in the water, and I landed on it. The other thing that has happened to me on the beach is stepping on a lit cigarette in the dry sand. Thanks for the great video.
Great video. We have lived in San Diego since 1988, and always love Mission Bay. For those who have never been, the boating, water skiing, kayaking, jet skiing of course, are all easily accessible. Also, boating events like Thunderboats; and even concerts by the Bay. There is waterfront shopping and great seaside restaurants. We are so fortunate to live here!
Here's another odd island that's a part of the US that people don't think about: Wake Island. It even has its own unofficial flag that was designed in 1976 for the US Bicentennial by Filipino workers on the island. What if I were to tell you that this random island in middle of the Pacific was the ORIGINAL San Francisco? Wake Island derives its name from British sea captain Samuel Wake, who rediscovered the atoll in 1796. However, the first Europeans to discover the island were the SPANISH by Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira! He saw the island on October 2, 1568, the eve of the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, so he named it San Francisco. The more famous San Francisco in California on the other hand wasn't named as such until JUNE 1776!
thanks kim jong-un
Wake and Midway have one thing in common. Step off the concrete and you step on a spent round.
Tartaria and Atlanta is no myth!
My father was a SeaBee cook on Wake in WWII.
Again, Steve, really appreciate the video, as always. As a graduate of Mission Bay High School back in the mid-70s, this one was of particular interest to me as I'd never noticed the islands of the bay much, either. Hit some strong nostalgia with the videos of the sidewalks I use to run for high school sports and such. I also worked a spell at Mission Bay Campland...don't know if that's still the name of the campgroup out behind my high school. As I sit up here in Washington State on a chilling fall day I can feel some of the warm of a San Diego day. As a history buff, I also found the old map of Mission Bay really informative and it gave me a greater appreciation for the changes that were made. Thanks for the info and memories.
i live in san diego now and it’s really weird living in such a popular place. i’ve sat on the beach in the beginning on the video and it makes me get the chills. only been a year and i’ve seen so many people talk about things i live only miles from.
Yep. It's gone to sh#+.
I've lived in San Diego my whole life, and even grew up across the street on crown point drive in the early 90's and never knew any of this.. hadn't even realized that the little island I saw growing up had since changed into that shape.. I appreciate your content, thank you
Great video Steve! I lived a block from the bay and always wondered about that island. It never made any sense to me so thanks for the history lesson. San Diego is so full of interesting history. I must say that I laughed when you started to try and sail your way there on that "boat" lol. I was like there's no way he's gonna make it on that thing!
Thank you. Hopefully I can find another use for the boat.
How much did that “boat” cost? Were you paddling against the wind and/or the tide? Getting rescued by an island girl is nice. 😁. Did she take you to the luau at the Catamaran?
@@Andrew-13579
$24.95 + tax.
Your raft experience was hilarious. Thanks for the chuckles.
No problem. Glad you enjoyed it.
I went by this island a while back and was curious about it. Your attempt to cross in a kids inflatable boat had me cracking up! Thanks for sharing!
He's not from seafaring stock.
🤦♂️I can't believe he tried to get there on that little boat. 🤣
That was a nice interesting video. 👍
Growing up in the '50s I remember the stench from the swamp that was to become Mission Bay. When it finally got finished we lived in Clairemont (near Genesse/Balboa) and
I could hear the jet boats on Saturday morning ripping up the water. GRRRRRRRRRRRRR the engines roared and I loved listening to them. My dad always said that it was
Frank Curren that was responsible for getting Mission Bay approved/completed. Don't know if that's true or not.
I'm not sure on Frank Curren. It's possible he was involved in it. Everything was already underway a few years before he was elected to the city council but he could have been involved before that.
Merlins and Allison 12 cylinder beasts. Ahhh, those were the days.... 😄
I lived on Clairemont Dr in 2011-2012...I semi miss California
I was born there in 55 moved when I was 10 , we lived in Clairemont on Hidalgo ave. on the dead end.
“Rescued!” Great laugh!
I have not been on Mission Bay for forty years. I had no idea that the two ski islands had changed.
Your maps and drone footage showed me the bay as I have never seen it.
What a fun video!
Thank you.
Some more factoids about the bay and surrounding area for anyone interested: The eastern part of the bay used to be called Duckville, which had a shanty town erected above it with its own mayor and was used by the male population of San Diego for duck hunting, boozing, and any other activities that would not be socially acceptable in town. Duckville and its mayor got washed out to sea in the great flood of 1916, and was never rebuilt thereafter. Southward you'll find what are today the SPAWAR buildings (the big buildings along the i5-South with the jagged roofs). Those used to be the old Consolidated Aircraft factory that built the PBY Catalina flying boats during WW2. The flying boats would be built at the plant, then taxied across what is now San Diego International and into the waters of San Diego bay using concrete ramps. The ramps are still visible today at the neighboring coast guard station and on North Island. After the war, Consolidated Aircraft merged with Vultee aircraft to form Convair. Convair produced aircraft, rockets, cruise missiles, you name it.. Due to San Diego's lax regulations and willingness to turn a blind eye at the time, all of the industrial waste from Convair's manufacturing was stored in steel barrels and buried under Anna street (now Sea World Drive), which runs along the southern edge of Mission Bay. If you drive along Sea World Drive today, you'll notice that the street seems to sink in certain spots. This is due to the decay and collapse of the barrels stored underneath. I believe Ramada Inn tried to build a hotel next to Sea World once and was denied permits due to the existence of the industrial waste. I also vaguely remember a story about an accident that occurred while dredging Mission Bay related to the toxic waste - apparently one of the barges used for dredging managed to hit a pocket of the toxic waste, causing immediate severe illness to the crew.
I met a guy who told me about it…scary….yea he’s currently building a big hotel,etc.
Steve!!! 🤘🏻😊🤘🏻 Your videos are rad!! Thanks for making them!!
Glad you like them!
As a SD native, this video was so fascinating. I always loved the islands in mission bay and i can’t believe i never heard of this one! Keep up the good work!
I was born and raised in SD I only moved 5 yrs ago I never knew about this island. Wow Thank you so much.
Hi Steve! Love watching all your videos. I spent years skiing around those islands, and we were always reminded by Harbor Patrol not to set-foot on the islands. Thanks for taking us there for another view!
That particular island was open last year.
It's the submarine island and the one by the Hilton that have been closed for years.
I don't know why. It's an awful Island.
I just found your channel. I love San Diego, but live in Mississippi. I come out every 2-3 months. I'm loving your videos to find new stuff to check out. Looking forward to my trip in October.
This is so awesome Steve, I’m from Clairemont SD and have always wondered about the little crescent island with the concrete blocks
Very interesting! I've grew up coming to Mission Bay and was always curious about the little island!!
I laughed out loud when you got tired because when I was about 12 I tried to swim out to it thinking it was going to be easy. It was waaaay harder than it looked.
Lived in Mission Beach for a short stint..., little sketchy but San Diego is an absolute Pearl. Mahalo
Word of warning; ALWAYS wear a life jacket in ANY body of water. I was kinda fearful of that little, Mickey Mouse inflatable toy balloon out in that bay. I'm so glad you abandoned, friend.
Great video, as usual, Steve!
Greetings, from warm and tropical Glasgow, Scotland!
I don't normally laugh during your videos. But, this was fun to watch. You are certainly tenacious, my friend.
What up Steve!! I'm watching from NH and appreciate all the cool places I visit with you!! Keep up the adventures brother!!
Thanks! Will do!
Great content! Love all the info to my city!
I used to roller blade around the bay every morning. Glorious location. Absolutely my favorite place to live.
Wow, I also grew up here and never heard or knew of this island much less the history behind it. Thank you, Steve, for the edumication.😎
My pleasure!
Something else to investigate: the NOSC Tower, off shore from Dog Beach.
Heard that's a great place to scuba dive.
When we first moved to SD, we lived in Claremont, my Stepfather retired from sea world, we would fly kits. In Mission bay. Later we moved to San tee , thanks for your documentaries
Cool video Steve, San Diego native, frequent Mission Bay, never knew about East or West Key Island, keep up the great videos, thanks!
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it!
I'm a native San Diegan. I've gone water skiing out there a few times, and I don't remember it either!
Yeah, its really strange! I couldn't believe it when I saw it on the map.
That rescue misson was heoric yo say the least. As usual, great narrating and to the point...almost . ..and you got your virgin jetski trip. Great channel. No fuss, no clickbait. Keep it that way, please.
Not sure how this ended up in my recommended videos, but I checked it out and found it very interesting. I've been to Mission Bay many times and never heard of the Ski Islands.
Awesome video! Looking forward to your next adventure!
I’ve lived in Pacifc Beach almost 7yrs and had no clue this existed 😅
Thank you. We appreciate it.
Have you ever thought about trekking out to the one island in the Mission Beach area that has what looks like a small Statue of Liberty on it? I have always wondered about taking a jet ski or small boat out to that island, just to Check it out, if I’m allowed to.
That is so sad that the city got rid of one island and put cement blocks around the other one! They were fun places to go! And yes, you needed a boat. I saw these changes on google earth recently and couldn’t believe my eyes. Thank you for the update!
Lol. No it’s not. That raft was for kids. Can you imagine getting on that boat and trying to go to that island that almost look like a sandbar. Coast Guard have get somebody because they got swept out to sea. Stuff like that.
Enjoy your videos, Steve! I was raised in San Diego, and now retired in Arizona. Learning lots of interesting things about both places thru your videos! Humorous, well-photographed and well-researched!
they were always on the thomas guide maps, that one has caved in since the 1980'a, back when we used to swim out to them from fiesta island.
That's quite a swim from Fiesta Island, at least in the current setup.
Exactly why I clicked on this SD native and although I didn't go tooling around the bay on a yacht, I was at Misson Bay, Misson Beach, La Jolla ALL the time and never knew about this!
I love and am a native 40yr old of San Diego. Had no idea the islands were there! .... You're videos are great! And well narrated. I went and got them up w my seadoos and it's no where near shallow enough to cause damage! get back out there ....
The safety video scared me off from getting too close!
“Since it’s his home and I don’t want to cause him any trouble I’m going to bring the drone in” you are so respectful 😊🥹
Man I've lived in San Diego for 10 years and I've been over to the island several times. It's a great place to park when you're Jetskiing and want to take a break. Just cruise over to Seaforth Boat Rentals and get a ski over there and have a blast going out to the island. There's also a bunch of baby crabs that hang out inside the holes of the blocks during certain times of the season.
We live about 3 miles from there and have gone out on the bay relatively frequently over the past 50 years or so. I saw as they refurbish that island. We've got a jet boat, so it wouldn't affect us, but there used to be a fairly large area of shallow water around both of those islands. Not good for propellers or sailboat keels. The East island was pretty much right in the way of the normal course around the bay for waterskiing is probably why they took it out. And until a couple years ago, you could land your boat on that island even after they fixed it.
Another great video STEVE! Love your adventures and so proud of all that you do. Bring the beauty of our wonderful state to light in a time with so much negativity especially towards our state.
BTW, congrats on the acquisition of Juan Soto and Bell. Born in L.A a natural Dodger fan who bleeds blue. I'm excited at the competition and the excitement the team has brought to the beautiful city of San Diego. Place is rockin and fun to watch. Although 12 games behind, should still make for interesting games coming up and terribly exciting for you guys in the wild card game (you ain't winning the division 😝) ✌️
Keep up the content, love it! Oh, and lastly, how's about a video from the wooden bridge in Anza Borrego. Always wanted to go there and a history of what gaslamp looked like prior to the revitalization. The jail where Cheesecake Factory is looks interesting too
Thank you. Yes, I'm excited about the trades. Who would have thought a year ago the Nationals would ever trade Soto. Its crazy.
@@SidetrackAdventures To think of all the players they had at one point in time together. Incredible
The wooden bridge in Anza is called the "goat canyon trestle" looks incredible
Balboa park is really neat
Point Loma and Cabrillo National Monument is really cool too
We can't forget the Food brother! Perhaps some of your favorite spots or where the locals go!
Old town, little Italy, Belmont Park, Coronado, etc....again, not that you need it, but trying to help with some ideas. I love what you do and always look forward to new videos! Cheers 🍻
I wonder when it got closed off and became only for birds? Around the late 2000s-early 2010s a family friend had a boat we'd sometimes take out here and just spend the day on this island, we always called it Horseshoe island and would play horseshoes on it lol. Lots of fond memories here, there would never be more than 2 other boats out there. The little beach on it had really gross feeling sand though, extremely slimey, freaked me out as a kid.
This was a Great Video Steve. I had no idea that was even there considering I lived in San Diego 65 years. I have a picture in about 1956 of my Dad holding me at Mission Bay they used to allow you to drive down on the sand.
Thanks Steve for showing us West Key island up close.
Peaceful guitar background....perfect
Hi Steve.
Hello!
when I was a kid in the 50s that was just a shallow spot and we could walk there at low tide.
Great video!!! Love that area and have spent a lot of time there and didn't know about this little island. I'm so glad they took the time to protect it. Also, I saw that you rented the jetski from the rental place at Campland. Let's hope San Diegans push to keep Campland alive and not turn it into Condos.
Thanks for the great video. Love your videos!!
Right near crown point!
Yeah! That's where I filmed everything but the jet ski stuff from.
@@SidetrackAdventures I went walking there a couple weeks back and saw a ton of dead fish on the west shore lol
Again, I enjoyed another one of your videos. Thank you.
Thanks!
Thank you! We really appreciate it.
I'm paddling in the dragon boat races this September at Mission Bay! We race next to the Hilton!
Thank you for the excellent video! Super interesting. And you answered a debate my friend and I had because I knew that it wasn't always crescent shaped and he was sure they made it like that to begin with.
Your a very brave soul. Glad you stayed safe.
I really appreciate your interesting content, good humor, and care about wildlife (the seagull).
Dear Sidetrack Steve, You should have had your wife break a bottle of champagne on the bow and christened your rubber boat, SS Minnow. Be careful going out into Mission Bay for a 3 hour tour! I never knew West Sky Island was out there? Your travel videos are just wonderful! 😀⛵️🏝
The bottle might have broken the boat!
@@SidetrackAdventures Yes it would, just a figure of speech... a funny? 🙂🤣 I think you know that all boats and ships are christened with a bottle of champagne? 🤔🚢🛳 Anchors aweigh Steve! 🙂
mission bay is one of my top 3 favorite places in the world. i've gone with friends, family and friends and family. giant slices of pizza at luigi's and carne asada fries at roberto''s were traditions for 20+ years and i've also been there alone when my life was falling down around me all emo, borderline catatonic and it was still awesome. i miss cane's! so many good shows. thursday, poison the well, team sleep, GZA. and shoutout to the very cool guy who owns TAANG records!
Love love love what you do
What a great life! Like the mix of history, geography and adventure
I grew up in San Diego in the late 70's....Never knew they had names, however I do remember a party on Fiesta Island one Jan. when we carried a bunch of dead Christmas trees out to a sandbar (now I am guessing that was East Ski Island) set them on fire and had a bonfire you could feel the heat from on Fiesta.....lol
Oh man, I had major flashbacks being about 7 years old with my brother and babysitter paddling on an inflatable raft in mission bay in the 90’s. You’re a brave man.
I'm now subscribed Steve. For 20 years nearly every Sunday morning my Father and I would walk or boat on MB and he would tell me Stories of when it was a marsh called False Bay and was primarily used for duck hunting etc.
That's really cool. I was at the south end of the San Diego Bay a couple weeks ago and saw the marsh down there at the wildlife refuge and can imagine that's what Mission Bay looked like.
Hey, Steve! Nice to know your name!! Awesome video - loved your adventure with the raft!! Glad you were rescued! I think it was definitely an elaborate plan to go jet skiing!!
Thanks! I only wished I planned better and actually wore a bathing suit. Took me forever to dry after. haha
The inflatable boat part was funny as hell. Great video, I just moved to SD.
Hey Steve! Another great video...seagull attack and you in the little raft were the best Lol. Been out to Mission Bay many times but never noticed that island. BTW, I guess you and your Padres can say bye bye to Hosmer
Bye Hosmer and hello Soto!
Cool video! I lived in SD for about 5 years (all over the city and different parts of the county) and never knew about West Ski Island. Thanks for the info, and I'll be sure to steer clear of that inflatable boat 🤣
This is Totes Island. My grandfather who has lived in PB and La Jolla his whole life "since 1951' " took me here starting back in the 90s.
Why people started calling it West Ski Island is besides me.
I got to go into San Diego bay one Xmas, on a sail boat!! I will never forget it...
Thanks Steve. Fellow SD native, and I've never heard of this island. Great information.
That was very funny when you couldn't get out to the island cuz you were tired I can totally relate
Hi Steve ! This was quite the workout today...Thanks for all you do to show us ALL this great content ! Always a fun, informative watch.. cheers from Detroit 🇺🇲
P.s... R.I.P. Vin Scully. My Dodgers voice when I lived out there in Solana Beach.
Thank you. I was super bummed to find out about Vin. Even though I am a Padres fan, I'm a huge fan of baseball as a whole and loved listening to him.
whenever i go to the bay i always swim towards that island! it’s super fun with friends!
This video makes me wanna go back so bad...my grandparents lived there when I was a child and would go visit every summer...its been well over 20 years since I last been there. And I'm struggling to fully remember my visits to sea world and the zoo, only few core moments...I need to go relive that lol
I've always thought it was odd that the bottom of Mission Bay is mostly just featureless sand with some eel grass, but now it makes sense considering that the whole area was dredged up to create it. Maybe more sea life will spread over time! :) Super interesting video, thanks for looking into all this!
Nicely done! Fun to see your adventurous side attempting in a kiddy raft. Then your smart choice to go jetski. Really appreciate your efforts to take us on your quest.
Glad the ticket writers didn't catch him without a life vest on board. Got a 150.00 ticket for it up around Susanville a few years back..
San Diego Native, 3rd generation and I too, had no idea the island(s) were there. However, my excuse, I'm a Belmont Park kid so our beach house was on the bay side, Bonita Cove and we'd walk over to the ocean side and to the Park. I wasn't exposed to the area you showed in your video and to be honest I still don't truly understand where it is other than knowing where the ILS tower is on the island for Lindberg Filed. Ha, YES, it's Lindbergh Field NOT SD international Airport!!! Just like it's The San Diego Wild Animal Park or The Del Mar Fair or The Price Club, etc. This how I remember San Diego is America's Finest City!!!!
Yes, I'm training my kid to call it the Del Mar Fair even... The island is right off Crown Point if that helps you pinpoint where it's at.
This video put a smile on my face...
That is so interesting! I too, lived in San Diego all my life and I never knew of this. Thank you!
This was a surprise to me. I had a dog walking biz for 10 years, and I have walked around Fiesta Island (or, as I call it, Fester island) about a thousand times. I never noticed this island.
Yes, when I drove out to Crown Point the first thing i thought was how did I never notice this.
Lol same been living out here for 20 years and ive never noticed that island
You were too buzy picking up doggy dodo.
@@unabrazoatodoslosbuenos Yup. My client's dogs, and half the other dogs in San Diego. I used to take dogs to Dusty Rhodes dog park 3 days a week, and each time I would go in with dozens of bags and pick up after 100 dogs. I'd come back two days later and start all over again--it was like Sisyphus, or maybe more like Hercules in the Aegean Stables...
@@TheRealDrJoey Or Atlas 😉
I paddle board out there alot. It's tricky with wind and currents. It can be tough to navigate with wind against you. It's a great workout. They rent boards so I don't have to haul mine everytime.
It's wonderful!