Shelter Island Boat Launch Ramp

Great location. The Shelter Island Boat Launch Ramp is one of 4 public launch ramps on San Diego Bay. It’s the closest ramp to the open seas which is about 3 miles away. The ramp has 10 concrete lanes and big parking lot. There are also restrooms, picnic areas and fire pits. The bait barges are nearby and open 24 hours a day.

Great location in good old San Diego.
One of the nicest cities there are and its a great place to go boating of any kind.

Launch jet skies several times in the past with no issues, however; launching and retrieving a boat can be a nightmare. The place is WAY too small for the sheer volume of boaters. It get’s especially dangerous because so many aggressive and inexperience boaters that are using this spot. I will think twice before using this facilities on the weekends again.
There are people gather there with popcorn in hand just to watch the sheer chaos.

My father and I have been using this launch ramp forever. It is a little tight at low tide but still manageable for almost any boat on a trailer.

I used this ramp many, many times. It is free, well maintained, and there is ample parking for trailers. The frequent patrol by the harbor police is a plus and they do a great job at preventing thefts. Open water access is close as well as a fuel dock and bait receiver.

I have used this ramp several times. It is crowded any you have to put up with some slow rude people sometimes, but it has the easiest access and largest area to park of any marina in the harbor. Just be curtious and be prepared to launch your boat BEFORE you approach the ramp. Don’t be a ramp hog. Plus once you are launched and loaded, get out of the staging area since it does get crowded and has limited dock space.

Ok, so admittedly, I have not used this ramp yet, mainly because it is always so busy, but I have come here a number of times to observe. Before I bought my first boat, I came here to watch other people launch and retrieve their boats in hopes of learning from their mistakes. Boy, what a laugh! I’ve seen people do some pretty funny/​stupid things.
This is probably San Diego’s busiest ramp mainly used by fisherman due to it’s close proximity to the ocean. There’s a 10-​lane ramp with 2 docks, but the basin is pretty small and gets crowded. Unless you live nearby, it’s probably a bit of a hassle to get to from any major freeways.