c'mon down to the Houston/Galveston area - closer than Padre. We have a couple of good venues for ocean sailing - Bermuda Beach on Galveston Island (surf launch), and the Texas City Dike which offers easy access to the Gulf via the Galveston channel without having to launch into the surf.

If you are headed this way when the weather warms up then check out http://texascitydike.com where a bunch of Houston/Galveston sailors hang out when they aren't at the beach.

Chris.