The Peconic Puffin Windsurfing Blog

West Meadow Sunset

Monday afternoon West Meadow went off.   Jeff Usher took this shot of George Pav getting his final run after a great 4.7 session.

Ludicrous Speed

Usually when a big gust blasts through the surface of the water gets rougher.   Not this time.

We’d been on the water at South Jamesport for a couple hours (Pav, the Wolf, Rob, Artie, the Rat….that’s what he said to call him, Ken, Joe and others) in what for most of us was 5.3ish conditions.  Some lulls, some solid gusts…good.   Artie and I were sailing together outbound when suddenly conditions were full 4.7, while the water stayed flat. We found ourselves sailing sick fast.  “Ludicrous speed” Artie would say later.   I was fully focused on not catching a rail, as I was ****ing FLYING withg just the fin and a little board in the water.  Behind me I could hear Artie howling.   The blast finally backed down, and there were jibes and a return to the beach for me.  Yowza.

It was a beautiful day overall, the big warm southerly and not bad ramps for SJ keeping everyone entertained.  Several noted this might be the last warm session of the year…time to break out the 4/3’s and drysuits to keep us shredding for the next six months.  Count me in!

(Top:  Ken throws some spray.  Bottom:  George Pav freestylin'.   Photos by The Art of Windsurfing.)

Return to East Landing (kinda)

Monday was a holiday (formerly Chris Columbus Day, now Indigenous People Day).  As opposed to the mass turnout we'd had two days earlier, t'was just me, Chimply Lord Scotworth (the Earl of Kielt) and Kurt.   I rigged 5.4 and my 109 cheater board, and planed all over the place while the other guys rigged.  Scott launched, and the wind promptly died.  Oh vell.  Kurt somehow managed to get planing on his 89 liter board and a 4.8.  FOUR EIGHT!   That's efficient.

But the wind soon died and we called it a day.  Scott regretted the drive (longer for him) but I was glad to get some more.  C'est la sesh.

East Landing Chronical

"The Chronicler writes history," Bruce said to me.   That's crazy talk given that I write the blog.   But so be it!

Saturday at East Landing we had quite the turnout.   People I knew (Scott Rob the Wolf Artie Jan Bruce Pav Me) and people I didn't know, many of whom were speaking French.   I would say it was the biggest French speaking turnout at a session in several years quelle magnifique!   I rigged a 5.4, and everyone else rigged their version of same, whilst the wind went up and down, up and down.   

"We caught the best of it" Jan said to me, and she was right...one nicely powered stretch of about 45 minutes when all was lull-less and good.  Folks chose to swap out boards rather than re-rig.  This worked for me...I started out on my 109 but spent most of the sesh on Ye Olde 93.

This is my history of Saturday.

SUP Surfing with Dolphins at Ponquogue

I've seen a shark on Long Island.  I've seen a whale breach, and I've seen a whole lot of seals.  But I'd never seen dolphins until today.  SUPping in messy 3-4 foot waves at Ponquogue I was paddling out when ten feet in front of me a dolphin crested riding a wave in.  I started to yell "Yeah!" when a second dolphin did the same.  I was thrilled.

I haven't SUPsurfed in 2+ years.   I did not catch a wave today.   But I'd have traded many waves for the dolphin experience!   Hope to catch some waves soon (and more dolphin sightings!)

On the water SUPping with the following usual suspects:  Peconic Jeff, Christian, Joe Nat, and George Pav SUPsailing.