The Peconic Puffin Windsurfing Blog

There Be Whales Here!

Saturday the plan was to SUP with Jeff at Ponquogue, but the annual Dance of the Documents to get a parking pass was a bust…I had everything needed for previous years but not this year.   As I protested I got a text from Jeff:

There’s a pod of whales off shore. Come quick.

This was the crushing blow. Not only was I not going to get to SUP this day, but I was missing an opportunity to see whales.   I’ve never seen a whale in my life, and I’ve tried! Whale watching boat rides for me have been a bust, and I’ve learned to keep quiet about this bucket list item of mine, because my luck has always been so bad.   I’m a loser baby.

Sunday afternoon Sally wanted to go to an ocean beach, so we drove over to Flying Point and set up near the water.   I’m not the biggest beach enthusiast…I see enough of them windsurfing!...but I thought MAYBE whales will come by again, despite my ridiculous luck.   There we were in our beach chairs, the wife reading a book while I scanned the waters.   And it looked like there was a school of fish out there!   I could see them occasionally jump, and I thought “they’re probably running from bluefish” but I double secretly thought “maybe these are the bunker that the whales have shown up to eat”.     I sat there like an eight year old staring at the spot where I saw the school of fish…perhaps 200 yards out…and mentioned it to Sally, when suddenly a blessed whale breached right in the middle of them. It was wonderful!   On the beach we could hear gasps in all directions, and people walked down to the water to look.   The whale was gone for 20 seconds, then we got a spout of water out of its blow hole, then it breached again, a bigger jump.

The beach cheered.

A sucker for applause, the whale gave us one more breach before it was time to go elsewhere to eat fish.   A day later and I’m still lit up!

(Photo:   A whale at Ponquogue on Saturday.   Pic by Jeff Schultz)

Drowning Doesn't Look Like Drowning

"There is very little splashing, no waving, and no yelling or calls for help of any kind. "

So how do you know someone is in trouble?   We waterpeople need to stay on top of this.  We aren't doing our thing in swimming pools or public beaches with lifeguards keeping an eye on us.  We depend on ourselves and each other.   When someone is down in the water...no matter how good a sailor or surfer we know them to be...we need to be mindful of this.    What are the signs?  All of this from an excellent article on what to look for:

• Head low in the water, mouth at water level
• Head tilted back with mouth open
• Eyes glassy and empty, unable to focus
• Eyes closed
• Hair over forehead or eyes
• Not using legs—vertical
• Hyperventilating or gasping
• Trying to swim in a particular direction but not making headway
• Trying to roll over on the back
• Appear to be climbing an invisible ladder

Read Slate's article yourself:  Drowning Doesn't Look Like Drowning.

Best Sustainable Windsurfing Gear You Absolutely Need

It was in 1987 when the landmark Our Common Future was released. In it, the concept of sustainable development was put forth, and defined as follows: "Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” This means using renewable fuel sources, reducing carbon emissions, protecting environments, and finding other ways to keep the planet's delicate ecosystems thriving and in balance. 

So, you might be thinking, where does a humble windsurfer come into play? Well, for starters, you can heed the suggestions above, including finding other ways to protect the environment, too. One easy way is to use sustainable windsurfing gear. In doing so, you get to enjoy the sport and save the planet in the process.

LiP Watersports Sunglasses

The recently reviewed LiP Watersports Sunglasses are arguably the best of their kind, with both the Typhoon and the Surge delivering in terms of performance. But what makes them sustainable is their durability. This means that if you do get a pair, they will last you a very long time. (Image credit:  LiP)

 

Patagonia’s Yulex Wetsuits 

Sea Maven Magazine's ultimate list of sustainable surf gear notes that traditional neoprene wetsuits are made from oil-based, non-renewable rubber. So they are energy intensive, non-biodegradable, and rarely long-lasting. But the new-age Yulex wetsuits from California-based Patagonia break that mold.

These wetsuits are made from a plant-based rubber called — yes, Yulex — and are flexible and warm — much like rubber-made ones. The difference is that the Yulex wetsuits, aside from costing a little more, are sustainable, extremely durable, and can actually last a very long time. (Image credit:  Pinterest)

Starboard Windsurfing Ecoboards

Starboard has been making top-notch surfboards for what seems like an eternity. Now, they are making exquisite, sustainable eco boards using their Carbon Balsa technology. For a sport so dependent on nature, very little has been done in windsurfing to reduce the environmental cost of its equipment. So, Svein Rasmussen’s company is leading the charge with their Starboard eco-boards through the reduction of plastics and use of environmentally friendly materials. The company is making boards that make use of end grain Balsa, which is one of the world's fastest growing trees, rather than PVCs. Meanwhile, the board's fins are made from renewable materials sourced from castor bean plants. Additionally, Starboard is even planting one mangrove tree for every board they sell. (Image credit:  Pinterest)

Deep Blue Bags by Mafia Bags

These Yves Béhar-designed bags are made from sustainably sourced, upcycled materials such as wetsuits and climbing ropes. They are Sustainable Surf approved, and packed with technical features, like wet and dry pouches, an integrated bottle holder made from repurposed dry suits, and a stash pocket. They even come with a lifetime warranty. Plus, every purchase helps local artisans in San Francisco, while all the proceeds go to ocean health initiatives, notably the Waste to Waves program.  (Image credit:  Pinterest) 

Casio Surf Watches

Surfer Today notes that a surf watch has become very important because it can provide lots of crucial information to windsurfers. 
Surf watches now allow users to check ocean conditions in real-time. This information is vital to windsurfers, with Coral explaining in an article about the impact of technology on sports, how these days it is all about marginal gains. So by using tracking technology, you can provide relevant information that can be used to improve performance. For windsurfers, understanding key details like tidal movements, dawn/sunset times and wind strength can help with performance. One surf watch that comes highly recommended is the Casio’s G-Shock Frogman GF1000 as it has features that monitor direction, altitude/barometric pressure, temperature, tide graphs, and moon phases. Not to mention, it is solar-powered and extremely durable, so it is also sustainable, as it doesn’t require a replacement battery.  (Image credit:  Pinterest)

Windsurfers spend a lot of time being at one with nature, so you must do your part in saving the environment. Using the aforementioned gear is certainly a solid move in the right direction. 

Reason to Hate Mike Burns #512: The Shuv-it Spock

I hate Mike Burns.  The number of things he can do on a windsurfing board that I can't is greater than the number of things I can do with one, period.   These days he's living down in Hatteras (reason to hate him #483) with Chrissy and the kids, and he's recently posted a video of him throwing a Shuv-it Spock, which he describes on Facebook as "one of my favorites. Very technical and difficult to pull off."   Yeah no kidding.   Apparently his new board (a Psycho) is facilitating this.  For me (who still can't hit a duck tack) it's worse than when he learned how to leopard loop. 

One more reason to hate Mike Burns.   He's so good.

(Video:  There he is, doing his thing at a recent session at Canadian Hole.   Catch up with Mike on the water and he'll give you tips on just about anything Windsurfing!)

 

 

 

OG Puffin Sighting: Jace Panebianco

A blast from Peconic Puffin past!   Ran into Jace Panebianco, who the world knows as director of The Windsurfing Movie, but who old school Puffins know as that great kid who works at the windsurfing shop, circa 1993!   When this thing was a three page printed newsletter Jace was often in it.   In town from Hawaii he's been foiling on the Little Peconic, but I ran into him in the seafood store.   Jace remains very tall...in the pic he is bending down, and I am standing on my toes!  Great to see Jace!