The Peconic Puffin Windsurfing Blog

If 2020 was a jibe attempt...

Windsurfing guru Peter Hart posted the above on Instagram yesterday.   Sounds about right!  Looking forward to a windy and happy 2021.

Christmas Eve Gust Sesh

It was warmish and blowingish from the south, so a few of us showed at South Jamesport to get in some pre-Christmas action (wind was forecasted for Christmas as well, but the consensus was that our spouses would kill us all if we left home to shred on the 25th!)   George Pav, Joe Nat, Rob, Scott, Artie, Fisherman and mois all showed up (Fisherman and Artie didn't rig...saving it for a later attempt at Hart's Cove) and dealt with on-off 5.4 conditions...30 seconds on, 30 seconds off.   30 on, 30 off.   

"This is a terrible direction for the wind here" Scott declared.   But Mattituck (normally good for SSE) was closed.   So we dealt with it.  Can't say it was a great day sailing, but it was good to sail, and gloves were not really needed.   When do we sail next?

(photo of me inbound by Artie)

Cold but Good

When the air gets below 40 degrees, the sun means a lot.

38 degrees at Sebonac.  4.7 conditions for most of us.   The day before had been a 3.7 nuker at Meschutt that I passed on (I don't like 3.7 very much, and pouring rain isn't a fave either in 40 degrees) so I was eager to get out on the water.   Jon Ford, Artie, Christian, Joe Natalie, the Wolf and a kiter were already there when I arrived.  Super low tide and uncharacteristically very few ramps inside.  Also some lulls.  Still I was happy...I'm ALWAY happy hiked out on a 4.7 and 77 liters of joy!

The water was cold, and having misplaced my good pair of winter gloves I was wearing some oldies with holes in them.  Not good (to the shop with me!)   And face dunks were at near ice cream headache levels but not quite.    Fortunately the low tide meant it was standable most everywhere. 

Two hours was enough for me.  I'm sore today!

(Top:  Joe westbound.  Bottom:  The editor shreds east.   Pics by Artie)

Meschutt (Not Symbolic Inlet) Happened on Monday

The texts said we were sailing "Symbolic Inlet".  Methought this was Sebonac mangled by a spell checker, so there I went.

Nobody.

They were at Meschutt. 

The thing about most 4.2 windsurfing is that the water is too choppy to get up to crazy high speed.   But not on the inside at Meschutt.   I went out thinking "I want to have some good jumps" but then next thing I new I was FLYING across flat water, going faster than I cared to for a jump attempt.

So I picked my moments.

So did Jon Ford, Frank, Fisherman, the Wolf and Scott.  I was last to arrive but still had a nice little sesh.  Particularly since it was my 23rd wedding anniversary.   At one point I was talking to Scott in the shallows, explaining that even a short sesh was a get since it was my anniversary.  He agreed.   I said "it's our 23rd anniversary and it's on the 23rd!".

Scott's face fell.  "Today is the 23rd?"

Yes.

November 23rd was Scott's wedding anniversary as well.  Oops!   Well now he at least was able to plan a comeback when he got home.  

New Suffolk Thirteen

When was the last time we had thirteen sailors?  When was the last time we sailed at New Suffolk?  Yesterday was something!   Windsurfers foilers wingers a kiter...it was quite the crowd in the sun and warm air.   Alphabetically as best I can:  Artie, Bruce, Christian, George, Fisherman, Frank, Frank, Jan, Jon, Marty, Scott, the Wolf and your editor were there.   The wind...yes and no.    I was mostly doing fine on a 5.4 and my 109 (a cheater board in these conditions) but generally 6 meters was the best call.   Behind the magic sandbar the water was super flat, disturbed only by the occasional school of bunker beneath the surface.  The mogul side of NS never really went off, so I hung out in the table flat water, messing with duck jibes.    It was good fun in the gusts for those who went out.

(George Pav inbound.  Photo by Artie.)