The Peconic Puffin Windsurfing Blog

That was a weekend!

So good!

Saturday a crowd formed at Sebonac Inlet for 3.7-4.2 conditions.   Partial list of the shredly includes Artie, Christian, Fisherman, Frank, Massimo, Joe N, George Pav, Scott, the Wolf (there were more).  The gusts were nuts.

Sunday the crowd was dispersed at various launches...South Jamesport, Webbies etc.   Massimo and I caught it at Mecox...4.7 conditions and even some ramps.   Fifteen years ago Mass was my regular windsurfing partner, but he took a long golf detour whilst I fell in with the Wind Chimps.  Now Mass is back in the hunt.   More adventures to follow... (Top photo: Artie eyes the sky. Bottom video: Chasing Massimo.)

Rig 4.7, Then...

"I think we should rig 4.7, then pick a board when the wind comes."   Wisdom of Frank

"But there's no wind."   Me.

Me I was thinking of going home.   It was 6PM.  We started at Sebonac, where there was not enough wind but what there was was too northwest for Sebonac.   At Meschutt, Artie, Frank, Scott, Joe Natalie, the Wolf and I were staring at the occasional whitecap.   It was 7.5 conditions, most of these guys Just Say No to 6.0, but the map showed stronger winds to the west.  So the plan was to wait.

The breeze began to pick up.  I was convinced that the wind wouldn't be happening until nearly sunset, and I was supposed to cook dinner!   So I hung out in the parking lot before I looked again at the water and saw Scott and Frank planing.   Rigged the 4.7, put it on a 93 liter board for safety, and had an easy sesh in gentle swell.   5.4 would have been ripping but everyone was on a 4.7 and a follower I shall be this day.

Good fun for an hour, then it backed off.  I went home to cook.  The wind came back up...whoever caught it ripped!

(Top: Springtime, and the duck jibes are easy.  Bottom:  Artie sets a rail.  Pics courtesy Chris Lamia.)

 

South Jamesport Goes Off On East

Now in the fourth month of the warmest winter ever (aka a chilly Spring) we headed north to South Jamesport to sail the easterly.  Normally we'd be at the Bowl, but the forecasted wind strength was prohibitive.   The word was that South Jamesport would be 4.7.

Arrived at SJ to find Pav on a 4.7 and big board, modestly planing.   Scott and the Wolf hadn't brought anything larger than 4.7, so they were sitting and waiting.   Artie and I decided to go for the gusto and rig 5.4ish.

That didn't work.

Well it worked for ten seconds, then the wind came up bigly.   Came back to shore to rig 4.7, but Scott was howling louder than the wind.  "It's 4.2!"   Surely he was wrong...I wasn't THAT overpowered on the 5.4.    Walked down to the beach to remonstrate when a gust blew me backwards.  Okay it's 4.2.

Once we all sorted it out and launched 4.2 there were two things we all noticed.  First:  We could have been on 3.7's.   Second:  Nice ramps out there!   George was throwing shuv-its, Scott was doing his thing, the Wolf was getting some, and I was doing okay (jumping is not my strong suit) when I watched Artie get some air.  I'd never sailed behind him in big chop before.  He makes it look easy...not a lot of work, just a POP and up he goes.   Let me try that...

And I got a foot more air than normal.   Let me try that again...

Two feet more than normal.  I'm going to have to see if this works in lighter wind or smaller chop, but yesterday the smaller effort in front of the ramp trick was a winner.   

The sand was blasting on the beach.   At one point the Wolf was downwind on the beach about 30 feet away tending his rig when SOMEONE (not me) picked up a dead fish and threw it in the air.   Happily it dropped before hitting his wolfliness.

A day later and I'm still sore.  Great sesh!

Three Days

We had a warm winter.   Which one third of the way through Spring is still with us.   Would love to hang up the drysuit, but so far it's still too cold for a wetsuit.

Sunday was at Mecox, with Massimo.   Me on the 5.4, him on the 6.2, nice clean flat water session.  

Tuesday at Webby's with Scott and the Wolf.   4.2 and small boards.  One crazed reach to Cupsogue by the Wolf...Scott and I stopped 3/4 across.  There was concern that the outgoing tide would drag the Wolf to Portugal.  Finally he started sailing our way, so we all sailed back only to have the wind die.  Scott planed all the way home, I shlogged (with a little walking) the last few hundred yards.  The Wolf was nowhere to be seen.  After waiting for 20 minutes for him to appear on the horizon, he finally came planing back triumphant.  Scott said "watch...he'll say there was no problem!"   And so it was.

Wednesday at Sebonac.  4.2 again!   A nice group including Frank, Fisherman, Christian, the Natalies, John Nat, Scott, the Wolf, and someone I'm missing.  Beautiful day, the sand bar was working, plenty of faux waves to ride.  Good times!

Social Distancing at Sebonac Inlet

It was strangely heartening Good Friday, pulling up to park and seeing sailors wearing face masks.   Excellent…we’re serious!   And the sail call was 3.7-4.2…rock and roll.   A great windsurfing day…but how to manage protecting oneself against the coronavirus in 25 mph wind?   Standing 6 feet apart doesn’t mean sh** if someone is downwind of you.

And yet we managed. The sailing was excellent. Following Scott outbound I watched him catch some excellent air, and inspired got my own biggest jump of the year (it wasn’t that big, but there was that blessed extra beat of silence while airborne.)  

The crowd grew and grew (West Meadow and other venues were closed), and after a couple hours I found myself uncomfortable with the number of people there. This sucked, as I liked everyone I knew, and those that I didn’t were of course likely fine (they’re windsurfers!) but I watch and read the news, and think dying on a ventilator is to be avoided.

Can’t wait for the next session though!

On hand for the wind: Artie, Dr. Dan, Dr. Pain, Fisherman, Scott, Sky King Frank, the Wolf, some kiters I didn’t know, and I’m sure I’m missing some.   A good time was had by all.

(Photos by Artie’s wife Chris.   That's Artie airborne inbound.)