The Peconic Puffin Windsurfing Blog

Warm(ish) and Blowing Big

Another Spring day, another blazing session at Sebonac Inlet.  Scott, Frank, Jeremy, the Wolf, David, Jonathan and I all starting out on 4.2's and 4.7's.    Conditions when from rain to sun (which killed the wind for 30 minutes) to intermittent dark clouds, and then it really started to blow!   When I came in I needed a 4.2, but within ten minutes it was 3.4 out there or windier.   Mighty Frank himself needed a 3.7!   But the water is warming while the winds keep blowing...soon gloves will be left behind in the van.

(Photo:   The Wolf coming in after being crazy overpowered.)

Spring is Back!

3.7's and 4.2's were the call at Sebonac, as a small crowd including Scott, the Wolf, Frank, Artie and company were making the most of some big west winds.  Sand was blowing off the beach in the gusts, air temps high 30's water temps about the same. 
The previous week we talked about going gloveless but that was a fantasy borne of warmer air...the water is still Chilly.

Me I tweaked my elbow after a couple runs...off to the orthopod for what I hope is no more than a cortisone injection.   Meanwhile Frank took his customary three hour run, whilst everybody else sailed like mortals.   Need to fix my elbow and get back out there!

(Top:  View from the board.   Bottom:  Scott directing traffic.)

Saturday is Looking Good for Windsurfing

That's right, windsurfing.  You wanna fly a kite in 40 knot gusts that's your business.   Thus spake NOAA:

Sat

W winds 25 to 30 kt with gusts up to 40 kt. Seas 8 to 11 ft.

 

West means Sebonac, my friends.   If the forecast holds, look there for the Greater Puffin & Wind Chimp Collective.  Let the Spring Season begin!!

Two Blessed Runs Are Better Than Nothing

I hadn't sailed in four months.   Every day that I coulda woulda shoulda I was nowhere near.    Then pure luck...driving east to take care of some homeowner shit the phone lights up.  It's Scott..."4.7 at Sebonac...come join The Wolf and me!"   Instant change of plans...

Arrived an hour later.  Sunny, beautiful, whitecaps.  The Wolf was already packing it up...he'd been sailing for hours.   But Scott agreed to stay a bit longer.  And of course Frank was there, which meant Frank was sailing (and sailing and sailing).  I remembered how to rig, got into my wetsuit, beachstarted at the freshly dredged shoreline (my right foot stood on dry sand...the nose of my board in the water had five feet of water beneath).  I launched.

OH GOD WINDSURFING FEELS SO GOOD SOO GOOOOOD.   The pleasure spread through my arms and back and legs.    Reached for about 300 yards and then jibed to make the long starboard reach into deeper water...when the wind died.  No no no.  Shlogged back.

"It'll come back" Frank said.

"I've only got twenty minutes" I said.  This was true.  I really did need to be somewhere else.

Ten minutes later the wind came back.  It was a repeat of the first launch.  Plane out in joy, shlog back.

Still, I felt good.  Much better than when I had arrived.  The 2019 season has begun for me, however briefly!

Shark Humor

via @thelifeofsharks