Ponquoging On A Sunday Afternoon

"We're at Ponquogue, the waves are beautiful and I'm rigging a 5.2.  Where are you?"  (Jeff on the phone).

"I'm an idiot...I'll be there in 30 minutes." (Me.)

With a forecast of east winds we all had Ponquogue on the brain.   And who cares about a little rain when those leisurely, powerful but friendly Ponquogue waves start rolling?   We had quite the turnout, even drawing Mike Burns from the middle of Long Island, who came in search of fat ramps for looping (he found them.)   Also on the waves:   Fisherman, Bruce, Bill, Frank, John Natalie, Jeff, Chris, the Wolf, Scott and Jonathan.

All the best waves were headed into a cut out section of beach to the west that was a bit of a wind hole.  More than a bit...barring a gust it was purgatory (someone dubbed it "the turkey bowl.") 

 I spent plenty of time swimming in said bowl waiting for the elusive gust.   Occasionally a gust would come, but the higher percentage move was to walk your gear 100 yards up the beach and launch in the wind.   Of course an even higher percentage move was to not get near the wind hole in the first place, but it's hard to give up on a good wave.

Around 3PM the wind backed a bit to the north, and with the offshore winds getting holey and the beach break getting serious, it was time to call it a day.   A fine Sunday!

(Photos by Jeff:  On the outside, the editor gets a little air.  On the inside, three guys follow the waves into the windless zone.)

Comments

[Bunty]

Looks like you had a terrific time. Nice waves.

[CD]

Some great sailing by all the chimps, nothing like a good ocean session with my friends, more to come....20-30 kts west/s/w!! maybea the CUP on Tuesday?

[Peconic Jeff]

What a day - those few peak moments carving a bottom turn into a cutback, or anticipating a massive port jump off of head-high waves, made all the suffering (ie, fluky up/down winds, constricting drysuit, cold east wind, pelting rain, sweeping current and mid-tide shore break) totally WORTH IT!!

Nice to see a dozen sailors getting in the action, including (I had to stop and rub my eyes): Mike Burns! Juiced after a Hatteras Cove session, he wanted MORE! Ponquogue was less than ideal, but Mike managed to several top/bottom turns on several wave rides, and one MASSIVE forward loop that he almost over-rotated. We need more stoke like this at our eastern beaches!

My photos (& grainy video) from this day: Ponquogue - Nov. 30th, 2008 - a set on Flickr (or see it as a slideshow)