Usually when planning a session at Sebonac Inlet (primo in west winds) you aim to arrive at mid tide ebbing, when the reef goes off and the wind against tide ramps are stellar. But that wasn't the concern today.
"We gotta jump on it right away!" (Scott on the phone out east.)
"I can't get there for two hours. What's the rush?" (Me on the phone, leaving Manhattan.)
"Have you seen the forecast? When the winds come in full we're gonna get blown off the water!" (Scott.)
Damn.
When I arrived (near high tide and still rising) I found 4.5 conditions, and was told I'd just missed the liquid smoke. Joining Scott, Jeff, Frank, Mr. vanderWolf and Jon Ford on the water, there was a surprising number of fine ramps to fly from, though scattered and difficult to predict. "One hit wonders," Jonathan dubbed them. The jumping was good, the honking wind was warmish (45 degrees) and the water was frickin' cold (38.5 according to Peconic Jeff's thermometer.)
The winds built over time (3.8-4.2 sails in the afternoon) and it started to get cold. Jimi Sobeck arrived and was sailing way overpowered ("my smallest sail is a 4.2!" and Joe Natalie showed up and got half a run in before a gust wiped him out mid-jibe, torquing a shoulder.
By the time the tide finally started going out, I was toast and a few of the guys were leaving, though Jeff, Frank and the Wolf remained to work the reef for as long as they could.
"We should have started later," Scott said as we left.
Probably. But we had a ripping good time anyway!
(So what did the lucky few who stayed get when the tide got low? Peconic Jeff emailed me: "The waves kept getting better and better, with some nice 3-4 ft ramps, lined up with a good 15-20 ft of smooth water in between. And ramps were everywhere!")
I have to rank thursday as my all time best february session, what with the warm temps and 3.6 wind, it was one for the record books. friday wasn't to shabby either!
Posted by: george markopoulos | February 13, 2009 at 08:25 PM