The Peconic Puffin Windsurfing Blog

Return to SUPsurfing! Ponquogue rewards

I hadn't been in the ocean since October 1.  So the first time I fell off the board, wobbling like a newbie on flat water, the smell of salt water and sunblock going up my nose...it made me happy.  Peconic Jeff and I launched just west of Ponquogue (where the new good break is) to play with long friendly waves, 5-7 feet generously spaced.   No dues to pay unless you kooked (which of course...)   About five surfers, two guys in kayaks, Jeff, me, and an unknown SUPper had it all to ourselves.   I caught a 6-foot color-by-number wave that gave me a long playful right that I handled much better than I had any right to expect or deserve.   Note to the wave gods:   I ask for nothing bigger or better.  More of those will do fine, please.

A Thanksgiving wave!

As confidence built I began late dropping into the biggest waves.  A glorious left (Jeff later queried "what the heck were you thinking") led me to try it again.   I was promptly dropped seven feet into crunchville, and then trolled like a cheap fishing lure underwater for awhile, spinning and spinning until I managed to get up for air, a teense shaken.   I needed that lesson twice before I stopped kooking.

Jeff had a fine day too, so fine that half an hour after we agreed to take the next wave in, he was still charging it.

Windsurfing Resumes! Sebonac (what's left of it) Goes Off

The mighty Mike Burns posted on Facebook Saturday, noting that the solid WNW blow was going to make the day the first windsurfing day for lots of Long Islanders since Sandy.  Count me in!  Scott was cackling in the text-message-sphere to get to Sebonac tout suite.  I arrived to find Bill, Scott, and the Wolf surveying the wind and rubble, and there was some talk of 4.7's (I went 4.5 on 77 liters, the Wolf 4.2).

I hadn't had a session with the Chimp/Puffin collective since October 1.  Oh man was it suite!   While conditions weren't primo Sebonac

("there are very few ramps" said Michael.

 "whaddayamean there are ramps all over didn't you see my three jumps" said Scott.

 "it's not ideal" said the Wolf

 "shut up and sail" said Bill.)

it was great to be out there.   Soon we were joined by Jan, Bruce, and John Natalie.   There was the occasional jumpalicious ramp.  Also the occasional floating log.  And the glare inbound made some new buoys more than a little interesting to blast by.   I actually tried sailing with skiing goggles (no photo...Jeff was not there) but while they helped with the glare, I blew every jibe I attempted wearing them.  No view is THAT good...

It's hard to say if the bottom was affected much by Hurricane Sandy or the big nor'easter than came a week later.  The lack of ramps while I was there might have simply been bad timing (my forte).  It's not hard to say if Sebonac Inlet Road was affected.  The east side as you approach the tip were clearly munched at, and the end of the road is busted up...railings gone, and big hole in the asphalt.  But as long as the town doesn't block access to the end, Sebonac Inlet should remain a top choice (unless Meschutt sets up!)  

And hey I'm not complaining about Sebonac.  After I don't know how many weeks of dealing with Sandy damage (and Peconic Puffin World Headquarters got off easy) it was magnificent to lean out, sheet in, and try to remember how to windsurf.

(Top:  Scott and the Wolf contemplate the shredliness of the Great Peconic.  Bottom:  Don't drive to the end...the railing is gone, and there be a hole before it.)

 

Big Nor'easter: Is this really necessary?

Wed

NE winds 25 to 30 kt with gusts up to 40 kt...increasing to 30 to 35 kt with gusts up to 60 kt in the afternoon. Seas 4 to 7 ft. Rain. Vsby 1 to 3 nm.

Storm aftermath

I didn't get a single run out of this thing.  On Facebook last week I posted "Old Plan:  Catch spectacular windsurfing conditions.  New Plan:  Board up house.  While the house didn't need boarding up (the storm surge stopped rising 1" short of our living room) the crawlspace filled with six feet of salt water.  The list of new things we need (furnace, duct work) is growing.  But we're not complaining.  No damage to the first or second floor.  Nothing like the disasters that people in Queens and Staten Island and New Jersey had.   We sat in the dark in downtown Manhattan, but were blocks away from the flooded streets and damaged buildings that others suffered.   We are fortunate and grateful!

Cupsogue did get the new inlet Scott was warning about.   I've often complained about the 4WD requirement to get to the Cupsogue break...now it will take a boat.  (Thanks Jeff for the link!)