The Peconic Puffin Windsurfing Blog

A New Iceman Cometh

"It's going to be a HIGH of 32!" Scott said.  "Fireplace and football!"  Scott was talking about Sunday, but it was still Saturday.  Saturday too late... by the time we got to Sebonac and rigged (5.2-5.7) it was too darn light.  Still, Christian, Jeff and Scott launched.  I had rigged (5.5) but hadn't put on neoprene.  The Wolf watched from his pickup.  What had started as a windy day was now shlogfest conditions, though the three bold ones did score 3.25 reaches before giving up.   The forecast for Sunday was big wind, but it was going to be cold, testing the Long Island Windsurfing Rule of 100.

But Christian was ready to have a go at it!  And despite air temps under freezing, the Rule was met.  Launching on Tiana Bay, the Hale Fellow Christian braved mad gusts (48mph measured at Westhampton Airport) and coldly temps, and did return to shore after his sesh with a sail full of ice.  "I had to come in because the sail got too heavy and unresponsive due to ice build up. Otherwise I was as warm as toast except for the specific exposed section of windward face."  Nice!

I wish I'd gone.  Dang!

*Not familiar with the Windsurfing Rule of 100, or the Long Island Rule of 100?   100 Rules are guidelines for when is it too cold to windsurf.   The garden variety definition states that the water temperature plus the air temperature must total 100 for it to be sailable.  Most people who buy drysuits say "pshaw" at this, and push it down to 90 or lower**.    On Long Island, where any number of year-round windsurfing crazies may be found, we have a more nuanced rule of 100, which states:

Air temperature + water temperature + winds speed + weeks since last session +(if it's sunny out) 5 must total 100.   So for Christian:  30.5 air + 45 water (guestimate...Sebonac was 47 on Saturday) +30 wind speed...we're already at 105, and we haven't counted Christian's windless weeks.  And the sun was out!   The Rule gets interesting when the water in in the high 30's, but as The Wolf says, "if it's sunny and the wind is good, it can be beautiful!"

**Seven years ago Peconic Jeff and I made a point of trying to sail in conditions that would ice the rigs and get the air plus water total as low as possible.   Our record was 66.5.  As I recall the iced sail wasn't as much a problem as the boom being 100% slippery!)

(Top:  Jeff jibes in one of the few Saturday gusts. Middle:  Christian gets it done.  Bottom:  Look closely...there's ice well above the boom.  Nice!  Top photo by the editor, the in-focus photos by Jeff Schultz.)

Andre Paskowski's Last Movie Trailer on Windsport.com

The footage from Andre Paskowski's "Below the Surface" trailer is wonderful (check out the hospital air at ) and Robbie Naish's interview moments...I'd quote them all immediately, except that the film should have its run first.   Can't wait!

Check it out on Windsport's site.

Down The Line

Beautiful.   The photo says we're watching Peter Volwater at Margaret River, down under.  Photo borrowed from Windsurfing Australia's Facebook page, which showcases the photography of Col Leonhardt.

 

If SUP-Sailing at Ponquogue is the Answer, What Is the Question?

As seen on my iPhone this morning:   

I missed the fun this weekend.  I am a sad face.  

:(    

Soon I will unretire an old 5.5 hiding in the back of the barn, to replace my dearly departed 5.3.  Soon.   Then I hope to SUP-sail at Ponquogue.  It's the answer to everything!

Joe's Fins

I have 16 windsurfing fins, but Joe has more.   I love a good fin!

Back in Windsurfing Magazine's heydey they used to publish a checklist of skills that told you whether you were a beginner, novice, intermediate, advanced, expert, or pro-level windsurfer.   One of the things that made you an advanced windsurfer was using different fins to trim your board (I used to torment OG Puffin Steve about this...he was a better sailor than me, but he had a screwdriver allergy.)    I still tweak each of my boards with varying fins at every session, but I rarely see the other guys do this.   In Joe Natalie I've found a fellow fin man.

Peconic/Ponquogue Jeff Style

Here he comes

Walkin' down the beach

Gets the funniest looks from

Everyone one on beam reach...

Hey hey it's a wind chimp!   Specifically it's Ponquogue Jeff (nee Peconic Jeff) walking along Ponquogue proper, and flashing his latest style...that scarf.   Word is it was due to the lack of a hood (next time I'm going to lend him a hood).  Looks great!  I wonder what happens if it gets caught in gear, in the wash.   On perhaps my very first day windsurfing I put my downhaul tool (which was attached to a loop of line) around my neck.  I was immediately advised not to do that.  Jeff is much better than a never ever windsurfed type, but waves is waves.  In any event, he sure looks good!

(Photos by Jonathan Ford)

Everybody Has A Story At Ponquogue

Everybody had a story.

George Pav was on the water first.  The winds weren’t fully on yet, and George had to trade a long walk back (“it was worth it”) for the “head high bombers on the outside” and downwind, but he was rolling up his 5.3 to move on to other business while most of us were still rigging.  “I got two full sessions!” he said, and indeed he did. 

Ponquogue Jeff (we’re field testing the name) was seen carving a radical jibe off of a wave face.  Also he had a good day with the rest of the waves.

Bruce waxed poetic after putting on a lovely display of fancypants wave carvage.  “A watery face rose above me…translucent green as I recall…”

Jan didn’t tell me her story (I think because Bruce swiped her sail.)

Jeremy launched on the sinkiest board at the sesh (“is he standing on the bottom?” more than one onlooked asked) and drifted well downwind, but came back to shore all smiles.

Jonathan tried kiting, but the chop on the water proved irritating to the major ding his ribs took a few weeks ago while mountain biking.  So instead he made himself comfortable in the Wolfmobile and took pictures.  (At press time, the Peconic Puffin is waiting.  Will update ASAP.)

Scott told Bill it was one of the best days at Ponquogue in SW ever.  Bill told Scott he was crazy.  Scott was not crazy about the best plan to get out through the impact zone (walk slightly upwind, bear off and shoot out parallel to the sand bar…worked for me.)  Someone who didn’t try it was

The Wolf, who nevertheless did get out and into the downwind area pioneered earlier by Mr. Pav.  The winds there were  flukey, the current no help, and a Walk did ensue.

John “he only sails when it’s perfect” Natalie’s presence lent some credence to Lord Scotworth’s appraisal, though he said “I’m nuked on the outside but am light on the inside.”

Bill went kiting way on the outside (it looked like he was at the buoy, but Bill says twasn’t so).   Contrary to Scott, Bill thought the conditions were “a mess”.  I countered (seeking the peaceful middle) that it was “busy”.

How’d I do?  Well, Bill predicted disaster in the parking lot, eyeing my trusty 5.3 as the tape that held it together was flapping in the wind.  “One hit by any beach break and that thing is done,” Bill averred.   Truth is I knew the sail wouldn’t be in my quiver in 2014, but hoped to eek out the rest of the season on it.   I took five or six runs of modest but enjoyable performance before fulfilling Bill’s prophecy.   It went like this:

1. Spotted the wave I wanted to come in to shore behind.
2. Had to put on some steam to catch it, as I picked a wave too close to the beach.
3. Barreling in towards the sand I had to sheet out and sink the tail so I wouldn’t go hurtling face first into the sand.
4. Fell off the board when the wave behind me hit.
5. With the mast well under water, I had several long seconds to watch a two-foot dumper rise as the water sucked back.  “Oh well” I thought.
6. Oh well indeed.

So I took in the scene from shore for an hour, until the wind swung offshore and really started honking.  Time to pack it in/toss it in the dumpster.   I shed no tears…it was a good day!

(Photos by Jonathan Ford, except for the wrecked sail, courtesy the editor in chief.)

A New Day? Ponquogue Works In NW

Indecision.  Peconic Jeff to go to Ponquogue "for side-off SUPsailing".  Scott was eyeing the whitecaps at Sebonac Inlet, declaring 4.7 conditions and "you're crazy if you think you can sail the ocean in NW!"  I was torn.  I knew from my one micro wave sesh in Hatteras several years ago that side-off made for sweet wave play, but my very limited side-off experience on Long Island warned me of gustiness and a fickle inside.  What to do?

Scott:  "You think I wouldn't be on the ocean if it was doable?" he asked with righteous indignation.   

Jeff: "We're SUPPOSED to be wavesailing in side off," Jeff responded.

I called Jon Ford.  Jon thought the Peconic was the way to go.

Indecision.

In the end I said to Jeff "you sail Ponquogue, I'll sail Sebonac, we'll compare notes later.  Hopefully Ponquogue works.

It did!  Jeff reports "Ponquogue was a blast. Easy-peazy 2nd grade wave sailing, with knee/thigh waves and the side-off direction we all crave. Caught my first off-the-lip aerial! It was baby-sized air, but it felt great."

This is great news.  I'm sure Jonathan will be able to add some analysis that refines the "Ponquogue works in NW" working theory (maybe there was a teense more W in it than pure NW) , but for now, it's on!   

And we may need to change Peconic Jeff's name to Ponquogue Jeff.

(Photos of P-Jeff by Cindy Sattler.)

Canadian Lake Sailors Are Pansies

Oh no...wait...they absolutely tear it up!    The Canadian Windsurfing page on Facebook recently posted a bunch of photos from Sandbanks Beach in Ontario, where it was gusting to 50 knots.  Go there (Sandbanks, or if that's not feasible, the Facebook page) to check out the action.)  Or check out this post by Fish, who sailed the sesh.  

Down the line lake wave sailing...oh yeah!  (All photos borrowed from Canadian Windsurfing where they are credited to John Vu.   I particularly like the top photo...mast tips barely visible above the waves.   Rock on up there!)

L Road: Best Conditions In A Long, Long Time

Jeff:  "This was probably my best day of the year."

Me:  "This was one of my best days of all time.  Best conditions in three years."

Thank you thank you thank you L Road.   In the last few years I've felt that I was tricked into SUPsurfing by conditions we used to get, but see no longer.  Well-spaced, well formed waves coming in sets you can see from a distance.  Plenty of wave for everyone, all day.   I haven't had anything like this for years...it's all been slop and closeouts.  Okay I'm exaggerating but in the Olde Days of a few years ago it was much better.

Sunday brought it all back.  Jeff, the Wolf and I had L Road to ourselves, as beautiful sets of 4-6 footers (with the occasional 7) came rolling through.    Beautiful long lefts and rights.  Little or no dues to pay.  Nice spaces between the sets to get back out.   And an offshore breeze that held the wave faces up so long you had to wait until you thought they were going to crash on top of you to catch them.   Wonderful.   Jeff was slashing it up on his Starboard Go...he's getting so good on that windsurfing board that "my next SUP board purchase will be informed by the Go."    I don't know how many bottom turn/cutbacks I linked together, but I certainly set a new record for myself yesterday.   And the Wolf had fun too, though he arrived after the best portion of the day.  To cap it all off, Jeff's Aunt Cindy was on shore, snapping photos, which is a treat because usually photos in the Puffin are by Jeff, not of Jeff.   She snapped enough that Jeff was able to stitch together a few video clips.  Here he is, putting the Go through it's SUPsurfing paces:

 

(All imagery courtesy Cindy Sattler.)

 

Getting Wested at Mattituck, and the Big Shutdown

Friday's big SW blow closed out the ocean early.  "Fugedabada," Scott said.  "Onward to New Suffolk!"    But by the time I got there Scott had already taken a look at NS and determined the tide was too high, so Mattituck was the call.   Scott, me, & Marty were the wind dummies...we were out on 4.2-4.5s for about 45 minutes as the wind steadily rose.   Usually the Mattituck launches are for SSW (with the reach towards Robbins Island, side on winds) but with the SW the land was affecting the blow, creating a distinct Outside about 500 yards out that was too windy for me (4.5) and for someone's formerly anchored sailboat (later seen betwixt New Suffolk and Robbins Island).   Soon it was too windy for everyone, everywhere.

Went in to rig the 3.4 (my 4.0 no longer exists) as the Wolf, Jan and Bruce arrived.   I figured I'd bag out the 3.4 (who does such a thing?) and hoped I could make it work (everyone else was rigging 3.7's.)   The wind clocked a teense more west, so now I had to shlog 50 yards to get to decent wind.  

(Shlogging a 77 liter board with a 3.4...good times!)

The decent wind was very decent.  Too very decent...I took off like a shot.  After a couple of runs I needed to unbag and add downhaul.  Windy!   But ten minutes later, standing with Bruce in waist deep water preparing to launch while half the crew was on the bay, the wind shut off completely.  It was a quick two-step:  First it turned west (so it was blocked by the entirety of the North Fork) and then Off.

There is no Bozo Beach in such circumstances.   But a few had to take a Walk.

Within a couple of minutes you couldn't have planed on a 8.0 in the middle of the bay.   It was the most drastic shut down I can ever remember seeing.  And there was nothing going on in the sky (clouds, sun, rain, black helicopters) to attribute it to.

Happily there were waves to come on Sunday. 

Puffin Poetry

Twenty year ago when the Peconic Puffin was a printed weekly newsletter, one of the regular features was "Puffin Poetry"...essentially a quote of the week (when a Puffin had said something worth quoting.)  The attributes that qualified something could be anything wonderful...an elegant statement, a hilarious quip, the heartfelt threatening of young children...anything.   This just in:

"That svelte dragonfly wing was just not fitting with my visual concept of 4 SqM, that's burned into the visual cortex of all us wind-addled seabirds."

-McPhilly, commenting on The Far Side of Napeague.  

Most eloquent puffinspeak, sir!  (I shall probably steal "svelte dragonfly wing" and use it as my own in a future post.  Too good!)