The Peconic Puffin Windsurfing Blog

Scott's Not Shovelin' No Mo

"I'm not shoveling any more," Scott rages against this endless winter.   Me I think if it was blowing 4.7 he wouldn't be complaining.  He'd be rigging!

New Kidge On The Block

Nukage indeed. Swiped the title from an almost line by Philly on Peconic Jeff's FB page.  Look (and listen) to Sebonac go off, with gusts to 50.

(video by Peconic Jeff. Wind readings from the Mecox meter from iWindsurf.)

Overhead Waves, Sunday SUP

The Wolf decided not to launch, and I could see why.  "Head-high short period waves"...bam bam bam bam...made getting out at Ponquogue difficult.   Stand in thigh high water getting pounded, waiting for a break between the sets, then sprint like a crazy person.  Required a couple tries to make it, but soon I had joined Joe, Tomas and Jeff on the outside.  Took me several minutes to catch my breath after that.  "Don't ride the waves far...you don't want to have to fight your way back out," Joe advised.  Count me in, Joe!

The 5-6 foot sets came frequently...pick one, go left or right.  Bigger sets came maybe once every twenty minutes or so, and if you weren't another twenty-thirty yards out to catch them, they cleaned you out.  One to two feet overhead, well shaped but fortunately (for the fallen) not overly powerful.  I caught two of the big waves, and got caught by about five of them.   Helmets were the call, both for head protection and to keep hoods on (the water is cold.  Ice cream headache cold.  Note to Lord Scotworth:  gloves required!)

I've been moaning about not getting ocean time for months now.  It was good to get out there! Looking forward to session next.

(Top:  Tomas contemplates the wave gauntlet.  Bottom:  Joe tears it up.  Photos by Jeff Schultz.)

A Taste At the Bowl, and a Puffin Siting.

I missed it (of course I missed it...there were waves.  Story of my life these days...) but the Wolf, Scott, and Jeff were out on 5.3's at the Bowl Wednesday.  "Sailed big boards from 2:30 - 3:30. Wind was due E to slightly ESE, and gusty. We alternated from nicely-powered to slogging. Bowl was mostly flat, except for a small outer sandbar that would jack up a head-high wave out of nowhere. Caught a couple giant airs and even a few short wave rides. Good sesh, sunny and smiling."

Don't you like how Jeff cuts to the chase?   Then yesterday some of the guys caught more action at Sebonac Inlet.

One day I'll have a proper full-on windsurfing session again.  I know...I just got back from Bonaire, but as Scott would say "I neeeeeeeed it!"

Switching topics to a different kind of Puffin, Scott says he saw some puffins a few weeks ago.  This is great news...I haven't seen any puffins in the area in about three years, and I worry that whatever they eat (sand eels) are no longer around.   I'll be looking for puffins at my next Sebonac sesh...this is the time to catch a glimpse of them.

(Jeff was too busy catching those occasional waves to snap many photos, but here's one he took of Scott on the inside at the Bowl.)

Southampton Heliport Wind Meter

Southampton Heliport wind meter.  What else do you need to know?  The link, perhaps:

Southampton Heliport wind meter.

Where ist?   Just east of the eastern jetty at the Shinnecock Inlet.  Just = a click, 2/3 mile.  Look at the Long Island Windsurfing Map.  The map shows the ocean launch...for the helipad just look at the road...the pad is clearly visible just across it, with a big "H" marker.  That's where the meter is.

How often is it updated?  It looks like every 15-20 minutes or so.

Why does Peconic Jeff care?   Because the Shinnecock meter works so rarely that we don't even bother to check, extrapolating ocean winds from iWindsurf's Mecox meter is tricky, and despite Scott's great enthusiasm, the meters to the west are not always portents of western winds to come, and for east winds fugedabada.

Why care about what P-Jeff cares about?   He's as enthusiastic a windsurfer as can be found in Greater Peconica (not to mention a weather geek) so if he cares about it (and you're an area windsurfer) then you should probably take some interest.

Even as I post this Sir Jeff is heading to the Bowl, where Chimply Lord Scotworth (the Earl of Kielt) is already chirping about the wind.  Perhaps Lord vanderWolf is heading there too.  When we learn of their exploits we'll post, correlating sail sizes to the Heliport (helipad etc) wind readings. 

I Love A Good Snow Sesh...

Too bad I didn't get one this winter (not that there still isn't hope...we can get snow through early April!)  But down Delaware way George Markopoulos has been sailing through the white stuff.  Love the photo above, posted on his Facebook page.  

(Top:  If the snow was much deeper George could sail across the top of it.  Bottom:  Skippers meeting at Ponquogue from a few years ago...I love those sessions!  Photo by Jeff Schultz.)

Whining at Webbies

“These are the worst conditions we’ve every sailed here….EVER,” Scott proclaimed.

Oh good.  I’d never windsurfed Webbies, so when Scott made the call I jumped in the van and started driving.  Scott and the Wolf were already there, rigging 4.7’s.  Christian was also en route to have his maiden Webbies sesh.  Webbies, AKA Belleview Park, is on Moriches Bay in Center Moriches.  To be sailed on southerlies.

Arrived.  Scott was tearing it up on a 4.7 so I rigged 4.5. Christian was already there rigging a 5.0, and the Wolf was putting the finishing touches on his 4.7.  By the time the rest of us got our gear to the water a big lull came through, so we eschewed our smallest boards in favor of larger rides (that's right...I said eschewed.)

Gust lull gust lull gust lull gust lull...but hey in the gusts I was ripping (and could have used the 77 instead of the 93 I was on.)   For the Great Shlog Back at the end I was thankful for the extra 16 liters.

First to wimp out was The Wolf.  The rest of us stuck it out, and soon were rewarded with five great minutes.   Then Christian went all girlie whirlie whilst Scott watched me shlog.   

It's true that by normal standards it was le crap session, but it had been a couple weeks since returning from Bonaire and it felt great to hook in and fly.   UnBonaire-like was the water, which was frickin cold.  I wore a 5/3 and a hood and gloves.  Scott said "you don't need gloves" but I'll bet he was wearing gloves when he said that.  In the water my hands chilled quickly, inside gloves.  Maybe I'm just another whining wimp.

Still, I was glad to see Webbies.  I don't imagine I'll be sailing there much (it's a long drive for me...Tiana or Mecox or the North Fork are better choices on southerlies for this puffin) but for the occasional situation I may well return.

You can find Webbies, Tiana, Mecox, and a whole lotta other launches on the Long Island Windsurfing Map.

(Photo:  Happily suited up in the van.  I like windsurfing!)

I love that sweet blue water...

I just got these photos from the great Jimmy Rivera (documentary of many Long Island windsurfing events, and recurring water friend in Bonaire).   All week during our trip we never saw Jimmy shooting on the water when we were sailing, so no pix.  Then on Saturday (get in a quick morning session before running to the airport) there he was, so we buzzed him a few time, and were rewarded.  Thanks Jimmy!  BTW if you've never been to Bonaire, understand that Jimmy is not shooting from a platform or a ladder...he is simply standing in the thigh-deep crystal-clear water.  Bonaire is so very very nice and easy!