The Peconic Puffin Windsurfing Blog

The Swap is On...right now!

(word from the shop): The swap is on at Hampton Watersports, but it's taking place in the back shed as rain is expected. People have been dropping off gear for two weeks so there's plenty to pick from. The gear will not be laid out on the ground. Swap is on!

Excellent Foot Straps

Check out the new foot straps on my beloved 109, which desperately needed them.   From Fanatic, they are black on black (tres stylish) comfortable and easy to adjust.    It's been awhile since I've upgraded foot straps on a board (I "upgrade" when the existing straps fall apart LOL) but these are so good I might consider swapping out on my other boards.   They are recommended in this rare equipment review!

Baby Needs a New Pair of Shoes

"Who replaces foot straps" I used to wonder.   During my first 15 years of windsurfing I was a weekend sailor from May-October, and with a good job I tended to replace my boards every five years or so.  I never came close to sailing any of those boards enough to put serious wear on a foot strap.   I'd look at the straps displayed on the wall at Windsurfing Hamptons and wonder about the people who bought them.

That was then.   Now I sail year 'round, and the newest of my boards is eleven years old.   My wonderful JP 109 is NINETEEN years old!  I don't know how many sets of straps have been on it, but the current three are mismatched, one is broken and a second is ready to give up the ghost.   Now my foot strap inserts are starting to fail!   I love the board...nobody makes anything like it anymore (super early planing freestyle but it carves and jibes tight!) so I'll be restrapping it and figuring out the inserts.    I might try using a cable tie as a shim, perhaps accompanied by a wooden toothpick.

 

"Who replaces foot straps" I used to wonder.   During my first 15 years of windsurfing I was a weekend sailor from May-October, and with a good job I tended to replace my boards every five years or so.  I never came close to sailing any of those boards enough to put serious wear on a foot strap.   I'd look at the straps displayed on the wall at Windsurfing Hamptons and wonder about the people who bought them.

That was then.   Now I sail year 'round, and the newest of my boards is eleven years old.   My wonderful JP 109 is NINETEEN years old!  I don't know how many sets of straps have been on it, but the current three are mismatched, one is broken and a second is ready to give up the ghost.   Now my foot strap inserts are starting to fail!   I love the board...nobody makes anything like it anymore (super early planing freestyle but it carves and jibes tight!) so I'll be restrapping it and figuring out the inserts.    I might try using a cable tie as a shim, perhaps accompanied by a wooden toothpick.

Swap Meet!

You've been waiting for it.  I know I have!

Hampton Watersports will bring it live Saturday May 20th.  From the horse's mouth:

"Buy or sell used and closeout Foil, Wingfoil, Kite, Windsurfing and Surfing gear.   

 Sellers:  drop your gear off Monday 5/15 through Saturday 10AM

 Buyers:  Come check it out! "

The shop says if you're looking for something specific, let them know before hand.  They'll help you shop if needed.

See you there!

A Little Sebonac On a Friday Afternoon

On arrival the guestimate was 4.7 and a midsized board.  By the time Frank and I had rigged the sand blowing down the beach suggested 4.2.   I grabbed my smallest board (77) and launched.   

One run later I was back on the beach to add downhaul.   That worked, until Frank launched and the holes arrived.   4.7?  5.3?  4.2?  Quit complaining...it's a sunny day in February and we're sailing!  Christian joined on a 5.3.

It was up and down (stop complaining!) but I for one was grateful to be in the straps, to jump, to jibe (the water was COLD).  I managed to duck jibe onto some swell, finding myself surfing down a mini wave switchstance...total luck but I'll take it!   Gratitude for fun on the water in winter.

During a break in the action Christian showed me his latest technique for stashing emergency line.   A decade ago we both used to tape line behind our harness bars...after Christian had to rerig a sail floating outside the Bowl.  Over the ensuing decade we both stopped, but after Christian's boom failure last month he is now carrying line again.  I must join him stat.  Back to the sesh...

In the end a shlog on the 77, with a number of slow waterstarts in the icewater convinced me that I'd had enough fun.  Also my lips couldn't form words any more so I went home, grateful.

Old School Fins

I don't know how well they worked, but they make for a pretty poster!   As seen in the Old School Windsurfers Facebook group.

Scott and his Rope Fins

Scott, the Wolf and your editor at Meschutt.   The wind was blowing straight north...a little weird, and barely enough to plane on larger gear.  Scott was on his 5.8, I had a 6.2 on my 109, and the Wolf was trying to make a 5.3 work on his 102.*    

Meschutt Beach is still rigged for summer, meaning that swimming areas are roped off.  I'd never sailed there in the summer so it was all news to me.   My first run where I needed to go through the swimming area I spotted the full ropes soon enough that I was prepared to jump them and clear my fin.   Execution is everything though, and I failed to get the fin high enough.  Kapow, as Batman would say.

Soon after Scott launched, and I watched him head towards the swimming area.   He went through a section that apparently had no rope.  OF COURSE he knows the ins and outs here I thought.  So I headed the same way, but fortunately remembered that Scott's boards all sport weed fins.  He's cheating!  He has ROPE fins on!

So I tacked and headed upwind towards the jetty, where I was finally able to get high enough to reach past the ropes.

Other than that it was an unremarkable session...the forecast had called for a lot more wind but it wasn't to be.    Still, I learned a new rigging trick.  Rope fins!

Steel Bolts Fail (over enough time)

I'm a two-bolt mast base man.   No single bolt uni's for me (except on the SUP which only has an insert.)   The attraction is the extra safety...if a bolt fails I can still sail home on the other, though the mast foot may get out of position.   Also the two bolt plates can be left on every board, and just the uni(s) can be attached and removed as needed, speeding up derigging.

End of sermon.   Here's what happened at the last session:   I was adjusting the mast foot position on my 99 Skate in the parking lot of South Jamesport, when, while tightening the bolts, one sheared off while I was not applying that much torque.   I wasn't close to using a strong twist.   That bolt was ready to fail...happily it did so on dry land.*

I'm guessing I bought the foot ten or twelve years ago...maybe more.   I'm not sure how I'm going to be inspecting the others, but taking them off of the boards (I have a two bolt plate on all four boards) for a look I will be doing.    Gear breaks.

*More happily I had an extra one in the van.

(Photo:   The bolt in two pieces.)

When the World Is Running Down...

“When the world is running down you make the best of what’s still around.”

-The Police, from the album Zenyatta Mondatta

The song is from 1980 but it sure seems to fit the times.   My gear is running down, so when my 20 year old boom (a big Fiberspar, reserved for the 7.5) came apart after a Mecox session last week, I had to think creatively about how to keep the 7.5 in active quiver.

Fortunately (in my mind, not in the wife’s) I hang on to my old booms when they’ve aged past safe usage.   I rig them for nonplaning freestyle, or I think “I may need the parts”.   For 18 years I’ve had this junk collection, and I finally got to use it. Swapped out the boom head from a Fiberspar wave boom.   That boom is so small it never gets used above 4.7, but I am no longer willing to jump with that boom so as a high wind tool it’s pretty much worthless.    I’m hanging on to the tail piece and swivel adjusters, but the boomy part is headed for the junkyard.

Now I just need 12-14 to test the rebuilt one.

(Photos:   Top:  The donor boom and the grateful recipient. Bottom:  Boom head detail.   Notice that the dead head is completely missing the red plastic shim stuff.   Also note that I used "grateful" and "dead head".   It's alright.)

Windsurfing Equipment Review:: LiP Watersports Sunglasses

The people at LiP Sunglasses asked The Peconic Puffin if we’d review their watersports sunglasses, and review them we shall.   We all know the deal with such sunglasses…there are two moderate issues and one major issue.   The moderates: How well do they shed water (given that we’re being sprayed with water constantly) and do they fog up?   The Major: How do you avoid losing them in big falls?   Who wants to spend money on pricey eyewear that will get knocked flying in high speed falls? Not me.

Let’s tackle the major issue first: LiP’s solution to keeping the glasses you bought is to have the retainer strap attach to a rubber “retainer necklace” that sits around your neck. Think a big soft “O” ring.   It’s got plenty of give should the glasses get yanked…you’re not going to get choked…but it’s not coming off over your head either.     I’ve sailed with the LiP’s in 4.2 winds and had a couple invigorating falls, one of which lifted them off of my face, but they basically sat on top of my head as the rubber necklace didn’t let the leash go anywhere.     I’ve also sailed with them in 4.7 and 5.4 conditions, but the falls were not as severe.   The 4.2 crashes were the test.

 I think they’ve worked out how to secure sunglasses to a windsurfer or kiter.

LiP has two models, the Typhoon and the Surge.   The Typhoon is their full-on “most advanced watershade on the market” while the Surge is a smaller, lighter pair of glasses at about half the price.   Both the Typhoon and Surge sheeted water beautifully.   Happily I had the Typhoons on when a squall came through…sailing in the rain was no problem…in fact I didn’t realize how bad it was until the other guys I was sailing with commented on sailing with one eye closed and the other squinting!   We’ve all been there LOL.

Neither pair fogged.  

There have been good watersports glasses on the market before, but all of mine ended up in Davy Jones locker one way or another.   LiP appears to have that issue beat.   So if you want to protect your eyes from the sun, and/or shred with impunity in the rain, we recommend them.

(image from LiP's web site.)

 

 

 

It's About Time For A Swap Meet

You know it is.  You KNOW it is!   Swap meet time, me droogs...Hampton Watersports is throwing the Spring Fling on Saturday May 18th.   Windsurfing swap meet, kiteboarding swap meet, SUP swap meet, surfing swap meet, and are you ready:  foiling swap meet.  

If you're selling used equipment, drop off your gear during the week preceding (or arrive early that Saturday morning).   If you're buying, bring your money.   If you're swapping bring both (it's what I do.) 

If you're looking for sails, it's helpful if you know what size masts you own, and what the minimum and maximum extension lengths of your boom is, to make sure you can rig what you buy.   If you need help evaluating the used offerings or what you need, there will be people there to help.  I will be one of them (apologies in advance!)

Rain or shine, buy or sell used standup paddleboarding, windsurfing, kiteboarding surfing and anything you can slap a foil on gear. There will also be new 2019 equipment to covet and buy.  Specials on leftover 2018 equipment.    If you have questions, call the shop 631-283-9463.  See you there!

Swap Meet's a Comin'

Windsurfing swap meet.

Kiteboarding swap meet

Stand up paddling swap meet

Surfing swap meet

even Foiling swap meet (yes you heard right!)

At Hampton Watersports.

Saturday September 15th, 

Saturday, 9AM to 4PM. 

At the shop. Buy or sell used Foiling, Standup Paddleboarding, Windsurfing, Kiteboarding and Surfing gear. 

Buying - closeouts available, specials on closeout '18 equipment, and loads of used gear to choose from. 

Selling - Please drop your used gear by the shop from now thru the 15th (swap day) before 9am.

Rain or shine, windy or not, swap will run. See you then!

(The shop is at 1688 County Road 39
Southampton, NY 11968.  Phone 631 283-9463)

Swap Meet postponed until May 26th...

...too much rain in the forecast for tomorrow.  Instead, try and ride some of the wind today!  

Bad Accident Waiting to Happen? Reprise?

Ten years ago the Peconic Puffin ran this post about the potential to get trapped under the sail due to freak snagging of a harness line component in the  harness hook.

A windsurfer named Mark just posted a similar story on Facebook, so I thought I'd repost my original piece, along with the photo he put up...a reproduction of his original entanglement.  For myself I'm going to put a piece of duct tape across the wide opening in my harness hook, as discussed in the original Puffin post.  Be safe!

(Photo snagged from Mark on FB)