The Peconic Puffin Windsurfing Blog

Thanks for a Thanksgiving Session

The morning texts were adamant:  Can't sail this afternoon...Thanksgiving obligations!   So we hit it earlyish.   Artie, Bruce, Fisherman, Hulse, Jon, Scott, the Wolf, and yours truly lit on three and four meter sails, winds 25 gusting to 35.  "My smallest sail is a 4.2" I protested, when everyone was launching on 3.7's and 3.3's.  But Jon rigged a 4.7, and I added extra downhaul and 4cm of outhaul to flatten my rig.   And it worked most of the time.   LIT.   I got off the water at 11:30 to go home and start Thanksgiving preparations, and several others were also homeward bound by noon, but what a morning to be thankful for!

(Top photo:  Smoke on the water, courtesy Massimo.   Bottom photo: Artie and ?, courtesy Artie.)

Meschutt with the Ramps

The ramps! Scott said.  He was right.   Meschutt usually has fine rampage...clean leaping on port...but Sunday was fun day with some particularly beefy launch pads.  Too bad about my knee...

But still!  Frank, Jon, the Wolf, Scott, Artie and YT caught the solid winds (4.2 for most of us) and about two hours of fun before the sun set.   With air temps of 42 and the water starting to chill it was strictly drysuit conditions, and any gear not well placed got blown down the beach. 

That would be my board, anyway...

But still!  Nothing beats a windy Sunday.

The Bowl Is All But Completely Washed Away

The Bowl...the friendly cove, wavesailing and surfing venue...is essentially gone, the beach washed away by this season's storms.   Dune Road is hanging on by a thread as the town keeps moving sand as fast as it can to save the road and the businesses along it.  Click on the link for video and photos.

"It might be a long time before we sail there again" Scott says.   I haven't sailed there in a year.  Will I ever again?   Will any of us?

Photo:  Google map of the Bowl before the storms hit.   Compare to the video.

 

Too Much Wind? And the Death of My 3.4

Thursday we turned up at North Sea Road.  Both Jon Ford and I were on 4.2's (it's wrong when I'm on the same size sail as Jonathan) and between the tailwalking and the bumps I was just about out of control 75% of the time.  Scott and the Wolf watched from inside the Wolf's warm pickup.  But after 90 minutes the decision was to try elsewhere, and in the end the day was done.

Which was good for saving one's strength for Saturday!   Napeague was LIT...most everyone overpowered on 3.3's and 3.4's.   Jeremy Hulse Jonathan Scott the Wolf Frank and others toying with the idea of crossing to Gardiners Bay (not me!)

“This is the most wind I’ve sailed in a long time” said Scott.

It was nuking.   Two foot chop at this flatwater haven, winds 35 gusting to 45.  One knucklehead out there with a kite who thankfully didn't get killed.   I was mindful of the old Jason Voss quote "nobody actually WANTS to sail in 30+, but we're windsurfers.  We can't say 'it's too windy'".   So while a few attempted to sail Gardiners, the Wolf Scott me and others contented ourselves with speed and survival runs on the shallow bay.    Just as I decided "one more run, then I'm done" I got catapulted through my 3.4.  A one foot hole now graced the sail.

It made things a little easier to manage!   "Not a 3.4 anymore" Scott cackled.   T'was true.  Also a teense sad.  I'd had that sail for almost 20 years (a Naish Session).   Now it's in a dumpster.  C'est la sail.

My Worst Jibe Attempt of All Time

It was a windsurfing party at Meschutt.   A dozen or more windsurfers on 4.2's or thereabouts (Hulse Scott the Wolf Frank Sky King another Frank Jan Fisherman Joe Nat Jon Ford Bruce etc) tearing it up on a warm day, the Peconic ramp and chop machine in full effect.  Fantastic!   But on one outbound run I found myself wanting ready to jibe, looking for a spot, and looking...looking...looking.  After a solid minute of nothing suitable I had the following thought:

"I don't need a flattish patch...if I bend my knees enough I can jibe anywhere."

This was not true.  I didn't know it yet though.

Unhooked, hung from the boom, got down low and stepped on the downwind rail to initiate a solid aggressive carve.   As I hit the first big bump I got thrown off the board backwards and UP...then landed with my back on the top of a steep piece of chop so my head snapped back.

I felt an electric jolt.  Then my left arm went numb.  Then I felt burning.

"I'm f***ed" I thought.  With one arm I slowly swam to my board and hung on.   After 20 seconds feeling came back to the arm (also pain in quantity to my neck).   Floated there for a couple minutes, then managed a waterstart, managing to sail back to the beach.   I told Scott my story.

"You have a stinger" he said.  And he proceeded to describe my symptoms perfectly, and told me stories about his own stingers.   Well if he lived to tell the tale then so will I.  "When can I sail again" I asked.  "Take a day off."   Sounds good.  Back to the water Sunday!

Week Long Swap, Used Equipment Week!

This is a new one!   From Hampton Watersports' website:

"Sep 21-28: Weeklong Swap Meet

Customers have asked for a longer event - here it is. Two weekends and during the week. 8 days of swapping. Buy or sell used Foiling, SUP, Windsurfing, Kiteboarding and Surfing gear. Deals on 2019 equipment, and loads of used gear to choose from. Drop your used gear off at the shop from now thru the 21st(swap day) before 11am."

So go check out used windsurfing equipment, kiteboarding equipment, SUP gear and foil stuff!  And sell yours!

 

Light Wind Wave Sailing At Ponquogue

"I like to work on my light wind skills" said John.

There had to be an explanation.  This was John Natalie talking, John "he only goes out when it's perfect" Natalie.   Conditions were marginal 5.4, waves 2-3 feet.   I stood on the beach, modeling Indecision and Lack of Commitment.

"I can't wait until it's blowing 30 and the waves are eight feet before I go out in the ocean" he continued.   He hadn't wave sailed in many months.  For me it had been a year!  

So after hemming and hawing and driving to Tiana to see if it was better (it wasn't) I joined him.   And had a very good time!   Put a 5.4 on my 109, planed some of the time, caught a few waves.   Best was tacking onto a wave (never done that before)...thought I didn't have enough time but tacked anyway, put my front foot in front of the mast and pushed down (Fisherman's tip* thank you) and away I went!

With the water so warm and friendly now, I don't want to pass up such conditions again.   Good times!

*Fisherman is no longer a commercial fisherman.   I don't know what I'm supposed to call him now.   I know his name but I never hear anyone call him by it.   And he always calls me Puffin so there's that.

ABK Returns to Tiana

Andy Brandt and company will be working their magic at Tiana Bay September 27-29.   Teaching windsurfing at every level and YES FOILING.  Last year the low tides at Tiana interfered with foiling instruction, but this year they are adding shallower foils so they can teach us to fly!    Go to https://www.abkboardsports.com/camps   to register.

(photo courtesy Markus Marschall, borrowed from Andy's Facebook page.)

Tasting Dorian at Napeague

A big turnout at Napeague:  Jason, Fisherman, Frank, Bruce, Scott, the Wolf, the Natalies, Jon Ford and more, all with the hope of catching Land of the Giants conditions in Gardiners Bay.  A few ventured out but between the gusts and no Giants they soon returned (the Wolf noted he didn't want to be rescued by the Coast Guard this day!)   

On the bay 4.7's quickly became 4.2's for most, and the chop was challenging ("too tight to jump" Joe said) but every day sailing four meter sails is a good day sailing!

(Photo:  as the wind blows the hair off my head, you can see the edge of Dorian in the sky out over the Atlantic.)

Big Wind Comin'

For Friday NE 25-30.

For Saturday 25 gusting to 40.

Thus spake NOAA.  Thus spake iWindsurf.   Windsurfing forecasts to prepare for.

Hurricane Dorian made a mess of the Bahamas.   We hope the U.S. gets spared any grief.   

And we hope to ride the wild winds soon!

Scott's Favorite Parking Sign

"You've never seen anything like it anywhere on Long Island!"   The sign provides pleasure for the Earl of Kielt every time we go to South Jamesport.   No parking permit required.   He loves that.  Me I like the grassy rigging area.   And the wind!   

The lot is one block north of the beach FYI.

 

Blissed Out on Northeast Wind...at South Jamesport!

"We don't sail South Jamesport on Northeast!" someone said.  But nobody wanted to deal with the traffic to Napeague, so we gave it a North Fork go.

And we were rewarded.

Scott, Artie (who forgot his masts) the Wolf, George Pav, David (who forgot his harness) and your editor arrived to mid-five meter conditions, with some small but organized rolling swell in parts.  Sweet!   It was a straight reach across the bay to East Landing, where Scott met another crew of windsurfers.   Artie and I had to leave early for family obligations, but for those who stayed late into the afternoon, 4.7 and better was the call.   

Summertime, and the living is easy.

(Photo:  99 liters and a 5.4.)

Napeaguing

On Friday the weekend forecast was dismal…sunny, temps in the mid 80’s, light breezes.  Hell on the water.  Saturday did not renew hope. But then Sunday morning Wilson texted it could be good at Napeague at 2PM.

At 2PM I arrived.

Rigged the 6.2 and off I went.  Wilson, every more 21st century in this Year of the Peague, got on his Slingshot foil board with a 5.6 and soon was flying.  Foiling looks so good, and I'd only ever tried it once.    And after a run on the 6.2 Wilson offered me the foil set up to try.  So off I went.

First of all when the wind is blowing 6.2 for windsurfing, 5.6 is a very powerful sail for foiling.  Secondly if you don't know what you're doing (like me) you find that sheeting out does not do what you want it to do.  It unweights the mast foot, allowing a nice big breach and crash landing.   

Still I had fun.

Returned the foil to Wilson and got back on my Windsurfing Board in time for Lili to come out an join us.   A merry threesome in warm wind and water (except near the inlet to Gardiners, where colder, ocean informed bay water comes in) a good time was had by all, followed by G&T's and bluefish seaweed mayonnaise sandwiches. Perfecto!

Reason to Hate Mike Burns #512: The Shuv-it Spock

I hate Mike Burns.  The number of things he can do on a windsurfing board that I can't is greater than the number of things I can do with one, period.   These days he's living down in Hatteras (reason to hate him #483) with Chrissy and the kids, and he's recently posted a video of him throwing a Shuv-it Spock, which he describes on Facebook as "one of my favorites. Very technical and difficult to pull off."   Yeah no kidding.   Apparently his new board (a Psycho) is facilitating this.  For me (who still can't hit a duck tack) it's worse than when he learned how to leopard loop. 

One more reason to hate Mike Burns.   He's so good.

(Video:  There he is, doing his thing at a recent session at Canadian Hole.   Catch up with Mike on the water and he'll give you tips on just about anything Windsurfing!)

 

 

 

OG Puffin Sighting: Jace Panebianco

A blast from Peconic Puffin past!   Ran into Jace Panebianco, who the world knows as director of The Windsurfing Movie, but who old school Puffins know as that great kid who works at the windsurfing shop, circa 1993!   When this thing was a three page printed newsletter Jace was often in it.   In town from Hawaii he's been foiling on the Little Peconic, but I ran into him in the seafood store.   Jace remains very tall...in the pic he is bending down, and I am standing on my toes!  Great to see Jace!