The Peconic Puffin Windsurfing Blog

Six Years Ago By Comparison...

...there I am at South Jamesport, chasing the ever speedy Scott in the distance.  In a shorty.  Not a DRYSUIT!!!   I am ready for summer shortboarding.

Just when you think you've got it all figured out: Northwest Delights at Sebonac!

The traditional wisdom has been

Sebonac isn't good for NW (Meschutt is)

The Peconic at high tide isn't good (low to mid incoming is).

But it was blowing NW Saturday, and Artie reported that swimming ropes at Meschutt have nixed that launch until the fall.  Christian and I discussed Tiana "but that will be flat water sailing" Christian texted.   "Let's try Sebonac."

There was the issue of the incoming tide well past half way, but what the heck...let's get some terrain.   We arrived to a beautiful field of whitecaps...it looked 4.7 but can it be?   I announced I was rigging 5.4 but another eyeing of the bay caused me to switch to a 4.7/medium board strategy.  Also, did our eyes deceive us?  We were looking at rolling swell coming through!   Christian put a 5.0 on his midsize, I popped the 4.7 on my 93 and we were off to the races.   Good jumping on both tacks, jibing off of swell was workable, and while the wind wasn't steady (the gusts lead me to board down to 77, and the lulls back to she of 93) the fun was excellent.   Massimo joined us for his maiden 2022 session, struggling a teense with the shore break but still he broke the seal.

After two hours I had to leave.  Christian and Mass called it a day about the same time and so we left.   But check it out:  Sebonac on NW at high tide!    

h/t to Frank for the post title.

 

First Attempt at Wing Foiling (with some 5.5 windsurfing on the side)

I had my first taste of wing foiling.   Caught some quality time with Andy Brandt and Jon Ford at Napeague last Thursday...winging is all kinds of new!   Did I get up on the foil?  Three or four times.  Did I STAY up on the foil?   No (not yet).   While catching my breath watched Jon wing jibe, and Andy do all sorts of stuff as usual.

Must try again.   You should too.   Go check out Andy at an ABK clinic.

To remind myself that I can learn these things, I also got some 5.5 windsurfing in.   Sails, fins, longish boards.  Old tech but still fun.

Swap Meet Long Island!

The week-long formula at Hampton Watersports has been working, and they'll be at it again starting Sunday May 14th.  From the shop:

"May 14 - May 20. Week long swap is back. People loved the fact that they could stop by whenever it was convenient for them. Buy or sell used and closeout Foil, Wingfoil, Kite, surf and Windsurf gear.

Sellers - please drop your used gear now thru 10 am 9/18

Buyers - Come by and check it out . Note: Anyone looking for anything specific, please let us know before hand. We can shop for you if needed."

I know I'll be checking it out!

 

East Beach

Far far away in the distant town of Port Jefferson (far for me anyway) is a Sound launch known as East Beach.   Private.  Invitation only.  Very hush hush…only the finest people launch there.   Then Artie let some of us in!   Rolling swell and starboard ramps greeted us in the 4.7-4.2 winds (I think Chris rigged a 4.8 for a little extra.).  The guests included Chris, Jonathan, Scott, George, Joe, Cyrus, Dilay and your editor.

It's been a couple years since I’ve had an ocean sesh, and while this wasn’t exactly one coming in just behind the big swell was the ticket to getting out of the water.   On the water there were ramps to jump (Scott got some exceptional air before coming down in an exceptionally flat landing.  He complained…I admired the altitude!).  George was seen throwing a classic wave jibe, complete with a carved/surfed accelerating exit.   Me, I had my worst jibing day of the year, but I still had fun!

East Beach…catch it if you can.

(George liked East Beach.  You would too!  Photo by the Art of Windsurfing)

Andy McKinney..."Lost In Hatteras" R.I.P.

This is so wrong, again.   Andy McKinney, who I knew as an Outer Banks windsurfer and fellow waterblogger, has passed away.   He leaves behind a wife, young son and young daughter.  Here is a link to his obituary.

We met on the web, commenting on each other's windsurfing blogs (his was Lost In Hatteras.)  In 2008 I met him in person on the Outer Banks, and did again in 2009.  Warm, friendly, great source of information (and with gusto!  "Ignore the meters...you can get some at S turns right now!"

My condolences to his family and friends.

(photo of Andy and his wife Anne lifted from his blog.)

Meschuttage

There is something known as Classic Meschutt Conditions.  CDC.  With NW winds and outgoing tide, lines of perfect two-foot ramps set up on the inside to jump, and on the outside well-spaced rollers to jibe off of.   Friday we had CDC.   And the wind?

"Perfect 4.2" Scott pronounced.

Indeed.  Scott and Frank were on it first, with me about fifteen minutes behind.   I have not had much good jumping conditions of late, so between my wanting style and getting a few feet more altitude than I'm used to, it was exciting!  Scott and Frank threw some big ones, and I had one big one..a big explosion on landing LOL that had me swimming after the gear for a moment.   Good times.   I had to leave about the time the Wolf hit the water, but he got some too.

(Photo:  That's Scott outbound.  Look at the lines of rampage!)

 

Brendon Quinn R.I.P.

Brendon Quinn, long-time instructor with ABK has passed away.  I have no details on what happened, but what's important is that he's gone.  A warm, sunny, generous soul and a fine instructor.   My own fond memories include him pronouncing an entire group of ABKers "crazy" as we hurled ourselves relentlessly at new moves at a windy Napeague clinic, and pestering him for sail size advice in Bonaire ("don't ask me!" he'd say every day.  So of course I'd ask him again the next day.  Too much fun.)  That I can no longer look forward to seeing Brendon in the future I'll miss much more. 

Photo taken from Andy Brandt's FB page.

Easter Sesh: Short, Sweet, and Cold

It was just Scotto and me at Sebonac Inlet Sunday.   4.7, midsized boards, sunny rampy and windfull.  Where was everybody?   

The Art of Windsurfing was sailing solo at West Meadow.  George caught some at Iron Pier.  And I suspect a lot of people were exhausted from a fine Saturday session that I missed (I foresook SJ...my loss.)  So it was Scott (with burnt out arms) and me (working to remember how to jibe) in full sun.  And what is sweeter than 4.7 I ask you? (Some say 4.2...I like the extra fraction of a second for reaction time.)   Sure am looking forward to the end of glove season.  And no hood?  June I'm thinking.

(Selfie of doofus editor in heavy neoprene.)

"They cancelled the gale warning, and we got a gale."

"I've been saying for some time:  South Jamesport in the Spring is the windiest."  -  George Pav

Yesterday is evidence to support that!   With Frank gagging at Napeague, and 4.2-5.0 reported at Heckscher, we had to get off the water when 3.7's weren't small enough at SJ.   I arrived midafternoon to meet Scott, who had just rigged 4.2.   I thought he was optimistic until he started blasting!   We both were good...lit but good ("there's a lot of 3.7 out there" sayeth Scott) for about 45 minutes, then I decided to rig down.

"When they cancelled the gale warning I decided not to bring the 3.7" Scott said.   Me with the van I was fine. As George arrived I launched 3.7, which was good for about two minutes before I was lit...then overlit...again.   Waterstarts had to wait for lulls, same for jibing.   Scott kept trying to make his 4.2 work, but when he went in to meet George I went on what turned out to be a final run.   "This isn't 3.4...it's 2.9" I thought.   No fun.  I went in.  Scott tried one last time, but came back looking like he'd seen a ghost.

"They cancelled the gale warning, and we got a gale" Scott laughed as we derigged.

A New ABK Van? We think not.

Driving south on 95 through blowing snow (state of Delaware, en route to South Carolina, 25 mph gusts) the wife and I spotted this ABK van.  Or van tagged ABK at any rate.  We were in Delaware, state that hosted many clinics by Andy Brandt and company, but we thought "Andy usually likes a nice big sticker."   

I know I know this is silly.  But any time it's blowin', snowin' and a windsurfing reference is available, the Peconic Puffin is interested.

Far better use of your time would be to sign up for one of Andy's clinics...he's teaching windsurfing as well as all manner of foiling these days.  Check out the offerings at ABKBoardsports.com.

(Photo by the editor's wife.)

Is Webby's the new Hatteras?

The rave reviews would not stop.

"Excellent 4.2!"

"I can't believe it's February!"

"Looks like the Gorge!

"It's like Hatteras!"

"A perfect day!"

The last session of the shortest month was a great one according to all who partook!

Those duly shredding included Joe Nat, Frank, Artie, Pav, Bruce, Robert.  Send more names and add them I shall!

(Photo of Joe inbound by Artie.)

A Crowd in the Snow at Webbies

I missed it, but few others did.  4.2-4.7 at Webbies, with two snow squalls to heighten the interest.   No repeats from Friday's Sebonac event...Frank was at Nappy, I took a day off from the cold, and Christian was in Hatteras with his Opti-sailing daughter. 
The Webbies crew included the Wolf, Chimply Lord Scotworth the Earl of Kielt, the Art of Windsurfing, Joe Nat, Rob, Frank Strobel, "new guy Cyrus", Bruce Feldman and possibly others.

(Top:  Scott says it's picking up!  Bottom:  If the Wolf is sailing, why aren't you?  Why wasn't I?  Photos by Artie.)

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.

Van Stuff (An Electric Shredmobile? I Wish...)

Three months ago during a quick session with Christian the driver's door to my van got yanked by the wind...big time.   Christian had warned me about parking tail to the wind, but I was not careful, and it cost me $900 to get a working front door (a lot of welding was necessary...doh!)  But hey the van door works again!

All of this fussing over my 19 year old van got me thinking about the possibility of upgrading.  Ford is making an electric pickup, so I thought "wouldn't an electric van be cool!"   Could power up our launch sites...need to use power tools?  A hot water heater and pump for showering?  Fun fun fun.   I was reading a couple articles about the surge in sales for electric vehicles when I found this article about electric vans in the New York Times.   It seems like every electric van that's going to be made in the next ten years is already sold...to either Amazon, Fedex, or Walmart.

Time to order new car seat covers for my trusty old ride!

 

February Watersport Outlook (don't be a weenie!)

When I think about winter and water time (when I don't have tickets to fly to Bonaire) I worry.  What if there are no good days?  Silly me.  Just because it's freezing cold and miserable doesn't mean there's no fun to be had!  A review of Peconic Puffin articles from past Februarys offers up a catalog of sessions at Sebonac, Meschutt, the Bowl etc, and a fair amount of wave SUPping (by paddle and by sail).   This Friday already shows some promise...otherwise I will simply bide my time and mind the Long Island Rule of 100:

Air temperature + Water temperature + Wind Speed = 100 or higher.

Or be like Arctic Artie* and get a bit more technical, and windsurf when:

Air temperature + Water temperature + Wind Speed + Weeks since last session + 5 (if it's sunny) = 100 or higher.

* I don't know that The Art actually applies this formula, fine geek though he may be.  But he sure as sugar sails like he does!