October has been a nice month for windsurfing. I'd like to thank the US Government for extending Daylight Savings Time into October. This has enabled me to enjoy some rushed, short, after work sessions in the prevailing North East Winds we have seen. [On a separate note: I'd like to chastise the US Government for taking its sweet time to step in on the economy. Thus putting my livelihood, and savings, in jeopardy.]

Even the weekends have been windy. Last weekend the 18th,&19th, I even managed to sail two days in a row. I managed to do this without breaking or hurting anything major. So I was feeling pretty good about my self when I decided at the last minute, to sail the ocean yesterday.

I had even posted up on the LI Windsurfing group that with:
the South East wind expected to build into the 40’s…
both a bad direction, and wind speed for the ocean…
the significant wave height 8 to 12 feet…
the incoming tide all afternoon…
That Heckscher was the better call.
But as I drove down along Ocean Parkway, I couldn’t help but notice that both Gilgo and Overlook were infested with kites. Dozens of them! So I figured why not me? At noon the tide had not changed yet. So it the shore break looked relatively benign. A couple of text messages later from Scott Y, and Kev O’, and I found myself rigging at RM5. Jeff T showed up as well. The goal was to do a “Down winder” from RM5 to RM2, where Scott had left his car. This seemed an awesome idea at the time.

And it probably would have worked… if I had actually made it through the shore break. Kev and Scott did. But I repeatedly was crushed and worked by the relentless rinse cycle. I started out at the east end of RM5, at the FINS border but ended up toward the west end of 5 when I finally gave up an hour or so later. I then of course, managed the a walk of shame back to my truck.

As I was doing my best to de-rig sand blasted gear, everyone else had called it quits as well; and announced…”let’s go to OBI”. So I did.

Billy T showed up and led the charge out the inlet to Demo. I never made it to Demo. Instead, I rigged too big: so I satisfied myself with some BAF’ing at the inlet. It was nice to actually be sailing instead being crushed by the shore break.

Eventually the wind just got stupid; making it difficult to bear off back to the launch. So I body dragged back to the OBI and called it a very tiring day. In the gear department, my FF skinnies, Ezzy waves, all behaved well [ie. They didn’t break; the jury is still out on my Pro Tech boom,] The JP will have some minor repair work tonight.
Ahhhh.

September

I love the Fall on Long Island. The beaches are usually not crowded. The water is warm, and we usually have wind, and swell. I've caught a few rushed, after work sessions, but nothing epic.
The East End/ Peconic crew has had some nice days. "Peconic" Jeff posted some nice shots.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/peconicwindsurfer/sets/72157607711436436/
The weekends have been pretty lame as far as the wind goes. Two or three weekends ago I sat frustrated on the beach at Gilgo, waiting for the wind to fill in, while 40 Kiters mobbed the line up! I finally gave up and went to Heckscher. From what I hear the surfing has been great,... but I haven't surfed much this year. [it's been aggravating my shoulder]
Blue Harbor Cat took some pics of last nights session before the wind died on us. I hope we all get some more sailing time before we have to bring out the drysuits.