CIB.12.26.2010.edited from Frank Messina on Vimeo.
This is from a few years ago in a NNE at CIB home of the infamous "Mysto" wave. The Mysto never showed up,and unfortunately, the snow got to the point that you had little or no viability. Add to that, rising water from an incoming tide, and there was literally no beach left when it was time to leave the water. I wast pushed so far down wind I had to climb some guy's sea wall to get out of the water. I'm pretty sure I dinged my board in the process. Then I had to walk about a quarter mile back upwind to my truck. My friends were a little pissed that they had to stop sailing to look for me.
That: is why I love Winter sailing...it's the friends. Spring, Summer, Fall; everyone sails or surfs. In the Winter we are all alone. Our crew is a tight group that has be out together in these conditions for over three decades. We look out for each other. We have all rescued or been rescued by each other over the years. Although, maybe I've been rescued more than my fair share. I can always count on these guys.
Yesterday we didn't sail, but we were in the water anyway. we donned our thickest wetsuits or drysuits and walked a search grid at three beaches. We were looking for any hidden underwater hazards that may have been there due to Hurricane Sandy. We found a few and removed them. One we are just going to just have to mark with some buoys. So why would seven guys spend three hours walking around in chest deep water? Both the air and water temperature were in the high 30's. I'm sure we all had better things to do... We did it because the State Parks asked us to. They are already overwhelmed with trying to re build Jones and Fire Island, so they could not have done this; but we could.
Now this video is from George [a great windsurfer]. But it shows that in the Winter the best days can become serious in an instant. This is why we always have each others backs.
