The Peconic Puffin

After nineteen days of no windsurfing…of being marooned, beached, landlocked and limping thanks to a dinged hoof, I got back on the water yesterday.   I did not sail well, and there was some pain, but it felt very, very good to get back out on the water!

Meschutt was the call (maybe you saw us on the Meschutt cam?) with Peconic Jeff, John Ford, Jason, Scott, and Vanderwolf tearing it up in the bright sun on 5.2’s -5.8’s.    We caught it at low tide, which on NW at Meschutt means perfect little halfpipe ramps on the inside, with good midsized rampage as you head further out.   As I was nursing a torn ligament in my right foot, I could only keep that foot in the straps without pain by sailing conservatively and taking it easy.    When an absolutely perfect ramp would appear in front of me, it took extraordinary self-control to not jump.

I do not have such self-control.

Over the course of the day I attempted half a dozen jumps.  All but one was a mess, because as soon as I’d kick off my brain went into "how much did that hurt let’s measure the pain" mode, followed by going into pre-flinch for landing.   This did nothing for board or rig control in the air, though on a scale of 1-10 for pain I was scoring 4’s and 5’s, with one 2!    And it was fun.

I sailed for two hours, then got off the water hoping I hadn’t done any damage.     I’m writing this the next morning, and I’m no more sore than I was before yesterday’s session.    I don’t think I can wave sail, but I’m up for another bay session.    I love windsurfing!   The last time I didn’t sail for nineteen days in a row was in February of 2006.   That sucked.