It's easy to "love New York" on a perfect day like this. Almost summertime, June 1, and you get a clean ride on the LIE/Bethpage Parkway, Southern State, and RM Causeway .. no traffic, as quick and smooth a ride to the beach as you can have. How often does that happen in Western "Parking Lot" Nassau?
But where was everybody? Well obviously a lot of folk on the beach, but the water was bare, save for one lone kayaker. Had this place to myself. Although I'd rather not have.
Most of the surfers had left already, surfed out from surfing since 7 am most likely. I'd seen several boards , strapped atop cars, going the other way.
But normally, when it's a lightweight 3mm/2mm wetsuit/no-booties-needed weather, there's usually a very full surf lineup at RM5.
Or there used to be.
The break got crummy in the storms a several years preceding and after Hurricane Sandy, and RM5 became less of a surf destination. The sandbars offshore had eroded and the waves stopped breaking as the water was so deep right off the beach. Now they are back, and the place is worth surfing again.
Definitely could have used the moral support, though. Mea Culpa. I did not "social media" this very much, except for one LIW YahooGroups post, and a quick call to Chuck.
SURPRISE
This was a bit of a surprise session. A good surprise. One minute I was in bed sipping Sunday morning coffee, reading the Creature From Jeckyll Island, then the next, came a phone call from Rob ... "Can Will and I get a pickup from the ferry in Bayshore in an hour or two?" ...
"Why Bayshore? ... if you're in Saltaire," I said, "I can pick you up by near the Fire Island Lighthouse turnaround ... after a quick paddle, that is."
Sure .." and from there the clock was ticking to round up water, and supplies, walk the hound of the Baskervilles, check the leaky plumbing situation in the bathroom ... you know, the usual Sunday morning oddities.
But where was everybody? Well obviously a lot of folk on the beach, but the water was bare, save for one lone kayaker. Had this place to myself. Although I'd rather not have.
But normally, when it's a lightweight 3mm/2mm wetsuit/no-booties-needed weather, there's usually a very full surf lineup at RM5.
Or there used to be.
The break got crummy in the storms a several years preceding and after Hurricane Sandy, and RM5 became less of a surf destination. The sandbars offshore had eroded and the waves stopped breaking as the water was so deep right off the beach. Now they are back, and the place is worth surfing again.
Definitely could have used the moral support, though. Mea Culpa. I did not "social media" this very much, except for one LIW YahooGroups post, and a quick call to Chuck.
SURPRISE
This was a bit of a surprise session. A good surprise. One minute I was in bed sipping Sunday morning coffee, reading the Creature From Jeckyll Island, then the next, came a phone call from Rob ... "Can Will and I get a pickup from the ferry in Bayshore in an hour or two?" ...
"Why Bayshore? ... if you're in Saltaire," I said, "I can pick you up by near the Fire Island Lighthouse turnaround ... after a quick paddle, that is."
Sure .." and from there the clock was ticking to round up water, and supplies, walk the hound of the Baskervilles, check the leaky plumbing situation in the bathroom ... you know, the usual Sunday morning oddities.
30X MORE DIFFICULT
Like most SUP-ers on Long Island, I've done plenty of bay supping, that goes without saying, but ocean trips have been infrequent this past year, half of which was lost to physical therapy, since I finally caved-in and added a SUP to the Surfing and Windsurfing quiver last May.
While the bay is easily a "head dry" paddle experience (if I want to avoid a dip in the North Shore Western Sound bays pollution), the ocean is a very different kettle of fish. If it isn't glassy it can get super tippy with little encouragement. And with the menacing mass of even a 9'6" SUP, you want to make sure you are not taking too many tumbles near the impact zone. I used every bit of my 15 years experience of ocean surfing and windsurfing timing the entry into the water. It wasn't a super difficult entry, but like a windsurfer, the SUP has a lot of surface, so if you get caught by a rogue wave, things could get tricky in a hurry.
Once the initial knee paddles over the incoming swells was over, it was easier paddling to near the break. But once there, that's where you are most vulnerable. That long turnaround from facing the swell to facing away from it.
BARELY A BREEZE
Although the "wind," such as it was, could barely even be described as a breeze today, the water was nevertheless still pretty lumpy for SUP surfing, making for some interesting hula movements. It did not look pretty I'm sure. They say you get used to it pretty quickly. But in the meantime, off you fall, clutching the paddle in both hands. Swim back to the board, or better still, pull the leash and board back to you for a quicker recovery.
Swimming with a paddle feels like being a frog on one crutch.
While the bay is easily a "head dry" paddle experience (if I want to avoid a dip in the North Shore Western Sound bays pollution), the ocean is a very different kettle of fish. If it isn't glassy it can get super tippy with little encouragement. And with the menacing mass of even a 9'6" SUP, you want to make sure you are not taking too many tumbles near the impact zone. I used every bit of my 15 years experience of ocean surfing and windsurfing timing the entry into the water. It wasn't a super difficult entry, but like a windsurfer, the SUP has a lot of surface, so if you get caught by a rogue wave, things could get tricky in a hurry.
Once the initial knee paddles over the incoming swells was over, it was easier paddling to near the break. But once there, that's where you are most vulnerable. That long turnaround from facing the swell to facing away from it.
BARELY A BREEZE
Although the "wind," such as it was, could barely even be described as a breeze today, the water was nevertheless still pretty lumpy for SUP surfing, making for some interesting hula movements. It did not look pretty I'm sure. They say you get used to it pretty quickly. But in the meantime, off you fall, clutching the paddle in both hands. Swim back to the board, or better still, pull the leash and board back to you for a quicker recovery.
Swimming with a paddle feels like being a frog on one crutch.
WAVES GALORE
At first I couldn't believe it ... Waves galore, some bomber sets among the waist-to-thigh-to-chest-to occasional head-high mix. RM5 west end of the parking lot. Based on this, I'd say RM5 is back. Maybe not as user friendly as before, but definitely breaking nicely in places. I'll have to try a lower state of tide with the surfboard. Still trying to keep up with the SUP when it takes off. It looks so different from surfing. Need to get into a surfing stance sooner from the parallel paddling stance.
PLAN A or? Now since I would be picking up son and friends on the way back from Fire Island, I only had room for one board in-between the seats today, so I took the SUP ( I figured waves would be small and the SUP is more of the do all option). I did not expect good-sized waves at high tide. I guess you just have to bring a plan B option if you can.
And here, I could easily have used the surfboard instead (which would be my preference, although maybe not the preference of my neck. A long prone paddle out the neck is still not ready for; so on that level the SUP was the quicker, easier way to the outside).
For a first time back I played it cautious, and tried not to overdo it, sticking to an hour of paddling and lugging the beast up and down the sand. Surprisingly much more aerobic than paddling on the bay, but that's a good thing, aslogn as you don't have too much for lunch.
At first I couldn't believe it ... Waves galore, some bomber sets among the waist-to-thigh-to-chest-to occasional head-high mix. RM5 west end of the parking lot. Based on this, I'd say RM5 is back. Maybe not as user friendly as before, but definitely breaking nicely in places. I'll have to try a lower state of tide with the surfboard. Still trying to keep up with the SUP when it takes off. It looks so different from surfing. Need to get into a surfing stance sooner from the parallel paddling stance.
PLAN A or? Now since I would be picking up son and friends on the way back from Fire Island, I only had room for one board in-between the seats today, so I took the SUP ( I figured waves would be small and the SUP is more of the do all option). I did not expect good-sized waves at high tide. I guess you just have to bring a plan B option if you can.
And here, I could easily have used the surfboard instead (which would be my preference, although maybe not the preference of my neck. A long prone paddle out the neck is still not ready for; so on that level the SUP was the quicker, easier way to the outside).
For a first time back I played it cautious, and tried not to overdo it, sticking to an hour of paddling and lugging the beast up and down the sand. Surprisingly much more aerobic than paddling on the bay, but that's a good thing, aslogn as you don't have too much for lunch.
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