Good spot at high tide.

Was this the worst winter on record?  I’d say so.

My personal numbers show it but all you have to do is look at the average temperature.  It was just freezing all winter.  And I’m not talking about 32.  I’m talking about 20.  20 degrees is just way to cold to consider it.  It can be done, but how much fun are you really going to have?

But even though spring has come very late and we even had a snow hurricane just last week the sailing season has begun and it hasn’t been all that bad.  In the past three weeks I guess I’ve gotten six or seven good days, mostly on the ocean.  It has been cold but all except one of those days has been at or above 40 degrees.

Stepping back a bit if I look at my calendar it is clear that this was a hard winter.  All my days in December were in Florida.  My two days in January were probably the only two days that broke the 40 degree barrier and one of those days was among the best days I have ever had.  But still it only two days.  And February was a complete blank.  No days on the water.

But March was pretty good.  It was full of crap weather but I got 7 solid days so I’m not complaining.  Hopefully a bad winter will lead into a good Spring and a solid Summer.

Very interesting session (10/9/2013). It was blowing 070. Tom Nevers was slightly side off. I launched there and worked upwind to get out from under the bluff. Past the houses the wind was much better but there was no real surf. There isn’t really a sand bar there to create a break but water was moving around.
I kept working upwind, along Low Beach Rd. and past the Loran station. There was white water upwind. When I got into it it was much better than I had hoped. Kind of chaotic in places but head high and exciting. Compressed in some areas and spread out and open in others It was the best sailing I’ve had in quite a while. Plus it was very out there.

Sconset Session

Sconset Surf Session

Its interesting because when you drive along Ocean Ave in the summer on flat days you can see whitewater out there.  It must be something with how the currents meet.  Because it was like just one section of surf surrounded by flat water.   It was pretty cool.  Next time that number comes up I’m going to scout out a closer launch.  Perhaps on Low Beach Rd or even in front of the Summer House.  That is basically where I was sailing.  I’d prefer to sail upwind to the spot than down.

Ollie Up

This super fun session capped the week with the Raith crew pulling out the new and improved PVC Rail and setting it up at Bass Point.

It was a classic pond party with a solid sea breeze and low tide at 5:30pm.  The late afternoon kiting was just killer.  Solid 10-12 and pretty perfect butter conditions.  There was quite a bit of west in it but it still worked at Bass.  Of course it got a bit junky on the way inside but on the plus side it was only one run back to Pocomo.  A straight shot.

Super fun.  Check these photos by Benjamin Raith

Bass Point Pond Party - Archive Photo

While a lot of the locals had to squeeze it in around one of the busiest work weeks of the year, anyone who wanted to get wet this week easily got their fill of wind.  The run basically started last Friday with some solid south and decent surf and continued through the week with pretty much classic summer conditions at Pocomo and Bass Point.

I didn’t get out every day but I think that kiting happened every day, at least on the inside where the Pocomo Wind Machine was turned on big time.  Classic sea breeze conditions held for the entire week and I’m sure many awesome pond sessions were had.

The prevalent high pressure system looks to remain in place for the foreseeable future so hopefully the good conditions will persist for a while.  A couple of days this week are showing in the red so here we go.  Nice!