According to Kelly Slater’s Instagram, tropical storm Leslie is going to bring waves to the East Coast. We should start seeing swell from the storm by Thursday, and with any luck the winds will go offshore.
We’ll keep you posted as waves start coming through.
I recorded some suburban summer soundz to accompany the pics, so for the full experience, turn your volume up and press play as you scroll on down.
Handplanes are all over my favorite surf blogs right now, including the Tubes. I’ve been seeing them so often I just couldn’t resist trying to shape one myself. Being a man of many on-going art projects, I had an extra piece of rough cut western red cedar in my bedroom waiting to become a handplane.
A handplane is just like a mini surfboard. Just no fins, right? That’s how I looked at this project. Draw a template like you were making a surfboard for your hand.
I channeled out the bottom to make up for the lack of fins, and finished the handplane by applying wood stain and tung oil. We’re calling this model the “Lonely Clam.”
Now I can’t say exactly what a “good” handplane feels like or how it should handle in the water, but I got in a sunset body surf session with the Lonely Clam yesterday and had a blast. Without question, you’re gonna enjoy body surfing a lot more with a hand plane.
My fellow Long Island surfer, Cari Beckerman, turned an old skateboard deck she had into a brand new handplane. Since we’re huge fans of repurposing old things — see the Tombstone — I was pumped to find out that Cari had come up with a way to breath new life into her dying skateboard. It’s made me think about the old things I’ve got laying around that coud be turned into handplanes…
I’ve been noticing how bodysurfing is making a comeback, heck Keith Malloy recently made a movie about the sport called Come Hell or High Water. Check out the photos of Cari’s awesome skateboard deck handplane.
Where do you surf these days? Most of the time I choose the beach closest to my home. It’s a good wave and I have the spot really dialed in. I know where and when you can park. I know if it’s cold I’m not too far from my car. I know when it’s going to hold a swell right.
All these comforts considered, shouldn’t you switch up your surf spots? I tried today.
I thought about Democrat Point, but had no luck as the road is closed for the winter. My friend told me Robert Moses field 3 has been breaking, but I couldn’t tell you if that was true because the parking lot is closed. So, I headed east. I checked Smith Point, a spot where I could finally park, but of course there wasn’t a wave. I drove further east and found myself in Westhampton. The parking lot was open, but there was a sign noting the requirement of a parking permit. Well, the waves were just too inviting to leave, so I ignored the sign and parked without a permit.
I understand that not all beaches can be free, but should they be closed? Should you have to live in the town to use there parking lots? I didn’t get a ticket in Westhampton, but I did pass more then one cop car, which put the thought into my head that I would.
So were do you go? I’m just trying to surf. I’m not worried about lifeguards on duty. I’m not there to litter or walk on the dunes. I really just want to be able to park my car safely without getting a ticket.
You may want to think twice before walking across Ocean Parkway at Gilgo Beach to check the surf. I was walking across the parkway today and got stopped by a state trooper who informed me that it’s illegal to cross Ocean Parkway – or any New York State parkway – on foot.
While I can see other parkways being too dangerous to cross on foot and a law against doing so making sense, the area of road along Ocean Parkway by Gilgo Beach is crossed by surfers and beach goers on a daily basis.
Crossing Ocean Parkway on foot is especially popular among surfers during the winter months when the State Park locks the gates to the underpass linking the Gilgo Beach parking lot to the beach. If you’re going out for a surf in winter walking across Ocean Parkway is your only option.
I think that state troopers should try and stop more speeding drivers and leave the surfers, who are just trying to enjoy a few winter waves, alone.
Winter really hasn’t come to Long Island. There’s been no significant snowfall and the temperature has been reaching the 50s on a weekly basis. I’m not complaining because all this warm weather is making the winter surf very easy.
Man, I don’t even have to immediately warm up my car in the parking lot to make sure it’s warm when I get in to drive home.
The water is still freezing though, so I’m glad that I recently got a Patagonia R4 wetsuit. I was reading a ton of reviews online that were pretty negative, saying the suit’s not worth the money and the seams ripped really easily. But I’ve used it twice so far this winter and it’s worked great. The Patagonia suit is better then any other winter suits I’ve worn. The rubber is nicer, it’s more flexible, and I won’t say it’s warmer but it is definitely keeping me comfortable in the water.
There’s an idea for a Tumblr here that we hope to unveil to you all soon. Until then, here’s a taste…
Lacrosse is to Long Island as football is to Texas.
You’re not really selling anyone on this.
It’s a bar by the train station. You should know better.
Holiday shopping advice from Babylon Bike Shop.
It sounds like we’ll be giving thanks to some clean leftover swell tomorrow morning here in New York. Hope everyone has a chance to catch a few holiday waves. If not, enjoy this rad turkey drawing and have a Happy Thanksgiving!
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