SUP/Ice Breaker

[supthecreek]

Hello fellow PsycoSUPers...
This is my first Session post, me being a Forum newbie and all. I live on Cape Cod, my paddle today was in Eastham. I launched at Hemminway Landing, then paddled up wind and into the tide. The outward leg was very cool cuz the tide had not yet broken up the Ice that had skimmed the surface. It takes a bit to freeze salt water. Paddling thru the ice makes a nice soft sound and leaves interesting tracks.(see photos)

Today was a cake walk, at 26 degrees and very light winds. Yesterday was more invigorating at 15 degrees and 20 mph north wind. I got in a solid 1.5 hours both days, but today was the kind of day you relax and take some pictures. I will share some with you if I can figure out the mechanics of changing files sizes and all.

Cape Cod is a paddlers dream... lots of coves, creeks and bays to paddle. I try to paddle 2 hours everyday if there is no surf.

Anyway... thanks for understanding my obsession...

Peace

[lucabrasi]

Very cool. I like the picture of you going through a slurpie in the first one. Clear skies and the twenties can feel downright balmy this time of year for sure if the wind doesn't blow. Sounds like you live in a great place to get out most of the year. I may have tried on a day like you had today, maybe, but you got some big ones going out yesterday.

[Ichabod Spoonbill]

Does the ice do any damage to the board?

[UDflyer]

Does the ice do any damage to the board?

Haha...im sitting here in my car right now debating whether to paddle and its 68 degrees out & 8mph winds (but its dark out so it is a bit cooler). My feet r just too old without booties. Us FL boys r spoiled i guess with the 80s weve been having.

[Stealthyc]

We tried to go out on a local lake today.  The air temp was in the high 20's, and the sheet of ice on the lake was a little too thick for us to muscle through Perhaps we should have checked that out before loading up the boards.

[808]

Looks really fun. Nice Pics.

[JimK]

Rick,

Nice pics, stay warm talk to you soon

[supthecreek]

Does the ice do any damage to the board?

It is saltwater so it freezes sort of mushy. If it is thin enough, it is very easy to paddle thru.It makes a very soft swoosh as you glide along.

I am lucky to be near saltwater during the winter. As Stealthyc  said, fresh water is not so forgiving. If the bays and creeks are all frozen, you can still paddle in the ocean. I don't think I could wait for the thaw...

[SoCalSupper]

supcreek-you are insane in the membrane
Clearly someone i would sup with but you have to come out here to Cali-cuz i would not do that.

[supthecreek]

Hey SoCalSupper, you would be surprised at what you would do to chase the surf... I lived pretty close to "Killer Dana" back in the early 70's. Cardiff, Encinitas etc. I had a great time. Swami's was my all time favorite out there, but I can't imagine the crowds now... holy crap, give me 25 to 30 surfers at at one of the New England Point Breaks any winter day.

I actually SUP alone a lot during the winter, because I avoid the very hollow beach breaks where the surfers are.

There is NO feeling in the world like the one you get as you take off your wetsuit, put on your dry cloths and stand by your car, looking at the fading daylight. You are tired and wet from the sea, wind and cold... your body just gives up and smiles... surfed out! It's a great high. I love knowing that everyone else is on the couch watching TV on a snowy winter day and you just finished another great session. The cold just adds to the experience...wahooo!

I'll throw in a picture or two I took on Cape Cod  while I was chasing waves on Friday the 13th, 2012. As you will see by the pictures, that the wind picked up to a point where SUP was out of the question. I have a lot of surfer friends that were out down the beach that day. It was about 6' to 8' with 30-40mph offshores... very typical winter surf when we get a storm.
The first pic is tolerable wind... the 3rd was 15 minutes later... no SUPing today!

I still have friends in SoCal... maybe I will have to visit, I have nothing against warm water !

[SoCalSupper]

great pics Creek-actually i would probably be out there with you if i lived there too but you would probably want to smack me with your paddle as i cry like a girl when im cold!
Got a little condition called Reynads-lousy circulation at extremity tips-super painful when cold-mostly when windy-but i suck it up and try to keep busy paddling to keep warm.
i live near Killer Dana-wished i could have seen it back in the day-now its the name of a surf shop!
Keep chargin!

[mjd]

I tried to test out a Naish inflatable on the local pond this weekend.  It was a no go.  I couldn't even break through it with five pound rocks.  Sad day.   

[Easy Rider]

Awesome!  
Glad to see I am not the only one.
Paddling "with" ice is one of my favorite things.  
It is so different.  

These are from Dec. 2010.

[mountain sup]

Great shots of the ice.  I just played with a little ice today on the Wenatchee River in WA barely touching it with my carbon board. SUP Lake Yolanda Wenatchee River

[supthecreek]

Easy Rider, you have a lot more ice to play with... it looks like it could trap you if it got jammed. Then I guess log rolling might come in handy : )
You might have to come up with a new SUP model... "Ice Breaker"


mountain sup... nice video!... what, no gloves ?
I like the way you have to claw your way up the snow to get out of the water, these are a couple of things most folks don't have to consider on their daily paddle.

There is something very peaceful about paddling in the snow and/or ice.