Downwinding and the "Cut" - Long Island

[Off-Shore]

Sometimes conditions surprise me, and I luck out with the wind, but today, I just happen to luck out with the tides too. The wind picked up from the North this morning and as I paddled out of North Sea Harbor (Long Island) against it, as I reached Towd Point I realized that the Harbor was emptying itself into Little Peconic Bay through what I call the "cut" at quite a speed, directly in the opposite direction to the wind.

When you get tide / current going one way, and wind the opposite way = FUN TIMES! I ended up doing 4 loops starting at Towd Point, in the cut, in what at first were rapids going out to sea, across a shallow "reef" about 100 yards / meters off shore through small surf, and then out against the wind for 5 minutes, turned around and downwinded back to the point. At times the wind strength matched the current and I was stationary.

[Off-Shore]

And here's a short video of the process. I'd highly recommend this to anyone in similar conditions. It's a lot of fun

[stoneaxe]

Plymouth Bay gets much like that where it dumps out over Brown's Bank. I can also get standing waves sometimes at the inside edge of the bar on outgoing tides, especially moon tides. Lots of fun to play on.

[Off-Shore]

A little different but sunny conditions this year...