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Starting this post as a result of a good question on the Groupme App.
We are getting some surprisingly solid East wind, and that hardly ever happens.
I actually have no experience on an East as a result, but have heard good things about these places.
Charlotte: Works great in the non swim beach season for the kites, tons of open rigging and launching area. Big hike for the windsurfers.
Braddock Bay: Army Corps is working there, but after scouting it as a windsurfing location in a NE last year, it looks pretty promising. Chris Joyce lives there so maybe he’ll chime in for the kite aspect. I’m not sure a kite launch is easily feasible on the lake side, and don’t know about the possibility of a launch inside the bay either. For windsurfing the launch is a nice walk in that (before the barrier island construction at least) is protected by a small jetty. In a NE you shoot right across the opening to the bay where the waves break and have really nice spacing between them. I think this is a totally unplucked gem.
Grass Beach: A thing of legend. Never sailed there but have heard this spot that is in a bend in the Lake O Parkway, is awesome. It is pretty much a grassy rigging area off the highway and then a small path to the water. Rick G. has sailed it as well as Chris K.
Hamlin Beach: It’s out there, but I don’t think they let people ride there.
Olcott Beach/Harbor: I recently read a Buffalo area post about riding NW and East/NE here. Eric from Buffalo had a great session there a couple days ago.
Montana Beach: Likely too sheltered by the geography on a true East wind.
Thoughts?
Find and like Rochester Windsports on Facebook
Wd
Hamlin Beach St. Park: I’m not sure
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See map of Hamlin Beach S.P., which indicates the eastern-most end of the beach is the “car top boat launch site”. If the beaches are closed for swimming, likely can use any of them but they clearly allow windsurfing (and, by extension, very very likely kiting). Only 1 NY State Park I’ve ever been to told me I couldn’t launch (Verona Beach, Oneida Lake).
Solely on the basis of Google Earth, I would think the best calls for a due east are Hamlin Beach S.P. and Braddock Bay. Braddock is forecast to have lesser wind, mainly because it’s “recessed” from the main body of water, while Hamlin is more right out on the edge – the wind topo maps almost always show stronger wind in the Hamlin / Olcott area than around Rochester. Likely bigger more intimidating shore break at Hamlin, but both sites have little jetties, so might be a piece of cake. Local experience may be different, particularly for waves as bottom shape will have big effects on shore break.
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Hey Dudes, I’m a beginner windsurfer with this year being my first. I’ve been lurking on your site for a bit trying to gain some knowledge, but as a beginner I don’t have to much to contribute. Except, I have a cottage on Lake Ontario with parking and easy access to the lake and usually beers in the fridge. I would welcome anyone to ride here anytime. In return, maybe learn a little and have someone to ride with. I’m located a couple miles East of Golden Hill State Park.
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That’s good of you Rich! Welcome toe the sport, and thanks for taking a chance and posting on the forum. You are in a bit of a no mans land out there, although last week I was eyeing Olcott and remembering when my family used to use the parkway and then route 18 to get to the Lewiston/Queenston bridge.
I’d say to give Long Pond in Greece a good look when the wind is blowing from the WSW and SW (not nearly as good as WSW but still worth it). It is fairly shallow for a while although the water is quite dirty and the bottom is unpredictable (booties are a really good idea). A few galleries of Long Pond higher wind sessions are on the photo page.
If you do Facebook, have you checked out the WNY Windsurfing, Kiting, Snowkiting page? It is a closed group but takes all comers.
Hope to see you on the water.
Doug
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Thanks Doug, Yes Long Pond looks relatively close for when the wind is right. I don’t like south winds on the lake, although it does keep the waves down, and I chalk it all up to experience anyway. Hopefully I’ll take a drive down the Parkway and try Long Pond before it gets too cold. I’ll check out the facebook page as well. And thanks for the great site by the way! -Rich
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If there is low pressure in the Ohio valley or Mich. and a high in the Canadian Maritimes with a 10 mph east forecast due to the topology of the Mohawk valley there is sometimes a 20 – 40 wind on the western end of Oneida lake. The airport can be reporting 9 and 10 miles away it is blowing 30. 20 years ago this elusive condition would happen about once a month. When Dave Eicorn a local meteorologist first arrived in Syracuse he was talking to a bunch of fisherman and one named Tom Lott said the windsurfers kept diaries of every east wind day for the past 10 years. This was important to Dave and he wanted to understand the phenomenon because there were cases of fisherman drown on east wind days. One was a friend of mine. So Dave borrowed our wind diaries to check what the conditions where at the time of east wind in order to forecast and save fisherman lives. Back in the day the Syracuse gang would contact the Rochester gang and on a good forecast a group would often make the drive. It was not unusual back then for 40 windsurfers to be at Oneida shores park with 3 or 4 of the Rochester guys on a east day. Since Oneida is shallow an east wind creates a very steep chop that can be fun. Does not seem that the east wind blows much anymore and if it does it is 5.8 or 6.5. last week was an epic east blow of 4 days straight. Never ever remember 4 days in a row. Wed was 5.2 Thurs was 4.1 Fri was 4.7 and Sat was 5.2 but most of us were too beat up to sail and it was opening Bow season in S. Zone. The few of us left in the Syr area that sailed last week were Frank G, Kevin B, Mike M, and Tom L. The same Tom L mentioned above who is 71 now! Mike and I are the only ones left that occasionally go to Seneca and sail with our Rochester brothers. Mike has a camp north of Henderson on Ontario now which is incredible in a south wind so I doubt he will show much any more. If there are any Rochester old timers left that use to come and sail the Oneida east please give a shout if you remember. I know we sailed some epic east days with you.
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Thanks for the awesome info Frank!
Dan Scorza has mentioned heading to Oneida in the past. I remember a time 6-8 years ago when a group was talking about doing this but the wind didn’t seem to materialize.
30-40 windsurfers on the water…….what a sight. Sounds like you had some great days last week….I had none.
Geoff often sights the unique topography of our region as a wind strengthener as well.
Hope to see you on the water.
Doug
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East wind is fickle if it has too much north or south it does not happen. Often dies by 11 and does better when it rainy bad weather. Oneida has no wind meters that are even close to correct so someone has to check in person. Tom and Mike are just a few minutes away and often make the report. Oneida is actually a longer drive than Seneca for me. I found this old picture of an east wind in 1995. State Police boat broke down and a group of windsurfers walked the boat up the shore line until we got it to the boat ramp. Hard not to smile at this and the good karma made the wind blow for a few years longer. Seems like the wind stopped around Y2K. Maybe the wind would start blowing again if we worked on karma more. The older I get the more I believe in karma. Hope the picture shows. Its my first attempt and Im not great with computers.
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Doug you must be my good luck charm! Ha ha! After a year and a dozen times of trying to get a profile picture post it looks like it finally worked! Kind of like a real estate agents card that shows them 30 years younger this is my first time in Hatteras in 1984. The board is a Greg Lower custom.( poly of course) I just bought at fox. The hat from the 1983 Windsurfer worlds in Kingston. Best 2 weeks of my life! We put colored Zinc oxide for face paint to be wave warriors. I was 29 years old!! What a baby! ( 61 now). Life was never as good as it was at that moment! I did not have $200 to my name and was so happy! Please keep my secret and allow me to remember windsurfing the way it was.
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When I lived up there, I’ve sailed Oneida Shores many times, and was told that the best non-live index is the Syracuse Airport wind. Needs to be b/w 80º and 120º (i.e., cannot be much north of due E and only a little S of due E), and needs to be 10 mph or higher. That produces 15+ on the water due to a venturi effect from the narrowing width of the lake. I agree that most of the conditions that work are rainy nor’easters.
The spot doesn’t have good rollers, but it does have some good ramps. Also, beware boat traffic, as the middle of the lake is the channel for the NYS Barge Canal and Oneida Shores is a popular fishing launch.
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