Let me be frank. As far as water sports go, I have never felt the urge to climb on a surf board and tackle crashing waves head on. But in recent years, I have been keen to give stand-up paddle boarding a try.
I first saw paddle boarding one January morning a few years ago when a guy was doing it way out off the coast of Maui. He stood on his board, calmly paddling through a virtually flat sea, when suddenly the water was disturbed by the massive form of a humpback whale that surfaced and spouted a gigantic column of spray within half a dozen yards or so of where he was.
Now that, I thought as I watched from the beach, is truly awesome.
But somehow, despite my enthusiasm, I never managed to schedule a paddle boarding lesson on that trip or any subsequent ones. Sure, I know it’s quickly becoming all the rage (especially on the West Coast), but I’ve never even stood on a surfboard. Could I even get up on one of those things?
Enter Lee Oldak, Sag Harbor’s own watersports aficionado. Last year, Lee started Sag Harbor Community Rowing, whose members meet a couple times a week to row around Sag Harbor Cove. Lee is passionate about getting people out on the water and as luck would have it, beginning next week, he will lead a stand up paddle boarding and kayaking course (as well as a separate rowing course) through Summerfest, Sag Harbor’s continuing education program.
“Some of the people doing paddle boarding are surfers looking for a low or no wave alternative,” explains Lee when I ask him who’s taking up the sport. “Instead of sitting on the beach, you get out on the water. It’s attracting a good amount of people who are in the 30 plus range. The boards are lighter than kayaks and easier to move around — and get out on the water.”
And out on the water is where Lee agreed to take me — to Accabonac Harbor in Springs, which is where he’ll be offering the course. His first step in the lesson is to reassure me that I can, in fact, paddle board.
“Some of the new paddle boards are floaty and like walking on water,” explains Lee. “They’re wider and thicker, so if anyone is a little unstable, they can do this. It’s closer to canoeing and kayaking than surfing. I was out for about an hour the other day and I was very comfortable.”
Accabonac Harbor, notes Lee, is an ideal spot for a beginner. The water’s flat and extremely shallow, which means there’s little to fear in the way of boat traffic — and the scenery is outstanding.
“You get a neat view of the grasslands. You’re much higher up than when you kayak and can really see things,” he says. “Once you get a little better, one thing that’s cool is a downwind run. You go upwind a mile or so then have someone pick you up on the way back. The wind’s at your back, and you get little rollers.”
“It’s definitely a good workout,” he adds.
Joining us at Accabonac Harbor are Stephenie and Jeremy Fry, who are not only accomplished paddle boarders, but manufacturers of them as well. Also on hand, the couple’s four jack Russell terriers — Roxy, Rex, Remi and Roscoe.
As the dogs romp excitedly at water’s edge, Stephenie explains that, as a sport, stand up paddle boarding is fairly new — it’s only been around about five years and has really gained popularity in just the last three years or so. It was started in Hawaii, she says, by surf instructors who stood on their boards to keep an eye on students and take photos during lessons.
Like the sport itself, Stephenie and Jeremy came here from Hawaii (they’ve lived on Kauai, for 20 years). They’ve been paddle boarding themselves for three of those years and are now in the board business, having designed models to suit a range of abilities — including mine. While Stephenie heads out into the harbor with all four dogs riding on her board (no kidding), I carefully eye the one she and Jeremy have selected for me to try. At 10 feet long, it’s one of their widest models — good for non-surfers like me. Paddle boards also function as traditional surf boards, and they have a narrower, eight footer, which Jeremy jumps aboard. It’s a less stable board — a little more tippy on the water — but great for maneuverability when paddling. It’s also ideal for advanced surfers who want to go from flat water paddling to full on wave surfing without changing boards.
“The width of the boards is really what makes a difference,” says Stephenie. “We want people to hop on and say, ‘This is fun.’ We went wider and thicker. It works. It makes it more comfortable and opens the sport up to other people who thought they couldn’t do the sport because they couldn’t get on the board.”
I see now. It’s all about getting on the board, and even Lee has managed to coax his giant black lab, Gus, onto his for a ride. Now I’m determined. If five dogs can figure out how to do this (though none of them seem to have figured out the paddle yet), then I can too.
Stephenie has given me some pointers for mastering the basics and I heed them closely. It’s been a cold, wet spring and the water’s not all that warm yet, so if I can avoid a soaking, I’ll be happy. With the paddle laying across the front of the board, I start in a kneeling position, then hop to my feet, pick up the paddle and assume a wide stance on the board. The ideal position reminds me a little of roller blading — knees slightly bent to maintain stability. Stephenie cautions that to reposition on the board, you want to hop — never walk (one step is probably all you’ll get before going over). Once I’m up, there are moments (like when I look over my shoulder) that I start wobbling and feel like I’m going to topple, but I don’t. Lee and Jeremy even encourage me to rock the board from side to side to get the feel of its range. Also helpful.
The paddling technique on the board is similar to canoeing, with one hand kept on the top of the paddle and switched when you change sides. The expert advice works like a charm. Within minutes, I’m up and tooling around the harbor with the best of them. Lee and Stephenie maintain a leisurely pace, so I can keep up. Though there’s no way I can scoot all the way across the harbor to the beach on Gerard Drive, which Jeremy seems to manage in a matter of minutes, I’m content to cruise around the edges of the grassland checking out egrets that think I can’t see them and a flock of geese who look surprised when a trio of humans go floating by.
“Accabonac for the nature is my favorite,” says Lee. “I also like buzzing around the mooring area in Sag Harbor. Anywhere you see the water you now have the ability explore. It’s a neat feeling and different — because you're so high up, can see much more than you would kayaking. There are tons of snowy egrets and herons, the ospreys are active.”
This is Stephenie and Jeremy’s second summer on the East End, and they have been impressed by the paddle boarding opportunities that lie right outside our door.
“It’s beautiful here,” says Stephenie. “There are a lot of estuaries that make for beautiful flat water paddles and protected areas that are a neat thing to explore on stand up. There’s also smaller surf here in New York than Hawaii. You don’t have to be an expert and it opens up the versatility for people. You can go five minutes in any direction and be at water. It’s a sport that has a lot of options for people — Three Mile Harbor, Fort Pond in Montauk, Gardiners Bay. If you’re more experienced, you can go to Ditch Plains or Main Beach and go play around in the surf. Everyone in the family can do it.”
Including, it turns out, me. Now I think it’s time I went out and got a dog.
In-person registration for Summerfest continuing education program is Tuesday, July 7 from 9 a.m. to noon and 6 to 8 p.m. at Pierson High School, Jermain Avenue, Sag Harbor. A total off 33 classes are being offered and in addition to stand up paddling, kayaking and rowing other offerings include surfing, aviation, water sports, film, language, art and more. Call 725-9818 for a brochure or to register by phone anytime. Classes begin July 8.
Above: Lee Oldak and his dog Gus paddle in Accabonac Harbor
