"In the Shadow of the Parachute Jump, Coney Island"
Only there was no shadow, and there was no sunrise for this final August edition of the Coney Island Friday Early Morning Sunrise Swims ("FEMSS"). I did get out there and I did get in the water (which was lovely) but it wasn't quite the idyllic lazy Coney Island morning I'd been daydreaming about while getting hot and sticky cleaning the place. The daydream involved a sunrise swim, breakfast at a diner, a little more swimming after the lifeguards were on duty, maybe a nap on the beach, and then a visit to the new shark exhibit at the Coney Island Aquarium.
I've spent a fair amount of time at Coney Island this summer - enough that I finally joined the Coney Island Brighton Beach Open Water Swimmers instead of just taking advantage of their hospitality (as I have done in summers when I only swam once or twice, particular when I was able to do kayak support for a swim or two - this summer I didn't think I would be able to). We've had a very rainy summer but the weekends I did go, the beach was in the most welcoming mood - even the day I attended one of the open-water clinics that is one of the club's offerings for members, when the forecast was I think calling for some rain in the afternoon, it started out a little cloudy and the wind had kicked up a pretty good chop, but then it cleared up. And other days, the beach was positively operating in the spirit of one of those beguiling hosts or hostesses, where you think you're just going to drop by somebody's party for a few minutes to say hi and hours later you still just can't pull yourself away because it's all so lovely. Bright sun sparkling on the cool water, the camaraderie of the CIBBOWS group gathered at Grimaldo's Chair - it's hard to leave sometimes!
Not so much today. The heat wave has broken, but it's still very, very humid, with the salty air at the beach feeling downright sticky. The clouds were thick and looming, and the wind was enough to lift a mist of sand into the air. The water did feel lovely - it's warmed up since the end of July - and I wouldn't have minded staying out longer, but the usual FEMSS is a short dip ending at 6:30 and when the rest of the small group who'd braved the weather got out, I joined them and headed back home - there was just a little too much sand flying around to make sticking around appealing (and in fact I was crunching sand between my teeth on the subway ride home). Had my nap at home, will have to go back for the sharks another time.
All photos after this - click for a slide show.
I've spent a fair amount of time at Coney Island this summer - enough that I finally joined the Coney Island Brighton Beach Open Water Swimmers instead of just taking advantage of their hospitality (as I have done in summers when I only swam once or twice, particular when I was able to do kayak support for a swim or two - this summer I didn't think I would be able to). We've had a very rainy summer but the weekends I did go, the beach was in the most welcoming mood - even the day I attended one of the open-water clinics that is one of the club's offerings for members, when the forecast was I think calling for some rain in the afternoon, it started out a little cloudy and the wind had kicked up a pretty good chop, but then it cleared up. And other days, the beach was positively operating in the spirit of one of those beguiling hosts or hostesses, where you think you're just going to drop by somebody's party for a few minutes to say hi and hours later you still just can't pull yourself away because it's all so lovely. Bright sun sparkling on the cool water, the camaraderie of the CIBBOWS group gathered at Grimaldo's Chair - it's hard to leave sometimes!
All photos after this - click for a slide show.
2 comments:
Hi, forgive my intrusion as a stranger with a question. I'm impressed by your blogging diligence. It seemed like your blog was the most likely place to have an answer or a suggestion: My son is a student in NYC and I'm planning to visit in November -- We live in Seattle area and have done a lot of kayaking in Puget Sound, in Oregon and up north. I'd like to rent or find to use kayaks assuming fair weather for a couple hour paddle on the Hudson or Long Island Sound or maybe East River? When I come to visit. A fun way to see some sites, do something adventurous, etc. However, looking online, all the rentals seem to shut down. I have inflatables, but it'd be a pain to carry the luggage and cost extra to drag em along. Ideally, we could rent 2-4, with PFDs and dry tops. Early November is current plan. Any chance you'd have a suggestion?
I would suggest contacting the various local outfitters you've found directly with your request. By November, the local water is getting down to cold shock hazard level, so online reservations don't offer the amount of screening they would need to do. Can't make any guarantees but if you contacted them directly and gave them your experience they might be willing to set something up.
You're not going to find rentals at all in the NYC area, the currents are strong and there's a ton of commercial traffic, but if you were willing to be guided you could check with the Tubby Hook Paddle Company or Manhattan Kayak Company. Up the Hudson a way, you could check with Prime Paddlesports, Hudson River Expeditions, or Atlantic Kayak Tours.
I don't know the Long Island Sound situation as well but I found a few pretty easily with a google search.
Good luck, I hope you can find someone!
OK, now let's see if Blogger will let me post this many links.
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