Peter Treby <ptreby_at_ozemail.com.au> wrote: >>>>>A technique question about surf skills: Anyone have any good ideas on rolling under breakers too big to punch through? Particularly, I am wondering about: 1. timing the roll under<<<<< At the last second and in position to roll making sure your kayak is pointed straight out. >>>>>2. timing the roll up<<<<< Just a few seconds, you'll know when the turbulence has past. >>>>>3. whether to stay in a roll set-up position while under water, or 4. whether to extend arms and paddle while under water to get a greater braking effect?<<<<<< Plenty of breaking with just your body. Keep your paddle locked right next to the kayak in the roll position so the turbulence doesn't get it and take it from you. >>>>>5. what size surf do you punch/spear through, what size do you roll under, and at what point do you just keep out altogether?<<<<<<< Punch through what you are sure you can make it through. Roll if it is marginal or a little bigger (or if you've timed things all wrong and a dumper is about to slam you right in the chest) >>>>Any real life practical tips appreciated.<<<<<< The following is from the "Paddling" manual on our website. There is lots more than this about surf there for those of you who would like some tips for the surf zone. This section should also answer the when the roll technique is not enough question. "Going Out Though Surf Time your departure so that you're not heading out just as one of the big sets is coming in. Watch the waves for twenty minutes or more and check the time between the sets of large (or small) waves through several cycles. Point directly into each breaker that you have to punch through, accelerating to top speed to make sure the wave doesn't start surfing you backwards. Look ahead and watch how the next waves are building, often you can angle away from areas about to break and slip over low passes. If a large wave breaks before reaching you, paddle furiously until the last possible moment before the soup hits you, then lean forward onto the deck holding the paddle parallel to the boat in order to present as little area as possible for the wave to push you back. As soon as possible after the wave has hit you start paddling hard again so you aren't inadvertently surfed backwards by the boiling crest. Try to avoid being just where the wave first breaks as this is the area of most violence. It take a lot of experience to know if you should charge ahead and jump the crest or hang back and hope it breaks before it's on top of you. Novices usually error by waiting when they should have charged. Deliberately capsizing just before being slugged by a break you probably can't punch through anyhow is one way to avoid losing all the progress you've made so far. Your body hanging below the kayak will hopefully anchor you in place while the break rolls over your upturned hull. Once it has passed you calmly Eskimo roll and continue on your way to face whatever the next wave has in store. Matt says, "I practiced this in smaller waves (under six feet) I could have paddled through. Once when caught in the dump zone by a nightmare sized wave about to break right on top of me I decided it was definitely the time to try this capsize and roll technique for real. The wave curled and broke right over me, there was no kayak shattering smash like I expected, the wave just picked me gently up and turned me over lengthwise. I broke the surface and opened my eyes to find myself right side up and facing the beach. Unfortunately I was also going nose first over the falls from on top of this big wave." Obviously, this technique has its limits." I got sucked quite a ways out of the cockpit while tumbling but managed to hang onto the kayak with my feet and slip back in and roll up once things calmed down. I have friends who are lots crazier than me and would paddle in through some really big surf. They could get outside the big break by going out a jetty protected river mouth. One discovered his limits when the breaker he was riding broke and just wouldn't let go of him until he was about to pass out from lack of air. He's lucky to be alive and was quite shaken by the experience. Matt Broze http://www.marinerkayaks.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Sun Dec 03 2000 - 10:48:29 PST
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:30:35 PDT