Re: [Paddlewise] Surf & Skill Ratings; Rolling Under

In a message dated 12/3/00 12:32:07 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
ptreby_at_ozemail.com.au writes:

<< 1. timing the roll under
 2. timing the roll up
 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?
 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?
 Any real life practical tips appreciated.>>
  
Peter,

Below is story for you from earlier this year.  It includes a roll under and 
good thrashing.

Surf Spanking

by Duane Strosaker

With surf forecasted in the 5-7 foot range, I canceled my plans for a coastal 
paddle to go kayak surfing at San Onofre State Beach instead. Surf this size 
is larger than I like, but I went anyway because it was my first chance to go 
surfing in a while due the surf being too small lately. I met up with a 
couple of surf kayaking friends on the beach, Marie Humphrey and Mike Vest, 
and we paddled out.

The surf looked more like 8 feet rather than 5-7. Waves were breaking all the 
way from the beach to 1/4 mile out, and they were stormy, coming in quickly 
one after the other with very little interval between them.

I started paddling out during a lull, which ended up being too brief. 
Paddling out through the breakers was tiring, and just when I thought I was 
outside, I saw a large set that was going to break even farther out. To try 
to get safely inside, I paddled hard to catch a wave that was rolling under 
me, but I was in the wrong position and missed it. I should've kept paddling 
towards the beach, but I turned around and paddled out hard. A smaller wave 
between me and the large set on the outside blocked my view of the set for a 
moment. As I crested that wave, I didn't like what I saw before me.

It was going to be close, so I stayed aggressive and kept paddling hard. 
Moments later the top of the wave was teetering above me, and it became 
obvious that it was going to break right on me. I realized then just how hard 
I was breathing from the exertion of paddling hard, and I doubted that I had 
enough air to make it through the pounding of this wave. I have been pounded 
by waves just as large, but never when I was so out of breath.

I kept paddling and just before the wave broke on me, I rolled under to let 
the bottom of my surf kayak, an Alamax, take the beating rather than my body. 
This rolling under technique worked pretty well for me in the past in a long 
sea kayak, but in my short white water and surf kayaks, I was always tossed, 
which was what I expected this time. Needless to say, I was tossed, and 
cartwheeled, and flipped, and pried from my tucked forward position to the 
back deck a couple of times. And yes, I was out of air, very!

I didn't even get a chance to use my bombproof roll. I was waiting for 
everything to calm down so I could roll, but things weren't getting any 
better yet. I wish I could say that I was sucked out of the cockpit, but I 
wasn't. The call for air was strong, so I became a squirming hatch blower. 
Not long after getting out of the boat, I surfaced and gasped for precious 
air while still in the white water.

When the wave let go, I had my paddle in one hand and the kayak was a few 
feet away. I did a quick paddle swim to the kayak and grabbed the bow strap 
just before another large wave broke on me. That wave ripped the kayak out of 
my hand, and when I surfaced, the kayak was gone, along with my plans to do a 
re-entry and roll, and pump out the water with the pump I kept in the kayak.

I had a long 1/4 mile swim ahead of me through surf, rip currents and a 
current pushing me fast down the coast. I knew I was going to stay warm in my 
full wetsuit and stay afloat in my PFD, and I had the paddle to make swimming 
faster, but despite pacing myself and taking short breaks, I was tiring 
quickly. When I was about halfway in, I was glad to see that Marie and Mike 
spotted me. Marie came to me, while Mike went for my kayak. I pulled myself 
up onto the back deck of Marie's white water kayak, and she towed me towards 
where Mike had my kayak. But we were getting hit by breaking waves and the 
towing was slow. Having towed swimmers in rescues myself, I knew it was slow 
and tiring. Marie grew tired but kept at it and did a great job. When we 
reached where Mike was with my kayak, we were about 40 yards off the beach 
and, thanks to the current, a half mile down the beach and in front of the 
nuclear power plant.

As Marie and I positioned the boats for a side rescue, we saw a large 
breaking wave coming down on us, and we quickly dispersed. When I surfaced, I 
saw Marie get side surfed all the way to the beach and hit the boulders at 
the waters edge with her kayak, but she was OK.

I still had a hold of the kayak and kept swimming it in, until the nasty 
beach break that was repeatedly pounding me ripped it from my hands. I did 
the paddle swim on in while watching my plastic (thank goodness) kayak 
getting cartwheeled repeatedly in the beach break.

Getting the kayak onto the beach was no easy task. Despite air bags in the 
front and back, it was full of sand and water, and felt like it weighed a 
ton. Repeatedly, as the waves washed the kayak up on the beach, I tried to 
grab a hold of it, tip it over to get the water out, and drag it up the beach 
to safety, but the waves washing back down the beach pulled it back out, and 
I ended up watching my kayak do cartwheels again. Mike landed, and together, 
he and I were able to wrestle the kayak down, tip it over to drain the water 
out, and carry it up the beach.

I was never so tired in my life.

After rehydrating and resting about a half hour, I went back out into the 
surf to regain lost confidence. However, I rode only the smaller waves on the 
inside, because I was too tired to risk another long swim.

Thank you, Marie and Mike, for the rescue!

By the way, Mike ended up having a worse day than me. Later during a landing, 
he side surfed into a concrete pole, which put a large dent in the hull of 
his plastic white water kayak, and during the incident, he let go of his 
paddle and never saw it again.

What a day in the surf at San O'!


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