Re: [Paddlewise] planing

Peter Rathmann wrote:

> Given these definitions, a kayak could be
> 1) neither surfing nor planing (the most common situation)
> 2) surfing but not planing (typ. because the speed is not sufficient to
> plane)
> 3) planing but not surfing (usu. needs a sail or a towline)
> 4) both planing and surfing.
>
> My disagreement with John's statement was not that he distinguished
> between planing and surfing but because I felt he implied that condition
> 4) could not exist.

Hi Guys,

My initial question was the use of the word planing in a context that I can't
remember now, what it was, but its use, with my background, didn't make sense.
I was trying to understand.  And the thread devolved into a definition of
planing.  I wasn't smart enough to envision the different logical end points
you have defined above.  I'm interested to see where this ends up, as I have
zero experience in surf.

FWIW, I am very interested in surfing with my kayak.  My only experience was
one day last summer when I launched and landed twice off the beach on North
Carolina's Outer Banks.  The surf was mild and calm.  I'll have you know that
those little shore break waves that hit your knee when you are standing at the
waterline, HIT you in the face when you're sitting in your kayak!   And the 8'
of hull sitting out front of you is a great lever arm.  It took one person
holding the bow just to let me put on the spray skirt and I still went out with
a lot of water in the cockpit.  Once I got beyond the shore break, the swells
were very easy to move around in.  Coming back through the shore break, I
landed nicely once and broached and tumbled right at the last once.

At one point I had my one and only ride on a BIG wave, please put this in
context!  It was bigger than me!  However some kids wouldn't even boogie board
on it because it was too small.   Anyway, when I started down the face, the
kayak started to broach to the left (port :-)) and I just stuck my paddle on a
low brace on the left and skidded across the face of the wave for what must
have been 2 nano seconds, but seemed like 15 minutes.  I was too worried about
staying upright to notice if I was surfing or planing  :-).  BUT it was a
Blast!

I know that the shape of hull and chines will play a very major part in your
ability to control your movement down the face of a wave.  I am looking forward
to your continued discussion because "I know nothing"  Sgt. Shultz - Hogans
Heroes

I have always loved the lines of a greenland hull, shallow v and hard chines.
I've always wondered, if you increased the radius of the bilge from 0 degrees,
at what radius does a hard chine stop giving you the carving benefits of a
sharp angle, (or stop acting like a hard chine?) I don't know enough to ask the
right question!  When does a Greenland hull stop being a Greenland hull?  I can
remember when I was shopping for my first boat and naïvely asked the question;

What does "modified" greenland hull mean?

and couldn't get an answer that made sense.


John Blackburn


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