Thanks for the various helpful tips on handling explosive sand-sucking dumpers. Here's how I handled the last shore-dump landing:- The scene, a group of four paddlers, steep sand berm, one metre whuumping shore dump. I went first, feverishly windmilling on the back of one, leapt out of the boat just in time to grab it and stop it re-cycling in the next wave. Second paddler in, grab his bow as he's turned sideways getting out of the boat late. Third punter, lucky, got in on small one, doesn't matter anyway, he's paddling a concrete lay-up Nordkapp. Last paddler mistimes, abrades his way up the beach swallowing sandy brine. He stands up and asks "I've surfed here a while ago. Why didn't we land AROUND THE CORNER where there's calm water?!" :-) PT. *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Great 10 points, Doug, but you don't mention landability as being influenced by the periodicity of the surf. Here in the Great Lakes, we often get surf from waves in close succession, say, one every two seconds. When even three and four foot waves break that fast, landing or launching becomes challenging. By contrast, going through similar amplitude but longer period waves is easier because you have time to recover before getting whacked again. So, if possible, gauge not only how big the waves are but how fast they are coming on. TFJ ------------------------------------------ The information contained in this e-mail message may be privileged, confidential, and protected from disclosure. If you are not the intended recipient, any further disclosure or use, dissemination, distribution, or copying of this message or any attachment is strictly prohibited. If you think that you have received this e-mail message in error, please delete it and notify the sender. *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
"Joyce, Thomas F." wrote: > Great 10 points, Doug, but you don't mention landability as being influenced by the periodicity of the surf. Here in the Great Lakes, we often get surf from waves in close succession, say, one every two seconds. When even three and four foot waves break that fast, landing or launching becomes challenging. By contrast, going through similar amplitude but longer period waves is easier because you have time to recover before getting whacked again. So, if possible, gauge not only how big the waves are but how fast they are coming on. > > TFJ > > ------------------------------------------ Absolutely. I stayed away from certain aspects, like wave periodicity, wave velocity (also called "celerity"), how close together the individual waves are and their respective steepness, undertow, and high versus low tide effects (and wearing PFD's so we don't get that thread going again!). A good paddler understands the implications regarding the steepness of the sea, the degree of energy that the waves contain, and wave period. Geography plays into the equation, but I've found living where I do, that the open coast juxtaposed to inland waters gives me a variety of surf to train in. And you are right, close succession waves are a pain. Large close-succession waves, I consider, are very dangerous and difficult. The energy in a wave is proportional to the square of the wave's height. A four-foot sea contains 16 times the energy of a one-foot sea. Add in a factor of almost no recovery time and landing or launching becomes challenging indeed -- in shore-dumping waves especially. The other thing this brings up is terminology. To my way of thinking, a _dumping wave_ breaks suddenly on shore, throwing you and your boat downward with incredible force. All other waves normally fall into two other general categories: plunging waves and spilling waves. As the crest of the plunging wave breaks and spills forth in front of the main body of the wave, it causes a curl (or what surfers call a tube). These waves are also very hazardous to land through or launch through. They occur near-shore and further out. Basically, to me, a _plunging wave_ is one that happens in water a bit deeper or a lot deeper than a shore-dumper. Spilling waves I like, and normally I can find those on sandy shorelines and bays where there is a gently sloping sea floor. One other "water-meeting-land" condition I find difficult to land in, are surge waves. Surging waves more often that not, do not break. But very steep beaches where the sea floor slopes dramatically can produce a substantial surge of water up the shore. Timing is critical, especially one's exit from the cockpit. If you think backwash from other type of surf landings can cause ungraceful landings, surge-wave landing can be hilarious to watch (to the rest watching the first guy going in, anyway). If you step backwards into deeper water as your kayak is sucked back to sea, you can be up to your head in a second or two. There is a potential of loosing your boat, or worse. A short WW kayak or a sea kayak with a rounded hull and full ends can be easier to land and maneuver through various surf types than a narrow kayak with finer lined ends, as there isn't much for turbulent water to yank on as it sheds water more easily. However, I find the opposite true for exiting turbulent surf. Anyway. I feel like crud this weekend, so BFN. DL *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Just a comment on the use of "dumpers." Seems like most posters here have been using "dumpers" to describe waves that break directly on a steep beach. That's well and good, although the surfing community (I think) has called those things "shorebreak" for years. Perforce, if a wave breaks directly on a bare beach, it has to be a "dumper." [Side comment: for me, it is not just the dumping that is a problem; there is the suck of collapsed wave that takes you out into the middle of another shorebreak. Repeated maytagging. When I bodysurfed, we would do a forward roll as these things hit the sand, come up "standing" (crouching, anyway), and run like hell up the beach. Fun if it works.] Dumping surf occurs at the main break line, also, anyplace where the bottom shoals rapidly. Down here in Oregon, we often see dumping surf in the over head to well over head size (8 feet and better). Hell of a thing to see, and something no one would want to get caught in the impact zone. Plenty of energy to thoroughly trash most fiberglass layups ... even Doug Lloyd's Nordkapp tank .... er, I mean kayak. -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Good terminology stuff Dave! Dumper refers to how a wave breaks, not where. Shorebreak refers to where a wave breaks, not how. I like to look at the lines of waves coming (or going) in and determine swell size and direction, where and how they are forming and breaking and the sea bottom configuration and shape. If the bottom is a nice, gentle slope you can bet on shouldered waves that *spill* nicely. Steep bottom and the waves form, swell and *dump* in a flash. Just like Dave said, these waves can be in any zone of breaking waves. Dumpers in the initial impact zone are truely impressive. To watch a large swell form, start to break and dump it's entire load in a couple seconds is amazing and quite loud. Ones that land directly on the beach are definitley scarry. You mix in a couple truckloads of sand into the dump and land it on a hard surface and YIKES!! steve ( who has a side hobby watching water move) *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Dave, You're quite right. I mentioned dumpers and then proceded to describe landing and launching at Big Lagoon here in California which has a shorebreak. > Seems like most posters here have been using "dumpers" to describe waves that > break directly on a steep beach ... "shorebreak" > Sid Taylor *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
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