Mary, I don't have a lot of experience kayak surfing. However, I am amazed that your session leaders did not emphasize side-surfing. In the usual long, narrow sea kayak, that is the stable position on a wave ... so that is where you will end up if a wave catches you. Consequently, it is important to know how to handle it. Side-surfing is fun, and once you learn how to safely brace into the wave, very controllable and relatively easy to use to get in ... in __small__ surf. Caveat: it takes a ruggedly built sea kayak to handle waves of any size. Many layups are so light that they will get trashed in 6-foot surf, especially dumping surf. (Don't ask me how I know this.) OTOH, my Pygmy Osprey STd, made of wood and glassed insode and out, is pretty stout, and I think it would fare much better. Doug Lloyd can tell us how to reinforce a kayak for large surf. -- 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/ ***************************************************************************Received on Tue Mar 18 2003 - 05:34:29 PST
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