Re: [Paddlewise] CB and CG in beam waves

   OK, I do not have the BCU's new edition of their "Canoe and Kayak 
Handbook," so I cannot comment on that. But allow me to attempt to explain, via this 
media, just how one deals with a broaching kayak in the waves.
   First of all, forget about all of this crap about the center of gravity 
and whatnot. You can go back to that and analyze just what your doing once you 
figure out how to do it. While there my be some more cerebral types out there 
who are able to accurately visualize this stuff from their living room, I think 
most of us need to experience it before we can get it. Attempting to over 
analyze it will only make it more difficult for you to learn.
   So let's look at a much simplified version of how to brace into a wave, 
shall we? I like to teach this more as a matter of edge control then bracing. 
When your boat is parallel to a breaking or broken wave it will have the 
tendency to slide down hill. It's a simple matter of gravity. As the boat slides 
downhill (towards the shore) water will want to pile up on its leading edge. If 
you present an edge to that piling water (lean down wave towards the shore expo
sing your chine) the water will try to push that edge under, and most likely 
succeed, and you will capsize. 
   So what we need to do is expose a more rounded surface to the oncoming 
water --- one that the water will not be so inclined to pile up on. We do this by 
leaning into the wave in order to expose our rounded hull to the water we are 
sliding down into. Now leaning the boat in this way while on the face of a 
wave can be a bit tippy. So what you will want to do is attempt to lean the boat 
without leaning your center of gravity any more then is necessary. That is, 
you tilt your hips rather then throw your body weight into the wave. And to 
help us support this position we can extend our paddle STRAIGHT into the face of 
the wave (a low brace on a small wave, a high brace on a larger wave) to take 
advantage of the water moving UP the face of the wave. That water, the water 
moving up the face of the wave, will provide support to our paddle and help us 
retain our balance while we TILT the boat into the wave with our hips. 
   Now once your boat has passed over the top of the wave you must back off 
on the bracing since there is nothing to support you on the back of the wave. 
If you capsize down wave (towards the shore) then you did not commit enough to 
the wave. If you capsize into the wave (towards the open ocean) then you 
either threw your weight into a too small of wave, or most likely, you over 
committed on the back of the wave.

I hope this make it a bit more clear.

Scott
So.Cal.
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