RE: [Paddlewise] Outside vs. Inside Edge for Turning in Surf

I've always heard dropping the edge in the direction of your turn on a wave
-- so opposite of a normal kayak turn on flat water.   I think the reason is
a mostly having the inside edge of the turn bite into the wave near the
front though I wonder if also there's some additional affect from how the
wave lifts and pushes the stern.
 
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net
[mailto:owner-paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net] On Behalf Of Duane Strosaker
Sent: Friday, August 21, 2009 7:48 PM
To: Paddlewise
Subject: [Paddlewise] Outside vs. Inside Edge for Turning in Surf

Kayakers,

I consider sea kayak surfing my specialty. When turning or keeping straight
on a wave, I almost always edge on the outside of the turn and rudder on the
inside. Occasionally, if I'm at the top of the wave, with the bow and stern
out of the water, I'll edge the kayak way over on the inside and rudder on
the inside to get straightened out. But overwhelmingly, I edge on the
outside of the turn. I'm very happy with my amount of control of a sea kayak
in surf, and I've been complimented on it many times.

Lately, I've seen a lot of videos of sea kayaks surfing the Skooks wave.
Just about every kayaker is edging the sea kayak on the inside of the turn.
It seems to me they'd do a lot better to edge on the outside, but
nonetheless, they are doing pretty good. I wonder if most of these guys
surfing Skooks are whitewater guys, and therefore, aren't familiar with
outside edging a sea kayak, or maybe they know something I don't.
Admittedly, I surf Southern California waves generated by Pacific swell, but
I apply my same techniques to tide rips I've surfed in San Francisco Bay.

How do you edge turn your sea kayak in surf or tide rips?

Duane
www.rollordrown.com
***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************