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

I'm sure others may have paddled their Express more in surf than I have. I'm
in complete agreement with Duane on this one. Doug as well (I think they just
are saying pretty much the same thing using a different way of saying it).
Outside edging makes for a quicker turn with most kayaks in flatwater or on a
wave face (and especially with swedeform kayaks with curved hard chines in the
stern like Mariners). When trying to stay on the wave and not broach, I lean
into the wave on the upwave side I have started to broach towards (edging to
the outside of the turn I want to make--or slowing my broach if I can't make
the turn back down the face) but then start to stop that turn before going
past the straight down the wave orientation so I don't overshoot the goal and
broach the other way. If you need to lean a whole lot either on flatwater or
one the crest of the wave (as Duane mentioned) to make the kayak pivot quickly
you are pretty much forced to lean to the inside of the turn so your paddle is
available on that side for bracing yourself back upright. The other time I'll
lean a lot to the inside (up wave side) of the turn is when I want to peel off
the wave before it breaks. It might be faster to lean to the outside there too
but the steepness of the wave face and the side pressure on the keel will
usually make it very difficult to get the boat back to being level with the
horizon again. More likely you will end up tumbling head first down the wave
face.



If I want too peel off the wave to the opposite side I'm presently angling
towards I might hold the outside lean past the straight down the wave
direction a bit to speed up the turn to the opposite tack but then suddenly
switch to leaning into the turn for the peel out before I get leaned too far
down the wave face to recover. The more keel (and the more vertical the ends
of your kayak are the less you will be able to lean the kayak down the wave
and recover. The keel to the front of the kayak's direction is the one most
likely to torque you over down wave.



For instance when surfing a breaker backwards in an Express (the hour glass
flared stern makes back surfing possible where most kayaks rear ender) the
vertical fin keel back there (now the end in the direction I'm moving towards
when going backwards) could get so trapped in a down wave lean that as hard as
I fought to right the kayak after leaning a bit down wave I was just not
strong enough to do it if the pressure torquing me over remained constant or
increased (which it does the further you broach). I would sometimes be slowly
forced over to an eventually tumble down the wave face because I couldn't pull
hard enough with my thigh under the cockpit to stop it. With all the rocker
and flare at the bow of the Express, when moving forward I could lean down
wave at a much bigger angle (off center) and still bring the kayak back to an
inside edge lean to finish the peel off.



Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:48:06 -0700
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Outside vs. Inside Edge for Turning in Surf
From: crjungers_at_gmail.com
To: strosaker_at_yahoo.com
CC: paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net; marinerkayaks_at_msn.com

I just had a thought.... since the Mariner Express behaves something like your
kayak (turns naturally when edged to the outside of the turn) and since Matt
Broze has probably surfed the Express as much as anyone else, I wonder what
technique Matt uses in ocean surf (inside edge or outside edge).

I'm also hoping to drive down there with my pickup truck and 1972 Streamline
21' trailer and stay for a few days at the campground near San Onofre
(assuming the State keeps it open) some time this winter. I'll bring the F-1
down and hope for some gentle surf to get out in. You might rattle around in
my F-1 but it will be interesting to see how Mark likes it.

Craig Jungers
Moses Lake, WA
www.nwkayaking.net
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