Surf Landings

Editor: Orion11

Some of us sea kayak to experience the violent chaos of the open sea, while others prefer the placid waters of protected bays and inside passages. But regardless of your preferences and propensities, the ocean's moods are ultimately unpredictable, and sooner or later, if you sea kayak long enough, you will experience the joy, or the terror, of landing through the surf.

If you are familiar with a beach, know the depths of the near-shore water, and have analyzed the surf break from the safety of terra firma, then you have the luxury of adapting your surf landing technique to the unique characteristics of that particular set of waves on that given day. But if you're traveling along an unknown coast, and a sudden wind roils up ominous-sounding surf, it's nearly impossible to read conditions from the seat of a kayak, bobbing on the backs of the waves.

I've heard people argue that you should surf a kayak straight in, perpendicular to the face of the breaking wave, but for me, that's a formula for disaster. If the wave is too steep, your boat will drop off the face, you'll rocket straight down, augur your nose into the sand, flip end for end, and land solidly on your head. Bad idea.

I prefer to paddle into the surf zone at about 45 degrees to the surf. When you feel the swell steepen, paddle like a banshee, until the wave starts to break, then quickly rudder the boat until you're parallel to the wave, like a log inside the curl. Now cock your hips and lean into the wave. Reach out your paddle and grab the green water on the face of the wave and lean on your paddle as if it were an outrigger. You might spend a few moments under water, but you'll remain upright, and pretty soon you'll bounce happily onto dry land.

If you don't believe me, try this technique out on a few tiny wavelets, just for practice, and soon, who knows, you might be surfing not as an emergency measure, but as a sport.

Find Out More

To find out more about Kayaking, Surf Landings, and Jon Turk, please visit www.jonturk.net.

Categories: Outdoors | Kayaking | Recreation | Sports