By Taylor Burch  

On a recent morning kayak outing, I found myself in my boat, upside down and underwater. The wave that had put me there was not finished yet; I was still firmly in its grasp, racing towards the beach.  The force of the moving water had me pinned back over the rear deck. I was struggling to maintain some contact with my paddle. I tried to pull it all together for a roll, but ended up exiting the boat in the shore break. Repeatedly pounded by subsequent waves, I slowly dragged my swamped boat to shore.  During my previous two sessions surfing a kayak, the surf gods had taken it easy on me and I knew it. It was only a matter of time before I would be mangled by a large wave. Instead of cursing my situation, I was actually grinning from ear to ear. The power of the ocean is intoxicating.

As a kayaker and a surfer, it was only a matter of time before I put the two together. Wave riding in a kayak is a lot of fun, but aside from the adrenaline rush, the surf zone provides an incredible microcosm in which to perfect paddling skills. While I have taken care to learn and often practice many kayaking skills and rescues, I’ve never really needed to perform them under ‘real’ and adverse conditions… until now. 

As a relative new comer to kayak surfing, I am certainly no expert, but I would like to share some of the lessons I have learned. I think that they will be valuable to other kayakers both in and outside of the surf zone.  

Getting started

You can take a kayak surfing class from several Southern California organizations. See the Outfitters page.  Or, you can do what I did, and learn on your own.  If you’ve body, boogie, or board surfed before, you already know something about waves and the surf zone and it’s directly transferable to kayak surfing. 

Boats for Surf Kayaking

Regardless of your skill level, one of the primary limiting factors to boat control is hull configuration. A long boat with a round sectional profile will be difficult to control at best while riding a breaking wave. It will tend to broach quickly. Whitewater “Play Boats” allow for excellent control and fun in the surf. Most feature a flat bottom for easy planning and hard edges for carving turns. There are also an ever-increasing number of surf specific boats available too.

Other Equipment

Aside from a boat, there are several other pieces of equipment that will help you to survive in the surf.

• A whitewater paddle features larger blades. The larger blades provide for more secure braces, easier rolling, and better sprinting ability. Trust me, when you are looking down the barrel at a large wave about to break on your head, you will want to sprint.
• A good helmet is a must. I have been thrown over backwards, bow over stern, landing on my head in shallow water. Others have come up from a dunking with their head in the cockpit, and had it bang around on the yak like the clapper in a bell. Don’t leave the beach without one.
• Spending time in the surf means spending some time upside down in the water. Nose plugs will help keep the water out of your nose while you try to gather yourself for a roll. Earplugs are also a good idea.
• Needless to mention, ALWAYS wear your trusty PFD. A lower volume whitewater “Rodeo” style PFD provides for excellent freedom of movement, and allow you dive under breaking waves. Obviously, this comes at the cost of a little less buoyancy.
• I have also found that a drain plug in your kayak is extremely convenient and almost a necessity. A boat swamped in the shore break will quickly fill with water, sand and rocks. During a recent surf session, I was hammered so many times in the shore break that I literally had sand dabbers living inside my boat.
• Outfit your boat with flotation bags to prevent it from sinking if swamped. Most whitewater boats have no bulkheads. You can get split bags that go on either side of the foam center pylon often found in whitewater kayaks. Be sure to tie them in, they won’t do you any good floating around outside of the boat. Some like to replace the foot braces in the bow of the kayak with foam. This provides additional flotation, and prevents your feet from slipping off the braces in a radical move.

Where to surf

For beginners, it’s certainly better to start in the small stuff and work your way up. Playing in the whitewater on the inside of a break is a good place to start and build confidence. Try to avoid spots where the surf is breaking right on or near the sand for obvious reasons. Sandy beaches make for more forgiving landings, while rocky areas can lead to boat and bodily harm. Until you have excellent control, stay well clear of surfers and swimmers. Once skills improve, you will want to find a wave that breaks slowly down the beach. This will allow you to ride in the curl or ‘Power Pocket’ of the wave for longer periods.  See the list of So Cal surf spots at the end of this article.

Study the Break

On arriving at a surf spot, take the time to study the area. Notice how and where the waves break. Watch for currents both parallel and perpendicular to the beach. While rip tides can be hazardous for swimmers, more experienced surfers use them as a free ride out into the line-up. Get a feel for the timing of the larger sets. During your time in the surf, keep an eye on changing conditions. Changes in tide, wind and swell are a constant and have a direct relationship to surf conditions. Clever surfers will paddle around areas where the larger waves are breaking, and then paddle into position from the outside.

Getting Outside

I like launching from Kiddie Beach at Channel Islands. From there you can paddle out from behind the breakwater west to Hollywood Beach. This offers the opportunity to warm up prior to diving right into the surf zone. But remember, boats suitable for surfing don’t tend to paddle distances very well. If you are launching directly into the surf, be sure to time it so that you miss the bigger sets. When paddling through a wave, don’t hold the paddle over your head parallel to the wave. This just invites a shoulder separation.  Aim one paddle at the approaching wave, like a lance. This allows you to punch through the wave, and places you in position to make an immediate power stroke.  

NEW: If you're trying to get out, be sure to time the sets. Don't waste your energy trying to paddle out into the set waves. Wait for the lull between sets. Sometimes its only a few seconds so be ready to paddle like hell. 

Here's another tip for getting over big whitewater piles... Before a white water pile hits you, angle your boat off of perpendicular to the wave by about 30 degrees. You are setting up to do a powerful sweep on the beach side of your boat. Just a second before the white water hits your bow, do the big forward sweep on the beach side of the boat. The idea is to use this power sweep to lift the bow forward and up onto the white water while straightening the boat to perpendicular. Done correctly, the boat will shoot right over the white water. Be sure to angle the blade on the water so that it allows you to put some weight on it as a brace. In doing that you will be able to lean onto your paddle. This will present the underside of your bow to the wave, slightly. As the wave hits your bow, sweep the bow up onto the white water pile.

I'm constantly amazed at the height of white water that this technique allows me to shoot over.
This is probably most effective on planning hull, flatish bottom boats. Give it try.

The Buddy System

It’s always a good idea to surf with a buddy. I recently found my buddy Bill on the beach apparently having a yard sale. I quickly landed to see if I could find any bargains. There were flotation bags, a paddle, a boat… paddling gear was spread out all up and down the beach. When I inquired about prices, he just made some gasping sounds.

Aside from having someone to laugh at your failures, a buddy can actually be of great assistance. Working closely together can minimize the time-spent swimming and maximize the time spent in the boat. If one of us finds ourselves capsized and out of the boat while closer to the outside than to the beach, we perform the following routine. The buddy paddles in to assist, the paddler in the water grabs the rescuers stern handle with one hand and pulls his own boat behind. The buddy tows his partner out of harms way. Once out of the way of breaking waves, we perform a ‘T’ Rescue and within minutes are both back in the line up.

I have quickly discovered that the alternative of swimming a water filled boat in through the surf is less than desirable. A water filled boat can potentially weigh as mush as 500 pounds. As you can imagine, getting a swamped boat up on the beach in pounding shore break is difficult, dangerous and very tiring.

When paddling with a buddy take the time before paddling out, to agree on some basic hand signals. Verbal communication in the surf zone is frequently difficult. During my first surfing session, I spotted a very large rogue wave just outside the line up. Directly in its path was my buddy who was also in the surf for the first time. I quickly signaled him by waving my hands frantically. What I meant to communicate was “Get the &%$$ out of there!” To my horror, the message was interpreted as “Go for it, dude!” My buddy charged into the wave and soon disappeared into an explosion of whitewater. He was not seen again for several long moments, and was not right side up when he did reappear.

In the unfortunate case something really bad happens, it’s nice to have someone who can go for help.

Rolling Rolling Rolling

It is important to have a good roll prior to entering the surf. Swimming in the surf with a heavy, water filled boat and paddle is dangerous and expends a lot of energy. A roll will have you back in the line up in a matter of seconds and with a minimum of effort. A roll is best learned in a controlled environment with trained instructors. See the Outfitters page. Or you can learn from a buddy, as I did.

He are a few tips that have helped me:

• When you find yourself about to be rolled, give an appropriate brace the ‘ole college try. With good bracing skills, you can stay upright more often than not.
• If bracing fails and you’re going over, tuck forward over your cockpit. This will help you to set up for a roll and offer some protection from the bottom should the water be shallow.

• It is some consolation to know that once you are upside down, the wave will generally release you relatively quickly. (Of course in larger surf, all bets are off!)
• Unless you are in some eminent trouble, resist the urge to eject immediately.
• Take a second or two to collect yourself and setup your roll properly. My mind is usually trying to convince me that the next wave is going to clobber the boat at any second. In actuality, you usually have enough time to execute two or three roll attempts.
• If you are in shallow water, resist the urge to “pole” off the bottom with your paddle for an easy roll, this can also set you up for a dislocated shoulder.
• When you come upright, immediately check for approaching waves and take appropriate action.

Here are some additional comments on rolling in the surf from Chris Russ:

"Playing in whitewater and practicing rolls, I find that a speed roll works the best (set up as you are being knocked over and rolling as soon as you turning bottoms up and before the turbulence stops). I read William Nealy's  Kayak. There is an interesting section on aerated water. No wonder rolls in the foam pile are not as easy-there are too many air bubbles to brace against, making the water soft, and the boat has little buoyancy when it is on its side (i.e. during a roll).  Rolls immediately after the main turbulence passes but still in the aerated water are very difficult. I wait until the water darkens (after the white water passes) and then roll--much easier. Then, the speed roll--rolling immediately after capsizing. Much easier and is usually my preference. Being upright in the foam pile makes for very spongy braces but forward strokes immediately after up righting flatten the hull on the water and noticeably increase buoyancy."

Bracing Skills

The surf zone is a microcosm of extreme kayak conditions. A solid collection of bracing skills will often keep you upright in the first place. Take the time to learn these important skills. I won’t try to explain all of the braces here, but some of the most important are obviously the wave face high and low braces. Remember to keep your elbows in close to your body as the surf can exert a lot of force on your paddle. An extended position can set you up for a dislocated shoulder.

Another important brace is actually a stroke. The rudder stroke is a technique you’ll need to steer your boat while riding a wave. The traditional rudder stroke places the blade of the paddle vertical in the water. While this is fine in slow moving and stable water, it doesn’t really work well in the surf. Instead, modify the traditional rudder stroke by placing the blade almost flat on the water surface. This modified rudder stroke not only helps you to steer, it also acts as a brace for support as you lean out over your turning edge.

Etiquette

In case you haven’t noticed, surfing is popular here in California. Here in Southern California, you will find surfers at virtually every rideable break.  The standout spots can get extremely crowded at times. Because of this overcrowding, surfers are not generally happy to see new faces paddle into the line up. Here are some basic ideas for gaining acceptance in the line up:

	First and foremost, be in control. If you do not have excellent control, you should not be around other surfers. Find an un-crowded spot to learn and perfect skills. An out of control kayak at best will interfere with other surfers ability to enjoy waves and could easily cause injury.
	When surfing a crowded spot, do not charge right out into the middle of the “pack”. Sit on the outside; show some respect for the other wave-riders. Let the others see that you are in control and then begin to work your way into the line-up.
	Know the right of way code that all wave-riders follow. This system helps to eliminate conflict, collision and insures that every wave is enjoyed to its potential. Here are the basics:

• When more than one surfer attempts to catch a wave at the same time, the one closest to the point where the wave first breaks (the critical point) will catch it first and have right of way. Never “Drop-In” or catch a wave in front of another surfer.
• The point when a surfer can be considered to have caught a wave is when he/she stops paddling, kicking or stroking and continues to move down or along the wave under the force of gravity. The first to catch the wave generally has the right of way.
• A wave rider must avoid all other swimmers or surfers who are either stationary or paddling out. However, it is considered very bad form to get in the way or interfere with someone who is riding a wave.
• Checkout the following link for a very informative and well illustrated explanation of these rules:
  Kayak Surfing Rules of the Road
  
  Even if its just you and a friend out, these rules can help keep you from getting tangled up.