Astoriadave
Paddler
The principal problem training for surf is finding and exploiting conditions which allow you to grow and develop your ability to use the boat in wild water. Much of what you can learn off a standing wave such as the magnificent form at Skookumchuck works equally well on the traveling waves typical of surf waves. Note those two adjectives.
Skook lets you focus on the unbroken wave and fine tune all the paddle sets and rudders, duffek moves, etc., that are usable when in clean water. Some sea kayakers devote a good bit of their paddling lives to that oeuvre. Others mainly want to do point to point travel, using the conditions at hand to move forward. Freya, for example. This means Freya has to know _well_ and be able to judge _when_ to use those gut bucket techniques which will protect her shoulders for use the next day, week, and year ... yet also get her to the beach today, right now, and instantaneously, reflexively.
Bongo sliding, side surfing, or any of the other names for it, all refer to what will get you on the beach, safely, yourself and your gear inside the boat, so that there will be another day of paddling for you. For that reason, responsible instructors make sure everybody can side surf safely before they release them to surf zones.
A low brace is the safe setup but may break down in big surf to form a high brace when the soup and turbulence overpower the paddler. And she/he needs to know when and how to get back to that safe zone of the low brace and get to shore. The alternative: bailing out, leaves gear and boat and paddler and paddle scattered from hell to breakfast, paddler exhausted and likely disoriented, perhaps a ways from a safe beach. Read Freya's blog accounts, and dwell on how much time she spends on picking the best bay with the best corner for minimizing her surf exposure.
A four foot wave has about eight times the energy of a two footer because the energy scales roughly as the cube of the wave height. A six footer has twenty seven times the energy of a two footer. A two footer has eight times the energy of a one footer. A paddler who has only surfed in one foot tall waves is in no way prepared for bigger stuff. The rudder moves and braces learned in one footers will need to withstand forces much greater when the paddler moves up to two foot waves.
After some initial training in the hands of experienced paddlers a paddler new to surf would be well to pick out small surf, in the two foot range, on a safe beach, and fine tune his/her techniques. She/he will have a hell of a lot more fun, and have more energy left at the end of the day, if he/she knows how to avoid having to bail. And, will be ready to explore wilder water, to boot!
Skook lets you focus on the unbroken wave and fine tune all the paddle sets and rudders, duffek moves, etc., that are usable when in clean water. Some sea kayakers devote a good bit of their paddling lives to that oeuvre. Others mainly want to do point to point travel, using the conditions at hand to move forward. Freya, for example. This means Freya has to know _well_ and be able to judge _when_ to use those gut bucket techniques which will protect her shoulders for use the next day, week, and year ... yet also get her to the beach today, right now, and instantaneously, reflexively.
Bongo sliding, side surfing, or any of the other names for it, all refer to what will get you on the beach, safely, yourself and your gear inside the boat, so that there will be another day of paddling for you. For that reason, responsible instructors make sure everybody can side surf safely before they release them to surf zones.
A low brace is the safe setup but may break down in big surf to form a high brace when the soup and turbulence overpower the paddler. And she/he needs to know when and how to get back to that safe zone of the low brace and get to shore. The alternative: bailing out, leaves gear and boat and paddler and paddle scattered from hell to breakfast, paddler exhausted and likely disoriented, perhaps a ways from a safe beach. Read Freya's blog accounts, and dwell on how much time she spends on picking the best bay with the best corner for minimizing her surf exposure.
A four foot wave has about eight times the energy of a two footer because the energy scales roughly as the cube of the wave height. A six footer has twenty seven times the energy of a two footer. A two footer has eight times the energy of a one footer. A paddler who has only surfed in one foot tall waves is in no way prepared for bigger stuff. The rudder moves and braces learned in one footers will need to withstand forces much greater when the paddler moves up to two foot waves.
After some initial training in the hands of experienced paddlers a paddler new to surf would be well to pick out small surf, in the two foot range, on a safe beach, and fine tune his/her techniques. She/he will have a hell of a lot more fun, and have more energy left at the end of the day, if he/she knows how to avoid having to bail. And, will be ready to explore wilder water, to boot!