What's the best technique to land a kayak in the surf?

**Seymour** · 28-06-2008, 11:15

Almost got caught out the other day. Went out through a moderate surf, only to return to find some sizeable waves pounding the beach. Ended up waiting until a set of large waves passed, and went in on the back of a smaller wave, was a bit hairy. The last thing you need is to get flipped and be dragging all your gear out of the surf - and drag your ego out too in front of a load of beach-goers lol

**Simon Everett** · 29-06-2008, 01:50

Gentle shelving beach, or steep to beach?

You need to be shown how to do it. It isn't difficult, but you need to know how to manage your kayak first...spend time learning to paddle.

Kayak fishing is an extension of paddling, not an extension of fishing - anglers get a kayak as a raft from which to drop a bait....they need to see the kayaking as a skill in its own right first.

I have written up the technique somewhere - I'll see if \i can find it and post it. Too long to write again now.

**Seymour** · 29-06-2008, 21:01

H Simon, most of our beaches our gently shelving over here. Have fair experience of kayaking, but was wondering what to do in a very heavy surf where there are no other alternatives to land. Guess i should empty the yak of fishing paraphenalia and head off to the local surf beach to pratice.....

**Simon Everett** · 30-06-2008, 22:52

Seymour - CORRECT.

Practise without gear to get the feel for it and to prevent breakages/losses. You should do this before going fishing anyway, not just surf launch/landings, but also paddling skills - paddling in a straight line kayaks don't paddle in a straight line, kayakers do - ignore anything that says a kayak tracks straight - it doesn't, the paddler does. A kayak that can paddle straight is one that doesn't turn at all easily, and so should be avoided like the plague!

Rescues - capsize, turn the kayak back over, get back on. Do this in water too deep to stand up in. Also do it again another day in ROUGH water - you don't capsize in calm water....so practise in what you are likely to encounter, with someone else on hand as standby.

Can't find where I posted the surf landing bit, so here goes again:

Watch the sets from seaward, there is always a weaker set every few. Choose to come in on the weaker sets.

Pick your spot on the beacvh too - away from obstructions and people.

Keep your stern to the waves, do this with your paddle and shifting your bodyweight a LITTLE. As you feel the wave lift the stern of the kayak start to get ready, as the wave gets to under your seat, you can start paddling like fury for the beach because you are already too late to catch it. You can paddle as ahrd as you like, but you will not catch that wave up - but trying buys you the most time before the next one.

You will be paddling in on the flat table of water between the waves. Waves are like escarpments, they have a steep front edge, adna gently sloping back edge. Paddle in on the gently sloping back side.

As you paddle in and the next wave catches up withyou, you will feel it lift the stern. If the kayak starts to bear away one side or other, dig your blade in, upright so it will come out again easily and so you present the largest surface araea to the water. Plant it in the side you want the kayak to come back to - like skid steerring a Bobcat. The kayak will slew, quite fast, to the side you have your blade in the wtare - hold it tight because the lurch can be quite violent depending on the ferocity of the wave. As sson as the kayak is straight lift the blade out, other wise you will slew right actross and have the same problem the other side....dig in, hold...out. be ready to dig the other blade in smartly to prevent you slewing the other side, you may not have to, depends on how quic you are to lift out.

Thats it, by letting the wave pass under your seat you lose the wave and can paddle in on the back of each one. You should land on the beach in 6" of water/foam on one of the weak tables.

If you try to keep up with the steep face of the wave - be ready for a dunking unless you can brace with a stern rudder (thatis a paddle stroke) you can learn to do this, which will look very impressive as you surf in at 50 miles an hour!

**Seymour** · 03-07-2008, 19:38

Cheers for the info, just what i wanted to know; especially the bit about paddle tecniques for preventing slewing round sideways. Will leave using the paddle as a stern rudder for another time

**mangojack** · 03-07-2008, 20:22

Great advice,
Also remember all the water comming in as waves has to go back out. If there is a surf there will always be a rip, this is where the water returns, this will be the spot without a breaking surf, often, but not always at the side of a curved bay. Usually you will be able to paddle in to the beach at this point, against the current, but without a breaking wave.

**Quint** · 11-07-2008, 16:25

Alternatively go in backwards

**ccltcdrgn69** · 18-07-2008, 10:09

it does help to practice,but you'll find the yak will handle differently than when loaded up.i've got a trident and it is to long for surfing.usally get turned side on then have to low brace,still get caught out though(much to the surfers amusement).my mate is trying the backwards method at the mo, but has taken a dip every time.the beach we use sometimes has surf up to 8-9 ft,which is a real challange.but its a good laugh,which after all is why we do it.good luck

**COD2** · 08-09-2008, 12:53

Hi Guys, suppose i can start posting here now has i bought a kayak last week

Been out twice now, one was in a lagoon which the tide left and was nice just to get the first feel of the yak, and yesterday i spent the whole afternoon in the surf at Porthcawl with a few surfers. i practiced and practiced my beaching, and i even took the yak out to deeper water with a anchor to practice anchoring, i soon realised i needed a bigger anchor and a pully thing on the side of the yak which i just bought all today. I will go out one more time with the new kit then i will take a small trip out a few hundred yards with a rod and reel etc. the Moral of the story is Practice Makes Perfect, and its bloody good fun!!!!

**yakker** · 08-09-2008, 18:06

I find the most difficult beaches are steep one with what are called 'dumping' waves, they are a bu@@er.
Difficult to launch in too, the water is deep about three feet out, so you have to stand right at the edge to be able to step into the kayak, as soon as you do, a ruddy dumping wave dumps you in the drink!