7/28/13 - Solana Kelp, PB Calico

[Hobie-Pedaller]

Originally Posted by FishNinjaY

....Did you say you came in parallel to the waves? Isn't that why you roll? I thought the hard part of landing is keeping perpendicular to the waves, but the waves are coming from behind you... which is why landing is trickier than launching? I've yet to surf launch, but this seems to be what I hear/read?....

Originally Posted by iethinker

It is impossible to stay perpendicular when taking large waves from the rear. It's completely different than taking waves heading out. I have tried many times and the kayak always wants to nose-dive or twist. Now, as soon as the big-one starts to push (or just before if I see it) I turn parallel and lean almost to the point of capsize towards the wave face. The crashing wave makes the tilted kayak skid sideways instead of roll. It's kinda-like drifting. The inshore leading edge of the kayak is up and thus does not dig and avoids a roll. You still get swamped.

yes, unless you can time the waves perfect, and paddle fast enough to stay "ahead" of the incoming waves (some surf experts & strong paddlers can do this - me NEVER), if a wave hits your from rear during landing, you will turn sideways every time. and then if you don't lean hard into NEXT wave, that NEXT wave hitting you from rear/side, will flip you over every time !!!

because my yak (Hobie Outback) is a beast to PADDLE, and i am a weak paddler anyways, because i pedal 99% of time on water....

thus EVERY single time i have landed in LJ (my only surf launch/ landings location, in my 10 yr yakking career), with 1-2 ft or larger waves, i have ALWAYS been turned sideways by wave from back, then ridden the next wave in sideways, horizontal to coast line, leaning hard into wave, such that my arm/side are being swamped by the wave driving me towards beach.

i have almost been flipped many times, but so far, i have avoided the dreaded roll-over during LANDINGS.

i have rolled over twice during LAUNCH, when i was rookie, and clueless.
but have that figured out now, and don't really have much issue LAUNCHING now.
i usually get soaked everytime taking waves over bow, but that's obvioulsy much better than flipping and dumping gear into ocean.

BUT EVERYTIME i come back "IN" at LJ, i always get butterfly stomach & a bit nervous sitting outside the breakers, looking at the solid land where i desperately long for me & my kayak to SAFELY be setting.

when i'm floating in yak outside surf zone looking in to shore, i truly always think of Bewitched, and wish i could just twinkle my nose, and suddenly be over the surf zone, and on the SAFE dry beach that i can see, just a few yards away.

i know it's only a matter of time, until i flip over on the LANDING someday as well.
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