Getting Thru Small Rip Currents

[Weeble]

It's the noob again.  My girlfriend and I have getting out 2 to 3 times on the weekends and once or twice on weeknights.  We paddle the backwater river/ canal system that comes in off of the intra-coastal in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  We explore constantly, try new routes, and force ourselves to keep getting better.  However, the past few times out thru a certain section of our canal system we have run into something quite challenging.

We have a section where the New River is coming in fairly wide, let's about 70 yards wide, and it hits a Tee section where it branches off into two canals that are about 25 yards wide.  One of those sections then goes thru a couple of large S curves that are at different widths in each curve.  When the tide is flowing and there's been some boat traffic, this tee and the section along with the S curves can be challenging to get thru between the current and wakes, plus the wakes rebounding off of the seawalls.  As I watch the water, I can see some of the currents, the swirls and the funky looking smooth spots of water in the middle of all this that don't seem to have any ripples or any movement in them.  Anyway, cutting thru this stuff can really toss the board around.  We've gotten used to the chop from the wakes, and basically keep the knees really bent and we haven't been knocked off yet.  Besides, if it gets too rough for us noobs, we just drop to our knees and dig hard with the paddles and get thru it.  The issue that we are trying to work thru is keeping the boards straight as we cross the different currents, eddies, swirls, etc.  The boards will at times, almost turn sideways in this stuff.  We usually do our best to pick up speed heading into the area and dig hard with the paddles, but there are some times where you get spun sideways and just pushed back.  Now you’ve lost your momentum and your digging like hell to get out of it!

We are on our first boards, NSPs (come on, don’t laugh…I see the NSP brand get kicked around here, but we had to start with something that we could afford, and for picking up two slightly used boards at the same time, we couldn’t pass it up)  She’s on the 11ft and I’m on the 10.2.  I’m sure part of it is the board style vs. the type of paddling that we are doing, and LOT of it to do with the fact that we have only been paddling on our own boards since January.  My questions are…is this just the way it is when you paddle thru stuff like this?  Is there a better technique that we can try?  Would a longer fin on the boards work better?  The 11 foot board has a 9” fin and the 10.2 has an 8” fin.  I have moved the fins all the way to the back of the slot, and on the 10.2 board, I took off the side fins to see if anything changed.  I spoke to a guy at our local surf shop who SUP’s the waves and not backwater like we do.   He said that he didn’t think a longer fin would help much unless we were getting too far forward on the boards and that the tails were coming up…but that usually only happens when surfing, and not so much in flatwater.  (I understand that part as it’s like trimming your motors up or down on a boat to smooth out your ride or to keep your prop in the water on a rough day.)  He did say to move the fin all the back in the box to get the straightest track though.  When I look around at some of the rental boards that we see, I have seen some pretty large fins…but then again those are usually 12ft boards as well.  Any thoughts are appreciated

[robcasey]

paddling in moving current can be funky, there's no easy way to do it.  the best suggestion i could say without seeing a pic or video of it is to keep paddling, use shorter strokes (take out at toes) to keep your momentum and balance up.  use small braces to (flat section of paddle slapped on water) to keep your balance.  when in doubt, paddle and keep your paddle close or skimming over the water at all times. the closer it's to the water the easier it will be to brace, etc.

here's a video of paddling in tidal rapids in WA State last weekend, towards the end is some funky water with boils, whirlpools, etc. http://tinyurl.com/74pdkf6

[freetobeme]

howdy NSPrider,

I hear you on this big time.  my favorite local spot to paddle and my "training run" involves two such spots.  Both estuaries opening up to the great Atlantic.  Sometimes no matter what I do I am unable to paddle through one of them because of the current ripping over the rock bed is that strong.

For the spot that is difficult but not impossible…this is a big strength and endurance training session because the wind is always whipping in this spot too!  Really, what I do is pick a spot in my peripheral vision, usually a rock, paddle like a mad man on a treadmill then watch out of the corner of my eye my slow but steady progress through the water. I have found no other way so I make into a personal challenge with grunting, sometimes swearing and absolute delight when I get through the 150 yard gauntlet.

Other things i have tried...getting on my knees and grip the paddle lower works for the wind, getting off my board and flipping it over and walking works when tide is too low and would damage the fin box (pack a pair of watershoes for frigid temp and sharp rocks).

My board is a 12'6 non displacement hull with a single fin.  Maybe just go with one fin and that would help your tracking and maybe lessen some drag.  Try playing around on where you standing on the board when your in the rip. And when all esle fails just keep paddling its good for you 

Happy for you guys to be getting out a bunch and doing it together!

[SUPsurferFL]

I find it easier to get through currents and turbulance by bending more at the knees, using legs / hips like shocks when the board is moving up and down from side to side, and then grip the paddle a bit lower with your lower hand and use short / fast power strokes keeping as close to the water as possible, just keep them going as long as you can to keep up the momentum, if it gets really really windy sometimes your best best is to get as low as possible to cut down on wind resistance (you turn into a sail if you are upright), and if necessary go to your knees, but less you do this stronger you'll be in the stand up position and you'll be better off because of the challenge.

[TortillaSUP]

I paddle in an area with strong tidal currents flowing in/out of a river mouth.

Watch the interaction of wind and water... Areas of water moving in different directions w/ respect to wind will have different patterns of ripples.  Expect turbulence at the boundaries where different currents touch.  River tidal currents have repeatable current patterns, and finding the water that is moving in your direction makes a huge difference to your speed.

[Weeble]

Thanks for the advice and encouragement guys!  Since I posted this, we've begun to do a little better in those tough areas.  And yeah, we are no strangers to dropping to our knees and digging hard to get thru a section...especially when we do night paddles and can't see the water movement all that well!   If anything, it has improved our balance, especially since paddling at night and getting used to how light reflects off of the water and how it throws off your view of the "horizon".  I think the night paddles also help with letting my body "feel" the board and water motion and reacting to it by keeping limber in the knees and hips, since I can't always see what the water is really doing.  I have worked on getting a more powerfull paddle motion and that has helped as well, especially leaning forward and using the torso to get more dig...and I throw a bit of a hip twist in there and it helps me get the sensation of pulling the board to the paddle.  Again, thanks for the advice!

[Menlo SUPr]

My wife and I have paddled a few times in the Elkhorn Slough, and if you time it poorly the outgoing tide can make it near impossible to make headway into the slough. Short, fast & hard paddling is about the only thing that works, and each time we've done it we've made more headway. As for cross-currents, it's the same thing IMO. Any break in paddling and you'll be thrown off-course, so you've just got to tough it out.