Getting Through The Whitewater

[PaddleCrazy]

Saw this post in another thread....

....so when I can only get in one stroke before launching onto whitewater on the way back out, you better believe my weight is on the rail, I am planting far out, pushing with the top hand, twisting my trunk, and all of that good stuff.

.....and didn't want to hijack that thread, but I'd really appreciate some discussion on how you guys are approaching, and getting over some of the taller (chest high?) whitewater.

SL, what really caught my attention was when you said, "you better believe my weight is on the rail", as in singular.  I've been having the most "success" (if I can call it that ), going over in a "surf stance", more forward on the board, but also with my feet more centered on the board.

If and when I go over the smaller stuff with feet paralell, I'm doing so while attempting to balance my weight evenly, and taking the board through a flat/level as possible.  From how I'm reading your statement, that doesn't sound like that's what you're doing.   


Thanks,
PC

[Cardiff Sweeper]

Dave, you know I'm on a tiny board, but I try and get one long stroke in just before the whitewater.  Like pulling a wheelie...then when the nose pops up transfer your weight towards the nose.  Otherwise, the board is going to buck you off the back.  My rear foot is towards the rail.

Tim's boards are so narrow, he probably goes  through the whitewater; That's the trade off, or benefit of hand shaped boards.  My 8'0" Carver goes under the whitewash and slowly surfaces.  Like it's doing a duckdive with the water up to my waist.



(wishing the surf was better today)

-Craig

[coolhead]

In whitewater kayaking, with some boat shapes, you need to put the boat on edge to punch thru bigger holes (a river hole is equivalent to the whitewater of a breaking wave). With these boat shapes, if you don't have enough speed and don't put them on edge, they will stall and flip backwards (equivalent to your surf board smacking you in the nose).

It sounds like SL is using this technique to punch thru the whitewater.

Coolhead

[PaddleCrazy]

Cool, thanks Craig....yeah, I've recently found that "wheelie" type of move is quite effective.  There are even times where I feel that if I "unweight" myself a little bit, the board has an easier time of getting up and over.

Right now, my biggest problem is "landing" the darn thing on the other side.  It's sort of a crap shoot as to whether I come down flat and balanced....or whether I come down pitched to one side a bit, and end up in the water.

This why I was curious about foot placement, especially since Tim's was quite a bit different than what I'm currently doing....or had even thought about for that matter.

[PaddleCrazy]

In whitewater kayaking, with some boat shapes, you need to put the boat on edge to punch thru bigger holes (a river hole is equivalent to the whitewater of a breaking wave). With these boat shapes, if you don't have enough speed and don't put them on edge, they will stall and flip backwards (equivalent to your surf board smacking you in the nose).

It sounds like SL is using this technique to punch thru the whitewater.

Coolhead

Cool "cool" (just had to type that for some reason  ), that's interesting and makes sense. 

I'm just going to have to figure out how to take a much taller COG, and apply it to punching the board through on an angle/edge.

[Ucycle]

I usually take a last stroke right before the whitewater hits and do a wheelie type of move in surf stance. but it help me alot of time is leaving the blade in the water until i felt im stable enough to paddle. the blade will be behind me and i will brace on it.  As usual, i think it is better take on huge whitewater standing up then in the water or prone or kneeing. i usually  will fly over with the board and not worrying about get drag back in with the whitewater.

[stoneaxe]

Last Sunday it was waist to chest at Newport, 8-9 sec period, no choice but to go straight at it and look for the soft spots. For the most part the swell was continuous so a paddle out aways involved a lot of fighting. Usually having to pay closer attention to 3 or 4. I'm pretty good at that level probably 95%. When it gets head and above and that short it gets more iffy...40% maybe.

Wheelie is a good term for it and I can always tell when I've done it smoothly when I get that microsecond of float on the backside. That moment when you know your over and it almost seems still....then you slice in and start cranking for the next one. What an awesome feeling that is.  I actually like the paddle out, a big part of the experience. There are times when I fight my way out that the accomplishment feels as big as a nice ride. Those times when you go "holy shit" fully understanding the possibility of catastrophic failure, grit your teeth, and go.....and make it out the other side. What part of that isn't cool?

I try to keep myself as square to the wave as possible, its how fast the wave is though that determines how fast you need to meet it. For slower short period stuff I sometimes can even back paddle to square up and then all it takes is one last stroke into a wheelie...almost like a pole vault. I even leave my paddle planted until I'm up and over and have begun the quick switch to weight the front. Then a quick stroke to get momentum going again and gain stability.

If it's a longer period faster wave I have to meet speed with speed. I still try to time my last stroke into the wave and being square is critical but I don't leave my paddle in I keep stroking right through. I try to hit the wave so that the board and up to my knees or so slices through. A wheelie on a fast wave always seems to come close to whacking me in the face. Maybe fine for younger, springier guys but I don't always bounce back... . The backside float on fast wave is longer too, freefall, even off the board on a few occasions...kind of fun.

I had a session on Cape a couple years ago, head high incoming and thigh to waist backwash wave...I got catapulted a few times riding and paddling the outgoing into the incoming...1st one by surprise.

I'm also not against taking a few on my knees if I need to,especially in the smaller stuff inside because I can just get out through it faster. The bigger it gets though the more you need to be standing.

[paddlestandingup]

For some reason, being on knees scares me more than standing.  A few times I would punch through a wave and nearly smash my head on my board.  I also don't like taking a big hit to my chest.  Although a newb in the surf I usually surprise myself by how well I get through the breakers (keep in mind I go out when it's chest high or smaller).  While standing, I can refine my angle to the wave quickly and then I plant the paddle deep right before the hit and image that I'm lifting the board over the wave with the paddle.  It really helps me if I'm warmed up and not too winded.  A couple of times I've gotten caught in no-man's-land and hesitated and that does not turn out well.

[ENCINITAS_SUP]

I find that I get through the whitewater a higher percentage of the time if I can time the "wheelie" maneuver so that I bring the nose of the board up right as it meets the leading edge of the whitewater.  When the timing is right its a smooth ride over (anything up about shoulder high whitewater).  Too early and nose of the board usually gets pushed up pretty violently when tackling larger surf .  If I am too late, I usually submarine the board and go flying over the nose.  I ride a big floaty PSH 10"4"X32", I think the little bit of water that I get going over the nose when I time it right helps to control and balance out how quickly the nose lifts as it rides over the whitewater.

[Montster]

The wheelie move reminds me of the mountain bike or bmx move of prejumping a bump and trying to land on the backside.

Take 1 step back then 2 steps forward the land the board on the backside?  Let the back of the board take the bucking of the wave.  Easier said than done.