How do you kick your board through the lip of big waves when paddling out?

[SuppaTime]

The only thing I would add to Tonyo's video is don't do what the rider did and surface head first after the board kick-over. I always surface arm first. I have a deviated septum from having my nose bashed in by a flying board when I was 16 years old by surfacing head-first.

[supthecreek]

Suppa,
I agree with the thought, but I do this "kick over" all the time, and if the waves are bigger, you have time before the next wave....
but not much, so you need to get back on the board as quickly as possible.
(plus.... the leash tells you where your board is)
I most often do this when it is the only wave I have to get over.



Tonyo..... very nice "how to"video 

I have no problem with longer boards, because they have more length to bounce and skip over the whitewater.
Plus a longer running start to the tailpad
Here are 2 shots from a head cam while kicking my 10'6 Alan over some beef.....

[PonoBill]

Apparently I have a lot to say about this move, and as I said before, I wish I didn't. This year has been ideal for practicing it. With all the big swells coming though here twice a week, there's a lot of precursor mackers that catch you inside.

I've never had my board come back at me, I"m not sure it's even possible unless the wave falling on you is more than triple overhead, in which case I'd be frozen like a deer in the headlights anyway. that video is fine, except the speed is a little off, and he could have made it over that little guy anyway. He stopped paddling to show off the move, where in a real situation he'd be scratching like mad.

I think folks are worried about the curling lip of the wave catching the board and reversing it's direction. I could guess at the math, but unless the wave is a slab like shipstern, there isn't much mass or energy at the top of a wave. It's a relatively thin peak. Sure, it can give you a slap if you bash through a lip, but it's not enough to knock you off your feet, so how likely is it to stop and reverse a 15 pound board going ten miles per hour or more.

This year, on big days with a waist leash and impact vest I've been more willing to dive into the face of a wave than to kick the board over. I don't do it if there's someone in the wave or behind me that might get smacked. In heavy surf a 10 foot leash easily stretches to 20 feet, especially with the heavy drag of a waist leash, but if the coast is clear it's a relatively peaceful way to get though a biggie.

[surfcowboy]

Yes and to those concerned about the "ditch" aspect, this keeps the board from flying into the inside. It is way safer.

I tend to paddle almost to the top and just go at the end, like Pono says, the board tends to have enough mass to continue through. And yeah, slightly off to the side, I've never had to go right off the back to do this.

[magentawave]

This is a great tactic for getting out on these barges that we can't duck dive on. It often makes the difference between taking a set on the head or making it outside and it saves heaps of energy. When possible, I try to punch it through at a bit of an angle so it won't come back and bonk me.

[covesurfer]

If you are going to bail, it's not enough to check your radius. You have to check your entire 6 o'clock and make sure it's clear. If your leash fails and your board goes, it becomes a potentially lethal object, especially in more powerful surf where you are more likely to do the bail out. I've seen boards tumbling in in bigger surf and you quickly develop some appreciation for the potential damage one can do. A direct hit, especially by a SUS, is probably going to seriously hurt somebody. Even the 'small' SUS boards are so wide and buoyant that they just get tossed up in front of the whitewash and are travelling at the speed of the wave. I'd guess that could be anywhere from 13 mph on up. That's probably gonna leave a mark if you're in front of it.

It is also your responsibility when you're paddling out, probably anytime, but especially when the surf gets to be of any significance, to say out of the path of objects that might come in from outside. So, when you are part of a pack scratching back outside, stay off to one side or the other. You have more control choosing a line as you make your way out than the guy that bails when caught inside by a monster.

[magentawave]

If you are going to bail, it's not enough to check your radius. You have to check your entire 6 o'clock and make sure it's clear. If your leash fails and your board goes, it becomes a potentially lethal object, especially in more powerful surf where you are more likely to do the bail out.

So true and another reason why learning how to punch your board through the lip is essential.

[stoneaxe]

I did have a board come back at me doing this but it was in heavy onshore winds. I kicked it through and the board went straight up into the wind and spun around on its axis over my head and landed 5' behind me. It wasn't even a big wave.  But other than that it's definitely a technique you need to use at times. I never had anyone tell me about it or seen it done (nobody else around back then) it just seemed the natural thing to do if you aren't making it over. When I 1st started a "big" wave was chest high. The size where it's necessary grows with ability. Done right there's no question it gets you back on your board quicker.

The biggest thing is to get the timing down. You don't want to be doing the this for the 1st time on an overhead wave. If you wait too long and the face gets vertical it can go bad especially if there is any onshore wind. I'd be very surprised if those of you that also use it have never had a board come back at you especially when you 1st start using it. You learn quickly when you can and when you can't. I almost never use it since installing tail handles. I try to make the decision earlier whether to commit to going over or bailing and grabbing the handle. That way I don't get worked and the board isn't a danger to anyone.

[clay]

After reading this thread I had a chance to practice the kicking over the lip/off to the side method.  This was on smaller waves which I suspect is a good place to practice.  I also tried a technique SUPAlon told me he saw in a Kalama video, which is plant the paddle in front of the foam and pull myself up and over while bracing.  They both worked as I made it over.  In this session I had a comedy of errors and the gopro remote battery was dead and the SD card was almost full, so continuously recording I only captured about a third of the session.

[JayInSoCal]

If you paddle fast enough you can do this:

http://www.fanatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/1417594_774926095879401_8043849338699949078_o.jpg

Just a little FYI, never do this.  I learned the hard way a few weeks ago....board came up, nose tagged my thigh and I ended up with a creased board.

[WhatsSUP]

Clay:  Just fantastic clarity and overall video awesomeness.  No at all shaky which would be incredibly irritiating.  I'm thinking your forward cam setup looks rather unruly and all but boy o'boy, the video quality is some of the best I've seen!  Good on you!

I wonder though, is there a similar setup solution out there for shallower water - like rides at shallow beach breaks or low tide events where water and rides are frequently rides are into waist deep water or less ()

[clay]

Clay:  Just fantastic clarity and overall video awesomeness.  No at all shaky which would be incredibly irritiating.  I'm thinking your forward cam setup looks rather unruly and all but boy o'boy, the video quality is some of the best I've seen!  Good on you!

I wonder though, is there a similar setup solution out there for shallower water - like rides at shallow beach breaks or low tide events where water and rides are frequently rides are into waist deep water or less ()

Thanks WhatsSUP!  I appreciate the feedback.  Yeah the possibility of it being shaky almost kept me from trying to make this mount in the first place, I was surprised when I saw the first test footage and it was mostly smooth.  The other pole that I normally use is quite a bit more stable than this one, in the above video I can see a little shake here and there in the video.  Man o man the first time I paddled out with this pole cam, even in small surf, I was anxious and quite uncomfortable as it seemed like a train wreck waiting to happen.  The more I surf with the pole the more comfortable I am with it, I have been out in overhead surf a couple times now and it doesn't feel sketchy to me anymore. 

I am unclear what you are asking when you say similar setup for shallow water?

[WhatsSUP]

Clay:  I am unclear what you are asking when you say similar setup for shallow water?


In one of your vid's there's a snapshot of your rig, which if I recall shows the gopro being about waist high, or higher....for shallower water application, I'm wondering what the vid might look like if the camera was only about a foot or so off the board?  I'm guessing with your current rig you try to stay in fairly deep water the majority of the time so as to avoid having your rig come in contact with the bottom when the board flips over, no?

Hope that makes sense.

[clay]

Clay:  I am unclear what you are asking when you say similar setup for shallow water?


In one of your vid's there's a snapshot of your rig, which if I recall shows the gopro being about waist high, or higher....for shallower water application, I'm wondering what the vid might look like if the camera was only about a foot or so off the board?  I'm guessing with your current rig you try to stay in fairly deep water the majority of the time so as to avoid having your rig come in contact with the bottom when the board flips over, no?

Hope that makes sense.

Sorry in advance to the OP if this is a thread hijack.

Well WhatsSUP the short answer is I don't know. 

I often surf kelp beds where the relative depth can be zero feet, and the pole has hit the kelp and come unstuck.  I suspect the closer to the board the cam is the more it will give a looking up view that distorts size and makes it difficult to see what's going on.  I choose the height of my pole cam so that it's high enough to give a bigger picture view of wave,surfer,board, and not to high/long that it becomes absurdly unmanageable.  I have had the pole cam flip over and hit the bottom a couple times in shallow water and no damage and it was all good.  It seems like with the amount of leverage the pole has it's a crap shoot as to whether it will hit something and either hold up or break.  Makes for an exciting session either way. 

[magentawave]

If you paddle fast enough you can do this:

http://www.fanatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/1417594_774926095879401_8043849338699949078_o.jpg

Just a little FYI, never do this.  I learned the hard way a few weeks ago....board came up, nose tagged my thigh and I ended up with a creased board.

That isn't the "technique" I had in mind but I've been there before. If you're going to do it like that then you'd better kick the board slightly downwind and hurl your body upwind.