kicking out poll

[OUTSIDEWAVE]

 It seems to me  atleast for me that  ne of the hardest things to do is to kick out and remains standing then reposition your feet and resume paddling without falling off.  Is this true  for everyone else?
so how often do you kick out  and not fall and successfully resume paddling out?
 how often  do you fall and have to climb back on  and  either knee paddle out or jump right up?

 Me it is a bout  40 percent  success
60 percent   fail and knee paddle out?
 so be honest post your numbers

[SUPcheat]

40 percent success sounds about right, but I am getting better at it.

[supdiscobay]

When its really big 80% or more.  I will likely kick out before the close out.  But when its head high plus or minus, I am usually working the face pretty hard and hitting the close out at the end.  So probably less and if its fun, a lot less.  The other day it was knee to waist and I never got wet.

[TallDude]

Knowing when it's too late and when there's a window of opportunity to kick out comes with experience. I rely on my paddle a lot. As I kick out I'll bury my paddle deep and pull myself through the lip, then pause right there with my paddle anchored. Very similar to punching through white water. Once I feel centered I'l start to pull on the paddle. I'll surf for hours and fall once or twice. My hat probably gets wet on about 10% of the time. Maybe 13% I can kick out on my 14' race board too, but the percentage goes way up on that board.

[outcast]

One lick with the stick right at the top  keeps you on your feet

[headmount]

I'd say it depends on the particular wave.  Some waves like our break at lower Kanaha are very easy on most waves to kick out smoothly and use the speed you have to step forward into paddling.  But some other waves have boils on the backside and are especially difficult.  On the southshore of Maui, many waves end in ridiculously shallow areas where it's a no fall zone.  I hate cuts and jamming my paddle into the reef so there I'll sink low and knee paddle with my hands into deeper water.  Why risk it just to be cool?

If you're kicking out before a waves closes out, that is where it can become trickier and my fail rate is probably similar to yours.  But if the wave has an easy taper at the end, it's usually fine for me except when I tire. 

When I tire I fall in many instances.  Usually around the 3 hr mark.  Dehydration or lack of sleep causes lack of balance.

[surfcowboy]

Frontside or backside?

I'm about 50/50. I used to be like 80% fall. Front side is way easier but the technique listed above using the paddle to pull you up is the way.

[stoneaxe]

If I'm being careful to get out earlier because I don't want to get beat in bigger whitewater I find it pretty easy. It's when I'm trying to milk it in smaller stuff that I screw it up. With my crappy balance its one of the things I struggle with too. The combination of the hard swooping turn and coming off the back fast always seems to throw me off. I'm probably 30% successful. When you do it well its such a graceful feeling (grace is not something I usually attribute to myself) I don't knee paddle much after though or at least try not to....depends on how I feel. Getting back on my feet quickly and working the whitewater is a big part of the enjoyment and my balance therapy.

[bts]

Ditto what HM said.

Waves I ride are super easy and not particularly large most of the time.  They mostly fade out, you'd have to try to fall down on the exit.

True kick out, as in closed out with no run out inside do to exposed rocks or multiple bodies in the way? That only happens a couple of times a session, maybe make 2 of 3. I'm cautious in that situation and don't push the exit.

Closed out with a run out? More likely to try a floater off the white water or just run out the inside. Works most of the time, as long as it's not all that big.

[southwesterly]

A kick out, what's that?

On a stand up, I surf that sucker all the way to the bitter end. Bank off the last section, trim in the whitewater then wait for the inside reform.

I normally surf a point break and this works great. No need to kick out early and risk having to push through or get run over. It's an easy paddle back out going the long way around and I'm not in anybody's way.

[Zooport]

A kick out, what's that?

On a stand up, I surf that sucker all the way to the bitter end. Bank off the last section, trim in the whitewater then wait for the inside reform.

I normally surf a point break and this works great. No need to kick out early and risk having to push through or get run over. It's an easy paddle back out going the long way around and I'm not in anybody's way.

+1

[PonoBill]

I'm too greedy, I ride to the bitter end and then regret it, especially on the southside of Maui where I often find myself tapping my fin on the coral and rocks. Vana awaits. When I do kick out I like to do it with some speed. that help to get over the turbulence on the back of the wave. And like Bill, after the 3 or 4 hour mark I get a lot sloppier. Big days that go glassy are my nemesis. Can't leave, too tired to stay.

[mrbig]

Words of wisdom from Gerry Lopez passed on to me by Pat Rawson. Wait for the good ones and kick out early!

Easy to say harder to do!

[outcast]

Listen to MrBig.
I think he timed his kickout pretty well!

[1tuberider]

The big gracefulness factor comes at the end of the ride. A good sus transitions to paddling gracefully. A good proner always goes down after the kick out. Which looks better?

Work on graceful kick outs at the end of the wave. I like to kick out in the whitewater by bottom turning under it and going over the top. I use my paddle for balance and way. It takes time to be consistent. I also like to work the wave until its over. No point in missing sections that mother nature provided. It is also considered rude to not ride it the whole way. With crowded lineups you need to make every section count.