Side swell/wakes

[watermelonman]

What's the best way to handle side swell/boat wakes?  Assuming you want to continue straight and not alter course to cut the wake at a 45 or bear off and ride the swell away from your course.  Especially worrisome if it's a large boat wake with a short period between swells.

[southwesterly]

My sure fire three step system.
1. Fall in.
2. Get back up on my board.
3. Resume paddling.

[PonoBill]

Ignore them. Seriously. If you just let your body learn to deal with them they will be meaningless.

If you pay attention you do almost everything wrong. People tend to lean into the wake too far and put their paddle down on the inside of the wave. The water on the face of the swell travels opposite to the swell motion, so your paddle pushes towards the board and helps shove you off.

If you MUST pay attention to the swell,  go over it in any direction (parallel is fine) and place your paddle on top of the swell. Bend your knees. After a few months on the board you'll wonder what the heck you were worrying about.

[BrittanysDad]

My sure fire three step system.
1. Fall in.
2. Get back up on my board.
3. Resume paddling.

 
Worked for me!

[stoneaxe]

Bill's right...just ignore them....seems counterintuitive but its actually better. Just keep paddling normal and let the board roll. I fell off a lot...until I didn't.

[alap]

in the beginning  i was always bracing against the wave. I mean I was pushing on my foot that will be lifted first (closer to the wave). As a result I always was falling outside after the wave passed.

What I learned is to keep my knees flex. the wave starts to lift the side of the board - i bend in the knee and extend other one. the wave passes - I bend another knee and extend the first one.

Center mass is undisturbed. basically like skiing moguls.

or in a layman language - ignore them

[newton333]

just bend the knees and keep on trucking, u will improve and soon not even notice them.

[Lobes]

Yeah just let it go under you. Have the board soak it up and maybe roll with your knees and hips a bit.

If you must stick your paddle in the water to brace you, do this on the side the wake is coming from

[Rockbottom]

Did my 1st long (8+ mile) paddle in this type of swell  last wekend (calm going out, wind picked up on the way back).  on the way back, I fell twice just 'cause my legs were rubber from trying to stay upright.  I just let the board float beneath me from the relentless sideswell.  I was paddling pretty steady, my upper body was fine, but my legs were dead.   best bet, is to roll with the punches.  it'll still hurt when you're done, but let the board flow (Bellamy Brothers"?).
    P.S.   Did the wed night paddle at the Dockside today;  poor showing.   My guess is 'cause the wind was up.   pity.  $2.50 pints and really good live music.   Werner rep was there and everything.   
     Gordon

[ian]

Another thing get to know your board a bit better...on a flatcalm day just tip the board from rail to rail
to see how far you can actually sink a rail before your balance lets go, if you stay over the board and stand upright you may be surprised at how far you can start to push your balance.Then when you get hit by a wake side on just flex you knees and let the water roll under the board.