C&K mag #30 sp - Canoe & Kayak

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ADVENTURE PHILOSOPHY Getting back again - Surf survival Part Two Surf survival Part One focused on understanding surf and getting out through it. Part Two looks at getting ashore again. You can choose whether to confront surf when on the beach, you may not have a choice when you are behind the waves staring wistfully back to land. You may have to land in marginal surf conditions. Make no mistake about it, landing in such surf is serious business. It can be an exercise in survival, but knowledge, skill and good judgment will help take the lottery factor out of it. The one big thing in your favour is that you are going with the energy of the waves and you can use this to your advantage. Coastal features produce different surf conditions. A bay’s shape can focus or dissipate waves. Headlands, reefs and islands can create a wave shadow. In marginal surf, look for a landing that will offer some advantage. Establish where the line up is and stay sufficiently outside of this. Observe carefully. Remember the biggest waves will break deepest and a gently sloping surf zone can break well out to sea. It is difficult to read from behind, but you will be able to tell whether the surf is dumping or spilling. The swells rolling in beneath you will give you a fair indication of their size. The face will be about twice the height of the wave’s back. Look for hazards such as reefs and rocks or other people in the water. A kayak is a lethal weapon in the surf zone. If you are part of a group, establish some paddle signals. Landing one-at-a -time means the first person in, the most experienced, can then direct following boaters to the best line. Get ‘lean’ for the trip in. Stow anything that has made it onto your deck throughout the day - map, fishing-line, drink bottle...surf will claim these if you don’t. Stow your hat and sunnies, detach your paddle leash if you have been using it. I lift my rudder up. A rudder down only slows a turn from rest, and makes it more difficult to reverse and is prone to damage if you broach into the beach. Stern ruddering with your paddle and being able to paddle straight without a rudder are essential skills in surf. 18 ISSUE THIRTY • 2005 Mark Jones is a member of the Adventure Philosophy team and Senior Lecturer on AUT’s Outdoor Leadership Programmes. Mark Jones Once you have made all your observations and have a sense of the timing of the sets, move in closer to the line up. Don’t be half hearted. Choose your moment and go. Edging indecisively closer to shore only eats up precious time and increases the likelihood of being caught by a breaker from behind. You have options in the impact zone. Which is best depends on the type of surf and the landing. Landing between breaks: Essentially this is landing in a window between sets of waves, more suited to a break close to shore. Keep looking behind you and when the sea looks flat the set will have finished - time to go for it. To reach the shore before the next wave arrives you need to paddle hard. Between waves and broach: If you are about to be caught up by the next set, as a broken wave approaches, turn your boat sideways with a sweep and stern rudder stroke, then brace and rail into the wave as it hits. Broaching in this manner means you won’t be pitch-poled by the wave lifting the stern. It is essential to lift the shore-side gunwale as you surf sideways and get support off the wave with a low brace. Failing to do this invariably results in a rapid and violent capsize when the gunwale catches the water while you keep moving shorewards. If you get surfed right into the shallows exaggerate your lean over your brace, then when you bump the bottom you won’t be easily rolled. Even an empty kayak hit by a wave has enormous power so make a habit of getting out of your kayak on the surf side to avoid being damaged by your own boat. Surf and broach: This is a fast way through the impact zone using the energy of the wave to your advantage. Often the first of a new set will be smaller and break closer in to shore, so when the sea looks flat is a good time to go for it. Time your approach to catch a wave as it begins to form. As the swell lifts your stern lean forward and paddle hard with final, rapid, powerful strokes. Once surfing, use stern rudders to stay perpendicular to or maintain a slight angle to the face of the wave. As the wave steepens and is about to break, sweep stroke or stern rudder the kayak into a broach position and lean onto a low brace. This is a good general technique for negotiating all surf except dumping surf for which the following is the preferred option. Landing on the back of the wave: To avoid the violent impact zone of surf dumping on a steep beach stay on the back of the wave. Position yourself just outside the impact zone. Get a feel for the size and frequency of the waves as they break beyond you. This technique requires impeccable timing. Choose a moderate sized wave and paddle onto its crest, paddling forward and back-paddling as required to keep the kayak horizontal, avoiding both falling off the back of the wave and dropping down the face as it breaks. Paddle hard to shore, and extra hard if the beach is steep. Pull the spray tab as soon as you are certain you won’t be dragged back toward the waves, jump out immediately, drag your boat clear and breathe a sigh of relief. With skill and the right type of wave you can surf all the way to the beach without broaching. Steer away from breaking water beside you and surf along the unbroken wall of water on the other side of you. To prevent turning out of the wave you will need to rudder on the downhillside while tilting toward the wave. With a rocky shore, backing in whilst facing out to sea may be an option to give you greater control and avoid being surfed into rocks.
Swell is difficult to forecast and sometimes you can find yourself returning through surf you wouldn’t contemplate going out through. I’ve known the West Coast swell go from a one metre no-brainer to very scary oceanic monsters in two hours. Waiting behind such waves is lonely. Companions are of little assistance, rescue is often impractical and dangerous. Alone you must find a way through the aptly named impact zone. When faced with that prospect, practising skills and learning how to stack the deck in your favour is an investment you’ll be glad to have made. Potential landing sites: Areas in inside reef (A) and beaches east of the point (B,C) are probably fairly protected. The surf will increase in size moving south along beach (D) as protection from the point is lost. Beach (E) and other areas north of the point are fully exposed to the swell and may have large surf. The steep topography suggests a steep sea floor so plunging surf can be expected in areas exposed to the swell. ISSUE THIRTY • 2005 19
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