Kayak Surfing Facts

Kayak surfing offers a challenging way to improve your paddling techniques and general experience. Getting time in the surf can prepare you for longer tours in areas prone to choppy waters and rough swells. Theoretically all kayaks can be surfed, however some hull shapes perform better in whitewater than others. If long paddles are in your future, it is wise to be confident among breaking waves so you know what to expect and can keep your gear dry.

  1. Kayak Types

    • Sea kayaks offer better tracking, which helps when trying to match a wave's speed. Once in the wave, however, a sea kayak's weight results in lessened maneuverability. Sea kayaks are also less forgiving than the shorter whitewater kayaks because their hulls sit deeper into the water and need better paddle work to control rather than body weight. Whitewater kayaks have planing hulls that glide on top the water. These kayaks are slower out of waves, but once in the whitewater they offer excellent maneuverability because their sides cut into the surface with shifts of body weight.

    Non-traditional Types

    • There are several non-traditional kayak types that offer excellent whitewater performance. The Wave Witch has a skeg-like rudder, optional surf fins and a planing hull. These features give the Wave Witch additional stability and control when in surf. Wave skis are essentially surfboards that you sit on. Like the Wave Witch they perform well in surf with great maneuverability, but they are nearly useless in all other paddling situations. If you plan to do some river, lake or sea kayaking in addition to surfing, avoid these types.

    Learning to Surf

    • Unless you have great water experience and understand waves, swells, current and tides well, taking a kayak surfing class is recommended. Playing around in light surf is a great way for intermediate and experienced kayakers to gain confidence in breaking waves, but be certain to do so in an uncrowded area. Also, being able to roll your kayak when you capsize is an essential skill.

    Right-of-Way

    • Be sure you understand the surfing right-of-way. All kayak surfers must adhere to the same right-of-way etiquette that board and body surfers follow. The rules and situations of surfing right-of-way involves a complicated set of surfing circumstances that you should learn if you enroll in a kayak surfing class. The rules are grounded in giving the surfer closer to the breaking wave the right-of-way. No surfer may ever endanger another by jumping onto a breaking wave that is already being surfed.

    Four Stages of Surfing

    • There are four stages to every surf and each has its own set of techniques that take a lifetime to master. The first stage is the "paddle out" in which you launch yourself from the beach and paddle out beyond the breaking waves. This is a tiring and intimidating effort as breaking waves crash into and on top of your kayak. The second stage is the "take off." Here you catch the wave in generally two ways: straight on or angled. The third stage is the "ride" for which an unlimited number of tricks and maneuvers exist. Fourth is the "end maneuver," which is your exit or escape from the wave. Alternatively, you might "wipe out" at any stage of the surf, ending your run in a capsize.