Surfski Knowledge Base

Michael Medler <michael.medler@…>
10/24/10 #9483

Hey Junior Varsity…

I just stopped by Marine Park on my way home, just to take a look out there. It's windy!

I did get to watch the grand-old-men head out for a downwinder. There was lots of excitement, hurrying, and expensive boats being shuffled from track to van etc.. Looked fun, and full of comradery, but way out of many of our leagues, especialy for me in my extra special tippy boat. The puzzle for us B-Team paddlers is how to get the time in the seat, and more importantly the time getting back in the seat?

Therefore, I am putting out a call for anyone else who might like to go spend some time in Padden today getting the shit kicked out of us by paddling sideways in tiny wind driven waves. I have found it useful to head to Padden in full wind conditions, dressed for full extended immersion, (full wetsuit) with full saltwater gear (leashes etc.). At least at Padden you will get blown to some shore pretty quickly.

I'll be the lonely beginner guy with the MarkI, at the shower room beach, (where the food drive race took place) at about 12:30 today. Other bumblies are more than invited.

Michael

Re: B-Team storm paddling at Padden?
Reivers Dustin
10/24/10 #9484

this message posted below right there is sanity. Way to go Micheal.

many of you have heard this so to shorten it up: my son was pretty dang frisky in a surfski so I took him up to Padden and one of those willawas plucked his skinny ass right out of the seat for a cold swim back to the beach. Fatherly advise only seems to matter after we get our whuppin.

I have spent many happy hours doing loops at Marine park, Padden or Bloedel in the wind shadow, just peeking my nose out there. If you can't tell, I'm having a sickening attack of maternal instinct about folks with only two or three years in the seat hanging out with those barnacles w/o brains. Weird thing is I hate reading posts like this one, you know: 'One of you kids is going to poke your eye out doing that!' I can't help myself….

1) Keen situational awareness
2) Rock solid equipment
3) Really strong skills
4) no ego or testoserone.

(takes a loooong time to get those right enough for storm paddling.)

rd

Re: B-Team storm paddling at Padden?
Erik Borgnes
10/24/10 #9485

Michael,

Probably the best way to get the seat-time experience is to get the actual “seat-time experience” in the marine Park conditions - but do it in a really controlled manner.

Specifically, the main thing that 'competent flat water paddlers but newer rough water paddlers' need to do is to just float and play in the rough water for many cumulative hours so that you can learn and get accustomed to how the waves move you and your boat. I would strongly recommend finding an old more stable ski that's easy to remount (like an old XT) and just go 100 yds out turn around, and come back almost to the beach. Do figure 8's, do lots of stopping, just floating beam to the waves, angling left and right, etc. You want to get your boat balancing actions to be subconscious and automatic responses, get your braces so automatic that they become “checks” and rarely strong braces, and you want to get your head to fully understand the situation.

What I mean by the last part is this: The biggest impediment to a paddler's ability to be competent in rough water is usually the fear / self-preservation gene. Your mind doesn't really know that the next 4 ft wave isn't going to do something irrational like double in size and break on top of you unless you've spent lots of hours in those conditions and learn what all the possibilities are (in coastal waters, though, you'll find that waves do occasionally bend the rules, but not in Bellingham Bay). When you are going downwind and you get picked up and pushed forwards, your mind needs to learn that the wave is only going to lift you so high and push you so fast, or when the wave broaches you, you're not going to get caught in a tube and have a crest breaking over you as you get rolled and dragged underwater (at least not around here). When you fall out and get back on over and over again in 3+ ft waves, your mind will learn that falling out is no big deal (provided you have a leash, etc). You'll also need to learn to feel comfortable at a higher speed. For example, years ago, I wasn't getting as competent skiing moguls as I wanted to because oftentimes, I's start to go faster and faster and I'd get beyond my comfort zone and I'd tense up and turn back up off the fall-line. I later got some good advice from a top skier who told me that once you hit a certain speed on a mogul run, your speed stalls as long as you're hitting the bumps correctly, getting 'air-time', and that was exactly what I found out. In the end, I became much more in control and relaxed skiing moguls at a slightly faster speed. Same thing in mtb racing - sometimes speed and lots of “air-time” puts you more in control - but it's counter-intuitive and if you keep braking before you get there, you'll never learn that trick. On a surfski, speed and momentum are your friends. While you're learning, you'll want to let the waves push you around a bit so you can feel them and figure them out. Later on, once you've got some experience, you'll more or less learn to view them as ramps and learn how to get on and off them cleanly.

Once your head is comfortable in the rough water, you'll be able to build up some skills and more confidence and then the next step would be to transfer all of that over to your tippier ski if you want to.

But, find a spot where there is an onshore wind and wave pattern, dress for immersion, and just spend time out there floating, turning, and learning to not freak out. If the more stable ski is still too much, find a more stable sea kayak or something to use. But, control for the worst case scenario, which means that if you capsize and lose your ski, what's going to happen? If you're going to be blown to a shore that's only 100 yds away, then that's the type of controlled situation you want.

Erik

Re: B-Team storm paddling at Padden?
Jeff Hegedus <jhegedus@…>
10/24/10 #9486

I've been on the water with Michael at Padden, and he has an AWESOME strategy for beginner level skill set development (good on you Dude). He dresses fully for cold water immersion, practices remounting tirelessly, uses a leash and pfd, has the smarts to do it in a small enclosed lake, and the readiness to do it in some conditions. He's always smiling and having fun with it too. Anyone at this level should definitely take him up on his offer to join in.

I paddled English Bay this morning with the False Creek sangha, and the storm isn't here yet. Mixed wind, rain and sun, what a totally beautiful Fall day.

Re: B-Team storm paddling at Padden?
debbie natelson
10/24/10 #9487

Such sage advice all around. Much the reason that I tune into Whatcompaddlers group, even though I am not myself a WP. Thanks for all your helpful sharing. I wish I lived closer to come join you Michael today or to have taken advantage of some of earlier Sat practices where more experienced paddlers took less nubies under wing. Living here in Renton I am fortunately, spoiled by my proximity to Lake Wa and so tend to practice in the lake, but tend to be more timid in bigger conditions if paddling by myself (very few of surf skiers around here). But more to the point, I regret that I rarely ever get the chance to practice with others under the real marine conditions to which Eric, Reivers, et al have referred.

Have fun today. I loaned my ski out so can't take advantage of today's breezes. But I will try to practice your tips when I get it back.
Debbie N.

Re: B-Team storm paddling at Padden?
dnjacobson79
10/24/10 #9488

Way to rock the Mark One (hey, for a case of beer not a bad boat?)! My first time in that boat Kristen was in tears with laughter as I tried to remount it & the local bubba fishermen in North Carolina were well amused. Let's get you out in an XT on a small day on the bay or when it's blowing on Lake Whatcom, it was bomber in the surf today and there was nothing but wide grins by all paddlers at the takeout. I have a feeling Kirk and Peter might be taking one for spin as well, that is if Kirk will let it be on his new 'chick magnet' truck - DJ

Re: B-Team storm paddling at Padden?
Larry Goolsby
10/24/10 #9489

Today's waves was pretty big by the time DJ, Kirk and I left Wildcat cove. I think our timing was perfect. There were 3-4 footers from the start, several sets of 5-6 footers, and I swear I rode a set that had to be almost 8 feet in height. I had to put the brakes on when I was going down the leading face and I still hit 14.6 mph. DJ and I both had our phat boats, so we stayed pretty far out from shore. If you don't have one, get one. It is so much more fun to be out there without throwing braces and broaching. Total confidence. However, this doesn't mean that owning an R , a Sport or an XT will make you a super storm paddler. You'll still need to work your way up to paddling in these conditions and it might take a few years. Today was worth the wait.
LG

Re: B-Team storm paddling at Padden?
Dean Bumstead
10/24/10 #9490

Larry - is that gps of yours still broken? No really, I believe you this time. I hit 13.4mph off a monster not to far off the tunnel.

Dean

Re: B-Team storm paddling at Padden?
allipp01
10/24/10 #9491

It sure was fun out there today…..and I caught several 8 footers too, Larry, unfortuantely they were 8 foot weeds on my rudder, and not waves!

Re: B-Team storm paddling at Padden?
Michael Medler <michael.medler@…>
10/24/10 #9496

Hey Erik and others that chimed in with B-Team advice,

There was good wind practice to be had at Padden today. It will be a while before I really enjoy the bay when my paddle is leaving white whistling jet streamers in the wind.

Thanks for all the info and input. Learning a new sport as an adult is always intimidating, and knowing when to chime in with beginners can be tricky for folks with experience in any sports. I think I can speak for many of us gumby beginners when I say that the local surfski scene is a good bunch to learn from. Maybe it's related to fact that the average age on the results spreadsheet from the Samish race last month was 48.

I have been learning and teaching rock climbing for 30 years, and my climbing friends and I have always faced similar issues, whether we were being the hotheaded kids, or as is usually the case now, the cautious old guys. I think in any unforgiving, equipment intensive sport, most of us beginners are basically thrilled to absorb as much info as possible. I don't climb or back-country ski anymore with people that don't think they have lots more to learn (who are usually 19 and have only climbed indoors). Most old climbers I know are always looking to learn more.

So feel free to keep the info coming when it looks like we may not know what we are doing.

Michael