Paddling In Waves

Sea kayaks are an incredibly sea worthy craft. With the right skipper they are capable of being paddled in a range of conditions including wind, swell, surf, tidal currents and waves. Waves are something that most paddlers are going to encounter at some point whilst out on the water. In our most recent set of lessons we set out to share some tips and exercises to help paddlers be better prepared for paddling in waves.

One of the first things we talk about in this course is the importance of staying loose. When we are relaxed, chilled and loose our kayak is free to move around underneath us. The kayak can move from side to side absorbing the motion of the ocean whilst our body is tall and neutral. For many people paddling in waves can be a little unnerving. The default reaction then is to panic a little and go tight and stiff in the boat. When this happens our upper body is more likely to rock from side to side and make the boat feel really unstable.

  Phil keeping active and relaxed whilst paddling across waves.

People have lots of different coping mechanisms for dealing with becoming tense and stiff in the boat. Singing a song (if your voice is like mine then maybe in your head), focus on getting the paddle in by your feet and relaxing your paddle grip can all work. Time in conditions, getting used to the feeling of the boat moving around underneath you, is a big factor in starting to relax more. In this course we go through some exercises to build confidence. 

When we paddle across waves it becomes really important to stay loose yet active. Keep the boat moving with nice steady forwards paddle strokes. If a wave hits the side of the boat, unless its steep and breaking, we can just keep relaxed and concentrate on getting the blade in by our toes and maintaining momentum.

Following seas can be a little trickier. We refer to a following sea as sea conditions when the waves are coming from the back/stern of the boat. In the boat handling in wind course we talked about the physics at play on the boat. With forward momentum the front of the boat tends to “grab” a bit more water and is more locked in. The stern, on the other hand is looser and tends to be free to move. When paddling in a following sea these physics remain a major influence. The back of the boat will often get pushed out and the boat will want to start to broach (turn sideways) in the waves. Unlike paddling into and across waves, where we need to purely concentrate on forwards momentum, in a following sea will need to use a steering stroke to keep the back of the boat in check. A stern rudder with an emphasis on using the back of the blade here can help. If we feel the boat broaching to the right we can rotate our body and use a stern rudder on the left with pressure on the back of the blade, this will start to bring the boat back round to the left. We have lots of detailed instruction on stern rudders in our ruddering masterclass course. When paddling in following seas we will need to learn to pause our forwards paddling and use this rudder stroke to straighten the boat out.

In a following sea our kayak can start to broach.

With some experience, confidence and the right sea state we can start to think about surfing some these following seas. Timing is critical here. I will focus on what the wave in front is doing, if this wave looks steep that’s a good cue to up my cadence. As I feel the bow of the boat slip down the back of this boat I will sit tall and increase my paddle speed, using a high angle fast stroke. I can now, hopefully, enjoy the ride.

For me, paddling in waves and dynamic conditions is one of the greatest joys in sea kayaking. Feeling the boat being moved around by the ocean is exhilarating and, once we learn to relax, great fun. Pick a venue where you can build up into the conditions. Start in small waves and, as confidence grows, we can move into more challenging waters. Remember, first and foremost, keep it fun and safe.

Catch a wave for me,

James