Hi there,
a while back I read a really good article (on the internet) describing in detail how to catch bumps and of course now I can't find it anywhere...it went into detail describing the different types of waves and how to catch them. If anyone out there knows which article I'm talking about and where I could find it I would really appreciate it. :)
Submitted by oc-girl on Fri, 02/23/2007 - 1:56pm
maybe a scoop net would be good...
#1 Fri, 02/23/2007 - 2:09pm
I've been looking for the special sunglasses that "map out" the route but I can't find them anywhere...
#2 Fri, 02/23/2007 - 2:16pm
#3 Fri, 02/23/2007 - 2:53pm
Howzit
Here a site www.huki.com then go to Ideas click that an go to surfing waves and much more.
good luck I hope this helps
'A 'ohe halawai mo'a oa aku
( No horizon is too distant)
#4 Fri, 02/23/2007 - 3:10pm
Hey OC-Girl, is this the article you were referring to? http://www.pacificpaddler.com/fitness/tips.html
#5 Fri, 02/23/2007 - 3:17pm
Not the article I had seen before but they were great! But exactly what I am looking for. Especially the one on the Huki website.
Thank you! :)
#6 Fri, 02/23/2007 - 4:11pm
Was this it.
Downwind Technique Part 1
Jeff and others, I had a great 14.3 mile downwind run yesterday in 3-5 foot waves and had a lot of time to think about other points of downwind paddling. I don't want to sound like I'm lecturing too much on this but it took me a while to 'figure it out' and piece together tips from better downwind paddlers. I think that the more you understand the techniques, the better you get, because some of them are counter-intuitive.
Wind waves are of two types. They are either like parallel straight lines that stretch for 50-100 yds wide or so and are uniform in size, shape, speed. These happen from boat wake and from wind waves that come around a point or through some geographic 'filter'. Or, they are like semicircles or fishscales when viewed from above. These second type need more open water to form.
The parallel waves (I'll call them type 1) tend to be smaller and are easier to catch and surf downwind. They also won't separate out the paddlers much because everyone is kind of stuck behind the long wave in front of them. These waves are easy to be good at because they don't take much skill to ride and stay with. There also is rarely a shoulder to go around to get to the next trough in front of you. Generally, you just point straight downwind and wait for the opening in front of you to open up and "ride over one or two like ball bearings".
The scallop shape or semi-circle type, roughly 10-30 yds wide, (Type 2)are where the novices are separated out from the experts. And these can be very frustrating for beginners as they give the illusion of not being regular or uniform and being confused and tough to surf. But, there is lots of predictability in them and lots of speed to find. The idea is to surf down the biggest or steepest part of the wave and veer off diagonnally while you have lots of momentum. Picture the semi-circle shape of the wave and you started in the middle. You want to get your speed there and then maneuver over to one of the shoulders so that you are going diagonnally. Here (and this is the crucial part that separates the Chalupskys from the others) you will need to choose a course that keeps and builds your speed up again. I look for the lowest trough that I can get my bow into in 2-3 seconds with the idea that the trough will deepen and a wave will rise under my butt, and I'll find myself on a wave again and repeat the whole process. Usually, the first trough you put your bow into will only be small and won't deepen much, but it will keep your speed and you'll change course a bit go to the next little trough and so on, until it deepens and now you're on a good wave so you turn down the face to gain speed. Keep in mind that the shoulders of these waves run off at about 45 degrees to the direction of the faces and these are the underlying or secondary waves that are vital to keep and generate speed. You must use them.
Other points to consider: You'll know that you are not going very well if waves come over you from behind and swamp your cockpit. That's called a stall and it will happen less and less when you get better. If you aim straight downwind, it will happen over and over again in these types of waves. The way to get out of a stall is to turn 45 degrees and look for the little shoulder waves to build speed. Now don't get overly anxious and waste your energy trying to outrun these, stay with them until your course reveals new troughs in front of you to use and turn downwind into them.
The bigger the type 2 waves are, the harder they are to catch, but the more speed and distance you can get from them. These big waves travel faster and have a longer top so they take a harder sprint to get over and drop into. When you do catch them, you have more opportunity to navigate over to the next promising area because your speed and momentum are high, so you're more likely to catch another big one. The same technique still applies - 45 deg angle left or right (turn off too soon and you lose momentum, too late and you'll stall in the wave ahead of you), build some new speed or just keep momentum on the shoulder waves, and look for an opportunity to sprint and drop into the next one.
Focus on what's in front of you, not the waves behind you. You're looking for troughs, not waves. Bigger waves will have deeper troughs in front of and behind them. The small 45 degree shoulder waves are the key and are always there with the type 2 waves.
Generally, the bigger the type 2 waves, the more speed that is required to catch them. The big swell in the Molokai race is almost unusable because it goes so fast (20 mph or so). The Molokai race is about catching the shoulder waves and smaller wind waves to get speed and only then, you can turn down a swell and get more speed and distance.
Hope this helps and wasn't too long winded.
Downwind Technique Part2
While I'm not an expert in the big stuff, I have learned some things from better big water paddlers that might help.
Written by Erik
Cheers Rambo
#7 Sat, 02/24/2007 - 12:03am
Rambo,
that's the one. :) Now I can read and go out and paddle/play and put it into practical use. Thank you!
(Or just stay flatwater....not!)
#8 Sat, 02/24/2007 - 4:46am