New OC paddler questions

hi all. i'm a long time sea kayak and occasional surfski paddler who's getting into oc-1 (been paddling a stingray for the last 3 months). i'm in atlanta (!) of all places, so i'm basically on my own here in terms of learning what to do. i was hoping you could answer a couple of questions for me:

first, what is considered a decent flatwater (totally flatwater) speed? i'm averaging about 6mph over 3 hours, clocked on gps. i haven't had enough opportunities to get it into consistent swells to see how that would affect the speed- i assume it would increase it as i get speed off each bump? for reference, i'm 36 and in good shape (ie, if I'm slow as a dog on the oc-1 I would guess my technique is most at fault, since i'm considered pretty fast in a kayak). i've got the boat set up as ama-light as i possibly can.

second- i'm doing a 35 mile benefit paddle at the end of september that includes 2 places where i will have to come in on the beach and launch off the beach (only if i want food i guess). i doubt the waves will be all that big, but do you have any tips for launching an oc-1 into a surf zone? i know how to do it with a ski- is it exactly the same or are there some nuances?

many thanks in advance,

andrew

Submitted by afolpe on Wed, 08/13/2003 - 1:45pm



Anonymous

I launch through shorebreak in CA pretty often and have the following advice.

When going out, walk out in about waist deep water and wait for a lull in the surf. You'll want to keep the nose perpendicular to the incoming waves. I hold the boat with the front iako in my left hand and right hand wrapped around the hull. This gives you good control and you can hop on the boat quickly. When you get a lull, jump on quickly and paddle away.

When coming in, I paddle in looking behind to make sure no set waves approach and paddle in on the back of a wave. Paddling in on the back will help make sure there's enough water for your rudder. When you get in about waist deep water, jump off and pick up the boat over your head.

As far as judging your paddling speed, I've never used a speed mate so I have no idea what's fast. My advice is to find someone faster and chase them. In your case that will be someone in another type of boat. You'll also be able to experiment with different techniques to see what's comfortable and fast.


#1 Wed, 08/13/2003 - 2:32pm
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I don't know how relevant this is, but www.hullspeed.net had some gps data from some surf skiers at the solo
http://www.hullspeed.net/resources/average-speed.gif

so 6 mph seems good to me in flats, but I've never had a gps or speed mate.

[b]Guest[/b], you should register! You deserve credit for your quick & informative response! :)


#2 Wed, 08/13/2003 - 2:51pm


Anonymous

6 mph is not bad for a 3 hour flat water paddle. At race pace, I average about 7.2 mph for a 2 hour race in flat water. On bumps, that can increase to over 16 mph on a gusty day, and a hawaii kai run is usually close to 9 mph average.


#3 Sat, 08/23/2003 - 5:16pm
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