Surf A Sea Kayak with Ruth Gordon

first appeared in Kayak Touring 2008
as told to Kate Stepan

FRESTYLE KAYAK WORLD CHAMPION Ruth Gordon certainly knows her way around a standing wave in her whitewater boat, and recently applied her skills to a few ocean swells while working with Alex Matthews and the folks at Heliconia Press for the book Sea Kayaking Rough Waters. Though she probably won’t be throwing any airscrews in her long boat, Gordon did impart some secrets of her playboating prowess for sea kayakers looking to rip it up at the local break—or simply make more graceful surf landings.

Have a reliable roll and the ability to paddle out through moderate surf.

Practice riding offshore swells you encounter while sea touring; these waves usually dissipate slowly rather than breaking, and they can give you a welcome push. “That’s the neat thing about surfing,” Gordon says. “It’s fun but also helps you get where you’re going.”

Look for a mellow beach break with a sandy, gradually sloping bottom. Paddle past the “impact zone,” where the waves are breaking, and watch a few sets roll in.

Timing is everything. Choose your wave and paddle aggressively toward the beach—take three to five hard strokes, trying to hit your maximum speed as the wave reaches you and begins to pick up your stern.

Angle your bow away from the breaking part of the wave to avoid the whitewater and get a longer ride.

Lean back. “We all learned the hard way if you lean forward, your bow’s going to go under and you’re going to piton; it’s not going to be pretty,” Gordon says.

Use a strong stern rudder to keep the boat straight. “I’m used to edging and making a lot of turns in my whitewater boat,” Gordon says. “But once you put the sea kayak on edge, that’s the end of it.” Alternate pry strokes on both sides to steer; rotate your torso and plant your paddle deeply to use your core strength and protect your shoulders.

Edge away from the beach by lifting one knee and putting more weight on the opposite butt cheek, and brace off the foam pile with your paddle. “At some stage, the bow is going to take you in one direction or the other,” Gordon explains. “Anticipate where it’s going and don’t be afraid of leaning into the whitewater.”

Play nicely with others. Chances are board surfers and other paddlers have stumbled upon your surf spot, and were likely there first. Remember this general rule in a crowded line up: the surfer who catches an unbroken wave first, and is closest to the breaking curl while riding the green face, has the right of way. Catching a wave that a surfer is already on is known as “dropping in,” and it’s a major party foul.

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Read more about Ruth Gordon’s adventures at www.ruthgordon.ca. Sea Kayaking Rough Waters is available at www.helipress.com.