Sea Kayaking: How to Surf Inshore Beach Waves, Swell and Offshore Chop

If you want to learn how to surf a sea kayak in breaking onshore waves or chop, you'll need to blend eight steps. Eight steps might sound like a lot, but since each leads naturally into the next (hey, consider all the combined motions that create a walking footstep!), the task is a lot easier than might first appear.

The steps run from setting up to catch the wave, to bracing out to stay on to bracing out to finish riding the inshore breaking wave, to setting up to ride another. Every photo series that shows how to surf a sea kayak includes each of the eight steps; key is to remember that not all photo sequences presented for instruction show the sea kayaking enthusiast wearing a helmet. A helmet, pfd (personal flotation device, or end-run name for lifejacket) and spray skirt are essential to surfing a sea kayak on inshore beach waves.

Obviously you need the helmet to prevent head injury, either from hitting your head on submerged rock, getting struck by another surfer, or having to wet exit your sea kayaking and, in turn possibly getting hit by your own boat.

One effective way to document yourself at work as you course through the eight steps of surfing a sea kayak is to attach a waterproof camera or waterproof digital camcorder to your foredeck. Set your digital camera on autoshoot to snap a photo every ten seconds or so and you'll produce a vivid series of photos. You'll also likely capture some pretty humorous candid photos of yourself!

Key steps to surfing a sea kayak: set up by looking astern to asses the size and shape of the forming waves. Next, take off by laying down four or five brisk, powerful paddle strokes. You need to be sure that your sea Third step is to place a low brace on the wave to balance the sea kayak while it accelerates downt he face of the wave. Fourth step is to add in a powerful stroke or two to be sure that your kayak maintains enough speed to remain on the face of the wave. Fifth step is to lean back in the cockpit, shifting your weight aft to prevent the bow from digging in.

Sixth and seventh steps are to use the occasional stern rudder to stay square on the face of the wave. Eight is to use a powerful low brace turn to slide out of the wave, turn the kayak seaward, and paddle back out to catch another wave, with the likelihood you'll need to use a high brace to keep the sea kayak upright as the wave dumps and flattens in the shallows.

That's it: eight simple steps, on flowing naturally to the next, each an application of basic sea kayaking skills most sea kayaking (and kayak fishing) enthusiasts pick up after a season or two.

Read related sea kayaking and kayak fishing content at the content-rich blogs Sea Kayaking Dot Net and NorthAmerican Kayak Fishing.