Surf kayaking

Use of a kayak boat for surfing waves

Surf kayak competition, westcoast Vancouver Island.

Surf kayaking is the sport, technique, and equipment, used in surfing ocean waves with kayaks. Surf kayaking has many similarities to surf board surfing, but with boats designed for use in surf zones, and with a paddle. A number of kayak designs are used, but all are aimed at better using the waves to propel the craft.

Surf kayaking is popular in many areas frequented by surf board surfers. The sport has grown in popularity over the last decades, in pace with the rise of sea kayaking, and modern materials and techniques.

## Equipment

[edit]

### Surf kayaks

[edit]

There are a number of speciality surf kayak designs available. They are often equipped with up to four fins with a three fin thruster set up being the most common. Speciality surf kayaks typically have flat bottoms, and hard rails, similar to surf boards. The design of a surf kayak promotes the use of an ocean surf wave (moving wave) as opposed to a river or feature wave (moving water). They are typically made from glass composites (mixtures of carbon fiber, Kevlar and fiberglass) or rotomolded plastic.

Many kayaks, such as those used in whitewater kayaking on rivers or tidal rapids, are used. Many whitewater designs can be fitted with fins, to assist in control on moving surf waves. (See: Ocean surface wave, Whitewater)

Sea kayaks, generally used for day-trip or expedition kayaking, are used in surf kayaking. Due to their length, sea kayaks are difficult to manoeuvre in surf. The techniques and strategies utilized in landing kayaks safely through large, open ocean surf, even when heavily loaded, could be considered a sub-discipline of surf kayaking.

### Paddles

[edit]

Typically double sided kayak paddles. Length is generally proportional to dimensions of boat and paddler, but can range from 160 to 230 cm. Kayak blades are often 'feathered' (set on an angle in relation to each other), allowing the paddle to pass smoothly through the lip of a wave when paddling into breaking waves. It is not unusual for un-feathered paddles to be used as personal preference.

Occasionally single-sided 'canoe' paddles are used. This is perhaps attributed to whitewater canoe influence.

Surf kayak paddles are generally made from robust materials to last the rigours of the surf zone. Fiberglass, plastic, and carbon fiber are most common.

## Surfing Open Ocean Swell

[edit]

When paddling in open ocean swell, it is possible to surf a kayak, thereby increasing one's speed. Ocean swell, having a longer distance between crests than wind waves, allows sea kayaks and other longer boats to surf down the front of the wave. This technique, especially when used on extended expedition trips, can add miles to a day trip.[1]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Dowd, John (1997). Sea Kayaking : A Manual for Long-Distance Touring. Vancouver, Greystone Books, pp. 76-78. ISBN 1-55054-563-9.

* v
* t
* e

Canoeing and kayaking

Main disciplines|

* Canoe sprint
* Canoe slalom
* Canoe marathon
* Canoe polo
* Wildwater canoeing
* Canoe sailing
* Canoe freestyle
* Paracanoe

Olympics|

* Summer Olympics
* Male medalists
* Female medalists
* Venues

Other disciplines|

* Creeking
* Dragon boating
* Nouka Baich
* Paddleboarding
* Surf skiing
* Surf kayaking
* Snow boating
* Squirt boating
* Standup paddleboarding

ICF championships|

* Sprint (Men's Canadian medalists
* Women's Canadian medalists
* Men's kayak medalists
* Women's kayak medalists
* Paracanoe medalists)
* Slalom (Men's canoe medalists
* Women's canoe medalists
* Men's kayak medalists
* Women's kayak medalists
* Mixed canoe medalists)
* Slalom Junior & U23
* Marathon
* Ocean Racing
* Wildwater canoeing

Recreation|

* Small-craft sailing
* Whitewater canoeing / kayaking
* Sea kayaking
* Canoe camping
* Kayak fishing
* Canoe and kayak diving
* Dongola racing
* Canoe orienteering
* Canoe livery

Modern boats|

* Canoe
* Kayak
* Concrete canoe
* Flyak
* Folding kayak
* International Canoe
* Malia
* Recreational kayak
* Sprint canoe

Traditional boats|

* Aleutian kayak
* Cayuco
* Chundan vallam
* Dugout
* Fur brigade
* Outrigger canoe
* Pacific Northwest
* Rabaska
* Sturgeon-nosed canoe
* Taimen
* Umiak
* Waka
* War canoe
* Swan boat

Techniques|

* Canoe paddle strokes
* Eskimo Rescue
* Kayak roll
* Portage

Equipment|

* Albano buoy system
* Outrigger
* Paddle
* Paddle float
* Paddle leash
* Royalex
* Sea sock
* Spray deck
* Tuilik

Venues|

* Artificial whitewater
* Canoeing and kayaking venues

Competitions|

* List of world records in canoeing
* Adirondack Canoe Classic
* Au Sable River Canoe Marathon
* Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Marathon
* Dusi Canoe Marathon
* Hawkesbury Canoe Classic
* Massive Murray Paddle
* National Student Rodeo
* Thameside Series
* Waterside Series
* Riverland Paddling Marathon

Festivals|

* Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival
* Duanwu Festival
* Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York
* Houston Dragon Boat Festival
* Lethbridge Dragon Boat Festival
* Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival
* Toronto International Dragon Boat Race Festival

Governing bodies|

* European Canoe Association
* American Canoe Association
* Paddle Australia
* Paddle UK
* British Dragon Boat Racing Association
* Canoe Kayak Canada
* Canoe Wales
* Croatian Canoe Federation
* Israel Canoe Association
* Scottish Canoe Association
* Portuguese Canoe Federation

Other organisations|

* Canadian Canoe Museum
* International Dragon Boat Federation
* Sir Alexander Mackenzie Canada Sea-to-Sea Bicentennial Expeditions
* UK Rivers Access Campaign

Media|

* La Chasse-galerie
* Paddle-to-the-Sea (film)
* The Rise and Fall of the Great Lakes
* Waterwalker

Outline

* v
* t
* e

Surfing

* Terminology
* History

Types|

* Big wave
* Bellyboarding
* Bodyboarding
* Flowriding
* Kiteboarding
* Kneeboarding
* Lake surfing
* River surfing
* Shoulder surfing
* Skimboarding
* Standup paddleboarding
* Surf kayaking
* Tow-in
* Tube riding
* Windsurfing
* Windfoiling
* Wing foiling
* Women's surfing

Surfers|

* American
* Argentine
* Australian
* Brazilian
* British
* Filipino
* French
* Irish
* Maldivian
* New Zealand
* Peruvian
* Portuguese
* South African
* Uruguayan

Environment|

* Closeout
* Hawaiian scale
* Ocean surface wave
* Surf break
* Tidal bore
* Wave pool

Equipment|

Surfboard
Fins
Wax
Wax comb
Foilboard
Boardshorts
Surfboard leash
Windsurfing
Boom
Harness

Locations|

| By country|

* Australia
* Brazil
* Canada
* Chile
* Ecuador
* India
* Indonesia
* Ireland
* Madeira
* Morocco
* New Zealand
* Peru
* South Africa
* Sri Lanka
* Taiwan
* Turkey
* United Kingdom
* Scotland
* United States

|

Sites|

* Banzai Pipeline
* Cyclops
* Jaws
* La Libertad
* Mavericks
* Puerto Escondido
* Shipstern Bluff
* Teahupoʻo
* Uluwatu

Competitions|

* Australian Boardriders Battle
* Australian Open of Surfing
* Beachley Classic
* Billabong Pipeline Masters
* Billabong Pro Teahupoo
* Copa Movistar
* Duke Kahanamoku Invitational Surfing Championship
* East Coast Surfing Championships
* Hawaiian Pro
* J-Bay Open
* Ku Ikaika Challenge
* Lion Foundation Surf League
* MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal
* Noosa Festival of Surfing
* O'Neill Sebastian Inlet Pro
* O'Neill World Cup of Surfing
* Olympics
* Pipeline Bodysurfing Classic
* Quiksilver Pro France
* Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast
* Red Bull Big Wave Africa
* Rip Curl Pro
* Roxy Pro France
* Shark Island Challenge
* Smirnoff World Pro-Am Surfing Championships
* Stubbies
* Surfabout
* Surfest
* The Eddie
* Triple Crown of Surfing
* US Open of Surfing
* World Surfing Games
* World Surf League

Organizations|

* International Professional Surfers
* International Surfing Association
* International Surfing Day
* International Surfing Museum
* National Scholastic Surfing Association
* New York Surf Film Festival
* Santa Cruz Surfing Museum
* SurfAid International
* Surfers Against Sewage
* Surfline
* Surfrider Foundation
* Surfing Australia
* Surfing South Africa
* The Moonshine Conspiracy
* Uruguayan Surfing Union
* Welsh Surfing Federation
* World Surf League

Culture|

* Art
* Fictional surfers
* Films
* Hair
* Music
* Surfwear brands
* Shaka sign

Hazards|

* Shark attack
* Surfer's eye
* Surfer's ear
* Surfer's myelopathy

Related topics|

* Surf lifesaving
* Waterstart (windsurfing maneuver)

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template