Besides boat and paddle leashes and practiced remounts (and dressing/gearing appropriately), what are the safety and training considerations for solo surf ski, progressing from more paddling sheltered waters to open ocean downwind runs?
Likely picking up a beginner surf ski and small wing by the end of the year. Will practice on sheltered bays first.
TIA.
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I wondered what a beginner surf ski might be so I went to Epic’s site. At one point, I had a V8 that I probably should have given more of a chance.
Based on the paddling I’ve seen you do on here, I think you would enjoy it. Skill wise,You are probably beyond the more tame models .
I currently have a Stellar S14S that fits in the tame category.
I never got beyond lake paddling with either one. It’s 40 deg and raining so a good day to talk about a category of paddling I know little about.
I saw a V8 last summer for sale at half price, but I couldn’t figure out whether if it was appropriate for me. Anyway, it sold in 3 days. After reading and having some online conversations with some dedicated surf skiers, it seems like that would be an appropriate model. However, I don’t want to spend for the retail cost of a composite hull. So, it looks like a plastic Epic V7, a slightly scaled down version of the V8 (with an addition of a rear hatch and bulkhead), for me. Heavier but I am not looking to race. Just want to do some downwind paddling/surfing on sloppy/choppy days from the inner to outer Boston harbor islands and back.
I am excited. More to learn and skills to develop.
PS. Here is a recent video of two surf skiers downwinding on an east or northeast winds and chops into Dorchester Bay from the outer Harbor (based on the landmarks I recognize). Pretty cool stuff.
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I have a Fenn Mako xt that I can no longer paddle. It is 19’ long 19" wide and weighs. 35 lbs I am wiling to sell it…
Hey Andy, Thanks for the offer. Besides being too high performance for me (and my level), I don’t have an indoor space to store that hull. Another reason I am interested in the plastic V7 is that I don’t mind storing it in the back yard. I don’t want to ever do that to a composite hull.
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Understood, Unfortunately my boats are going to be sold. I can no longer use them. Some are going to family, some sold.
Best wishes.
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I think one of the biggest safety considerations that I’ve learned is the controlled capsize. You don’t have deck lines to grab onto as you come off of the surfski, and in broken waves the surfski can get washed right out from under you, with the only point of connection being the foot straps. I’ve been told that the foot straps are designed to be very secure - a solid connection to the surfski. I was taught that in a capsize, I should keep my feet in the footstraps very intentionally, scrunch forward, and only remove my feet after I’ve taken hold of the footstrap with my hand. The boat leash is a great backup that should be used, and I always use it. But things remain more secure and in control if you maintain your hold on the footstraps. It’s one of those things that isn’t difficult, but also isn’t a natural reaction to capsize. And it makes a lot of sense to me in practice.
I think you will be happy with a V7. A friend has one and she is a speed freak who also has a V10 but enjoys the 7.
Thanks. That is one skill that I’ve some experience with and applies to my waveski in the break zone. Grab the foot straps and hang on before the next breaking wave. Even then, I have had the waveski taken away by a breaker. I don’t use a leash to my body or to my leg when waveskiing and have had to swim in sans waveski on a few occasions. That is undoubtedly NOT a good idea with surf ski doing a downwind in open ocean. Have to figure whether to go with a calf leash or a waist leash, since I have seen both used by surf skiers.
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Really appreciate these type of videos about “lessons learned”. The ocean is a fun playground, until it isn’t. Practice, practice, practice and take caution, especially when taking on something new (although “complacency” often comes with familiarity).
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Surf skis can vary a lot in stability. I’ve seen some that if you stop paddling you need to have your legs in the water for stability. Skis, more than most kayaks are most stable when moving.
You definitely need a secure way to tether yourself to the ski, whether to your body or at least via a paddle leash secured to the boat. This can be critical if solo paddling in open water or with only one other person so that one can stay with you and another can retrieve the boat. Never leave a person alone in the water. It can very difficult to find a bobbing head in waves by the time you have secured a drifting boat and retrieve it, assuming you even have a contact tow line.
One thing to keep in mind is that a surf ski is about useless in an assisted rescue because most skis have no deck lines or anything else for a person in the water to grab onto.
For one of the surf ski greats, getting back into a “beginner’s boat”.
Good on him!
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I pretty much only paddle ski alone in cool water.
Stndard gear is boat leash, paddle leash, 3/2mm wetsuit, booties, PFD, phone, 2 lights (phone and small flashlight), mirror.
I have had 2 paddle break 0.5-1 mile off shore, but wind is always blowing towards shore so it’s been NBD.
Safety wise, remaining with the boat is #1. In small conditions a regular plasticg leash is adequate. Since I seek out big stuff, I use a custom Dyneema leash that is effectively impossible to break. (Plastic leashes WILL fail in big conditions)
a bomb proof remount is probably 2nd. If you’re with your boat and can get back in, problems are greatly minimized.
Related to #2, an excellent, instant, subconscious stroke brace will prevent 97% of swims. Practice stroke bracing until it’s 2nd nature.
In busy waters I recommend a road worker orange reflective shirt for high viz.
Last, I would Never keep my feet in the brace while capsizing. Feet come out as soon as I know I’m swimming and often you can turn a full capsize into a partial one (as in my waist enters the water but I can kick my leg and flopinto the bucket fast enough that my pfd never touches water. Riding a capsize out to the end sounds like bad times to me, and unnecessary.
I have trained myself to reach for the boat with the inside arm though. In all my paddng the leash has saved me less than 5 times because I hug the hull with the inside arm by default.
Just make sure you can generally get in and stay in the boat and you’re golden
Good stuff, thanks! Which leash is the custom “dyneema” one — body/leg or paddle? Did you make, or order from somewhere?
I used to do a wrist paddle leash (can be seen in some of my older videos) but gave that up in favor of coil paddle leash to the boat. I can’t remember the exact reason but I must have experienced some safety issue with it. Found this video:
Clock is ticking. Getting the ski in couple of weeks. Getting a paddle from Pikeabike. Will stay in protected bays until I am sure of my remounts (from both sides).
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I’ll remain in protected water.
A paddling friend enjoys braiding so he was making custom leashes for some in our group.
He would sew a grosgrain loop into heavy duty Velcro, then weave a buried loop at one end (boat end), then loop the rope through the grosgrain and burry back into the dyneema rope.
(Burry means opening up woven rope and inserting the individual weaves back into the core of the braided rope, leading to a knot-less tie off that works on the same principle as a Chinese finger trap)
He wraps the rope with shrink wrap tubing, then winds it around a broom stick or similar 1" diameter pole, then hit with a heat gun. The heat shrink tube retains the coiled shape similar to a regular leash.
I use a calf leash that goes above the knee. I would NOT recommend an ankle leash in bigger conditions. In smaller stuff it doesnt matter much.
I prefer boat-to-calf and pfd-to-paddle leash orientation. Never tried a wrist leash
Last, after watching the NSRI video, that dude has a lot of faith in their plastic leash - more than I would on a Millers Run. Multiple times the leash is pulled tight. That guy should really have better boat control when entering the water IMO (as in, feet out earlier, abort the brace and accept the swim earlier, grasp the boat with the inside arm more forcefully, grab the footbrace strap immediately to gain more positive control in the water).