I am thinking that when surfing and I end up pearling in mini mko that it would be good to do a piroutte so I land upright and then do 180 and try to keep surfing. I would like to learn the technique but think I will probably just end up in the whitewash but maybe it will workout.
What is the differnce between a piroutte and blunt? Any tips on how to do the above move?
Also thinking about same type thing when paddling out and being looped backwards (ie roll so when looped I would land upright and try to surf). First thing would be learn when looping forward. But would this be a viable take off option or will I just end up in the soup and waste time instead of getting out back?
Thanks for your help. I have added a seatbelt to the minimako and I think it has definately helped in performance and edge control.
eugene
Pearling vs Ender or Popout ?
I have a Mako and it's a boat that wants to pearl on take offs ...I'm not sure if that is when you mean? My remedy is to take off a little more diagonly and lean back and really steer the boat on the critical line through the bottom turn, if it starts to pearl I pull my knees up to my chest and lean into the turn putting the boat on edge 90 degrees, it will usually turn out of the pearl and you get hammered with the breaking wave and then it's time to bounce on the foam bring the nose back around so you are front surfing and outrun the foam and get back on the green.
Ender: If you know how to do a top turn onto the foam pile, if you have your paddle on the beach side planted and you are pivoting around it, drop your beachside knee before you reverse direction and intentionally edge the beachward side into the water steering it down into the water, hold the paddle position and your nose will dive, stand up on your foot pegs and bottom out and as you pop up push forward on the paddle stuck in the water and you spin around (hopefully) for the pirouette. I don't do this on my Mako, I'm afraid of busting the nose (again). Works well on a whitewater boat. The whitewater experts can probably tell you how you are supposed to do this.
Note added in proof - when you stand up on the foot pegs it's easy to get pitched over if you misjudge the wave, essentially catapulted on your head so be careful trying this.
One VS The Other
Pirouette, as I understand it, is when you pearl on the bow and you reach into the water with a blade and spin around to whichever degree you like and land back down on your hull.
A blunt is a radical 180 plop from front surf to back surf. Suggested initiation is to cut aggressively towards the shoulder, radically change to the other edge (towards pocket) while laying the now inside rear blade flat on the face and pushing off in to initiate a blow stall, to get the stern in the air, and to pivot around 180.
Can't say I do pirouettes, at least not on purpose. When I was surfing my Wold Epic in spring (on very uncrowded breaks), I was hitting the blunt on occaisons. I've been surfing exclusively on a waveski since at a small, rocky (becoming my home) break mostly "local" boardies. They frown on that type of thing so I haven't tried since then. I've just been work on floaters and trying to get air, and aggressive cutbacks into and out of the pocket. This they appreciate as opposed to 360's, blunts, backsurfs, etc. Guess I am conforming to surf this particular break.
sing
my old dagger gt
would ender spectacularly!!!
easy way to ender: do not lean back when youcatch that wave…lean forwards to catch that bow in the green water…
only try this on smaller waves though as you can get tossed a** over teakettle (i have been in 6-7’ waves)…
i would recommend a plstic boat for this as sometimes you will hit bottom…
blunt-let you know when i completely figure this one out…
good vid: ej’s play…good explanation…have to watch it again…
here is a link
http://tinyurl.com/ycpemm that has the parts of a blunt depicted…
an ender has you going more vertical and staying that way…the blunt-as sing said- you end up sitting back down and back surfing out of there…
Ocean vs. River
The kind of maneuvers you’re speaking of would be out of place in most prime surf spots here in southern California. Almost all of the breaks have to be shared with the stand up crew…and they would definitely be unhappy with the moves you’ve described.
As it is, paddle surfers are an unpopular lot with the hard core stand-up folks…even when they’re riding waves in the classic surfing style. All it would take is a missed blunt or pirouette that results in some one missing a wave or worse, getting bonked, and all hell would break loose.
If you were here, I’d say save the river moves for the river and focus your energy on developing your surfing skills, using Sing’s description of how he is wave riding at his home break as a template.
Well, A Bit Of Both…
there are beach breaks here that boardies rarely surf and, in the winter, the ranks clear out even in the popular spots. If and when, I get back into my surf kayak in the winter, I am not opposed to doing trick moves but, again, with the full cognizance of where and who is out there.
Currently, my evolving home break is really a sweet ride on clean days. It only has two peaks and fills up completely with 10 or more folks surfing. I have surfed it enough to come to know about 10 of the hard core locals there. Enough to get and give a greeting out on the lineup. I know some of my surf kayaking buddies do get some snake eyes and comments when they're out there. I think I earned the respect, because I can weave pretty well through the line up and the boardies paddling back out. To the point, when I don't see that look of panic on the boardies' faces as I catch a wave as I did earlier on. The other thing is the surfing style. Two boardies confided to me that they thought I can rip up and down and in and out of the pocket moves better than 90 percent of them. It's a style they can understand whereas white water moves just don't cut it, especially if it ends up with close calls or running over someone paddling back out to the line up.
But, I think we are luckier in the northeast to not totally have the breaks jam packed yet. Again, winter will seperate the hard core surfers from the fair weather ones. That's coming soon.
sing
east coast
I only have beach break to surf on but luckily don’t have to share waves becasue I am by myself. I try very hard to observe surf ettiquette and feel my number one responsibility is to not endanger others. I don’t care if boardies don’t like what I am doing but I do pay them respect stay out of their way and most importantly maintain control and not endanger anyone else.
I don’t kayak rivers and don’t really know anything about river moves (not that I have anything against whitewater just haven’t really tried it).
What I was looking for was a recovery method from pearling that would allow me to continuing surfing a wave. May not be possible but at least it may keep my head out of the water. Certainly should help with boat control. Will only attempt when I am alone on the beach.
eugene
What SeaDart Said
is probably a good way to save a pearl. A blunt would work too but are you comfortable backsurfing and doing 180s and 360s? If not, you find you'll end up going backwards and then quickly into a capsize because you can't get out of a backsurf.
Okay, read seadart again. I can sometimes save a pearl by going aggressively on edge, using a flat paddle blade rudder for balance. Putting the boat on edge can free up the bow from the green water. Usually, I end up falling back to the wave's backside. If the wave is already breaking... Well you either squirt out of there, or you get a spectacular wipeout as the lip closes over you.
sing
Enders are just part of the bag-o-tricks
I find that board surfers actually enjoy dynamic moves from kayakers as long as they think you are in controll and aware of the others in the water.
Here’s a link with some moves … from an older San Onofre webpage …
http://members.aol.com/Kayaksrfr1/moves.html
Finally an ender is a well recognized way for getting off of a wave, the BCU I believe calls them loops which is different than my undrstanding of looping in whitewater … at any rate you have to show an ability to do top-turns and “loops” to get your four star BCU surf rating.
thanks
that is exactly what I was looking for.
i learned this trick from the Nigel
foster surf book:
wiggle your hips when you bow has started purling…this does teh same thing that sing had written…just multiplle times on both sides so you rise straight back up…
if you are looking for moves search for the bcu surf page…there is a trick listing there too…