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Surf Moves

Take Off: Diagonal  

Taking-off - the entry point to a wave

This is where every ride starts. A kayaker's paddle-power enables you to catch a wave more easily. Wave positioning is crucial to a good ride so there is value in watching the waves form and finding an optimum position to maximise ride length, using the most critical sections of the wave. When a suitable wave approaches, turn towards the shore and paddle slowly. As the tail is lifted by the wave, paddle harder, leaning forward until the kayak starts to plane. Lean back before the nose digs in and start setting up for the 'bottom turn' in the direction away from the breaking wave.

Taking-off can be quite simple or more radical depending on the wave and you position. A number of different take-offs are shown here.
VARIATIONS Straight Faded Paddle Out
Diagonal Run
Diagonal Run - surfing a diagonal line across the wave

Take off, then turn away from the break and initiate a carve by tilting the kayak into the wave with your hips. Allow the edge (or rail), to grip the water. Rotate your body to face the direction you want to surf. Use a low brace rudder to help keep the stern into the wave. Lean forward to hold the nose down and pointing along the wave. With any luck you will be positioned on the wave in the power pocket with the broken wall of water (the shoulder) chasing behind you.

VARIATIONS
 
Bottom Turn

Bottom Turn - change of direction at the base of the wave

The most important move of the wave, setting the rider for the next manoeuvre and generating the acceleration to allow you to negotiate the breaking section or 'hit the lip' (lip is the clean face folding over about to break). Lean forward and into the turn, extending both arms fully and placing the blade of the paddle slightly in the water on the side where you want to go. Use the blade as a pivot, turning the kayak in an arc into the new direction.
Top Turn    

Top Turn - change of direction at the uppermost section

A steep wave-section provides the perfect opportunity for a top turn. As you come out of the bottom-turn, ascending the face of the wave, pick a steep section of the wave that will provide enough power to push you back down the wave. As the board reaches the crest, twist and lean hard on the 'inside edge' (rail facing the shore) while digging the paddle blade into the wave's face on that side, providing a pivot point and brace. The kayak will change direction back down the wave. Beware of turning too far along the section or turning too slowly as this will often lead to a stall, falling off the back of the wave or requiring some frantic paddling to regain the face. To help avoid this, lean forward to help maintain speed through the carve.
 
VARIATIONS
Floater
Floater - a technical move to get past a broken section

Occasionally, a section of wave may break in front of you. Climb the wall, hitting the top of the breaking section and ride across it then down to regain the green wave. With speed, it is possible to "float" large sections of whitwater to the shoulder.
Cut Back

Cut Back - 180 degree change of direction (radical carve)

Surf onto the 'shoulder' (where the wave is tapering into sea level) of the wave, keeping high on the face. Do a full 180° turn back towards the pocket of the wave and again another 180° turn to carry on riding the wave in the direction it is breaking. An advanced version is riding the nose of the kayak squarely onto the white water and bouncing off it. Using the power of the foam pile to assist you, turn down the wave and regain the clean face of the wave. Lean into the wave and slightly back to avoid a nose-dive.
VARIATIONS Roundhouse Cutback
   
Tube Ride

Tube ride - high, steep ride where the wave pitches overhead

Highly advanced. This requires a steep 'section' (section of clean vertical wave face) with a lip that pitches out far enough for the rider to pass underneath. As you complete the bottom turn and set up for the section, stall the kayak briefly by changing direction back down the wave. This will allow the lip to catch up to you and start pitching over you. Lean forward and into the wave to accelerate the kayak while tucking the paddle in close to the body, on the side away from the wave wall (awkward at first but critical!). Trim the board as high up in the pocket as is possible, keeping away from the lip crashing down at the base of the wave and avoiding the roof of the tube. Ideally the rider exits the tube through the hole, but often the tube collapses and the rider is pushed out through the white water or 'dumped'. To avoid being harshly dumped, as the wave collapses dive into the wave wall so you punch through to the back
360  
360 - stalling manoeuvre

This is generally used to stall the kayak, to allow a slower pocket to catch up with the kayak. As you descend the wave, rotate your body upwards and release your edge (the side of the kayak gripping the wave). The tail should slip down the face of the wave and with enough momentum the kayak will continue to spin, with the nose slipping down. The move can be done in 2 stages with 180 spins, but is more impressive and scores higher as one smooth motion.
VARIATIONS Reverse 360
Re-Entry  
Re-Entry - A move to re-enter the pocket, or closeout

Ride the wave to the lip, using the power of the breaking crest to help propel your kayak around and back down into the pocket. This is a useful way of maintaining the most critical section (pocket). Re-entry can also be used as a closeout move when executed on an approaching shoulder, maximising the ride.
 
Aerial
Air / Aerial - lifting off the surface to become airbourne

In the right conditions (steep, powerful waves), it is possible to extend the re-entry so that the kayak continues off the lip to the point where it is completely airbourne. This is a highly advanced move and is executed after a driving bottom turn up the wave face and hitting any steep part of the wave, i.e. the pocket, an on coming section, or a closeout (Aerial Re-Entry), and becoming airborne off that steep part of the wave
   
Closeout
Closeout - A manoeuvre as the wave closes out

As the wave finally closes out, you have a number of options. The easiest / safest is to ride to the top and exit offf the back. With steeper waves this is not always possible and an alternative is to ride down the wave, as it breaks behind you. A closing wave has a lot of power and with practice this can be used to perform a more dynamic end manoeuvre. A few of these are shown, but the possibilities are almost endless. The bigger the move and the higher the "wow" factor, the more points you can score in a competition.
VARIATIONS Pop Out Pirouette Cartwheel