Techniques to landing a kayak in the surf.

So for my setup, I fill it with grease and plug it in, but rarely ever un-plug it. Every once in a while I check it, and when I do I fill it again and plug in, remove excess. And then when at home I pull all my gear out and hit it with the hose, but not really hard on the FF, just a rinse.  Some FF's have SD card slots that can get water in them, on mine I fill it also with grease, and then put electrical tape on it.

For fish finder plugs - I also use dielectric grease. I unplug mine usually after every trip, so I just keep an eye on it. If it looks dry, I add a little grease. Also, with the Garmin, there isn't a positive cable clip, so too much grease and it will unplug itself on the water. Lowrance is better about this - there is a nice little twist clip to hold the cable in place. I rinse everything after ever saltwater trip - the kayak, the drive, all the rudder components, the fish finder, rods and reels, all the tackle that came out with me, wetsuit and PFD... Everything gets the hose. I find for a lot of this stuff, I can leave it in the hull of the kayak and spray it all at once. I try to let it sit in the sun for a couple hours before covering or putting in my garage.

For surf landing - as others have said, timing is key.  I try to time the set, and follow a wave in. If I get overtaken by a wave, I reverse paddle to keep the bow pointed where I want it, and then forward paddle once the wave passes me.

I took a surf zone class back in the ‘90s in HMB using Necky Looksha Sport 14’ sit inside sea kayaks. Everything Mark said is correct. Getting kicked sideways was almost 100%, but with a paddle brace and lean into the wave you could ride sideways right up to the sand. This even worked for me when an overhead crashed right on me, knocking my spray skirt into the cockpit, half filling it with water.
But these wide flat sit on tops are a different animal. They have no secondary stability. They do not lean. I’ve been dumped a couple of times, surprised that my brace and lean did nothing to avoid a quick overturn. From watching a couple videos and with limited success, I believe if you do get caught sideways that you still need the brace and lean, but you have to reach way out into the wave horizontally with your whole body to counter it.

I've often wondered about landing strategy of the old school sea kayaks vs the modern fishing kayaks. You mentioned that these new kayaks don't really have secondary stability, which I agree with. I've not accidentally capsized my kayak yet, but in practicing, I know I can lean far enough to dip the gunnel below the water, in relatively calm water anyway.  At that point, if it started to go, there probably would be no stopping it. I fall off long before the kayak turtles though. And, I still can't stand up without wanting to fall over, haha.

I've not taken a kayak surf class nor been on the water in a sit inside or sea kayak, but I wonder if the stability is different enough to consider different landing strategies?

I think one reason for the dramatically different stability properties might be attempting to account for a higher center of gravity and to enable the intended purpose easier. If fishing kayaks relied on secondary stability too much, they would probably get labelled as "tippy" by the crowd who came to kayaks from boats, haha.

What you should probably do is take your kayak, nothing but the seat, paddle, pfd and dress for immersion, and go out there an play in the surf.  One of our wisest members always said, may he rest in peace, "Be a kayaker first, and be a kayak fisherman second."

What you should probably do is take your kayak, nothing but the seat, paddle, pfd and dress for immersion, and go out there an play in the surf.  One of our wisest members always said, may he rest in peace, "Be a kayaker first, and be a kayak fisherman second."

Yes good idea - that's on my to do list too!

Keeping good control of your yak in the surf is about more than losing gear. Especially on a sunny beach with surfers kids and pets romping in the surf

If the surf is up a good approach is to swim your yak in on the end of a good floating line. There’s a little bit of a method to it but it’s the safest approach

I have never seen this done. Do you have any video of this being done? Honestly, attaching a line to yourself and a kayak about to hit a rough surf does not seem safe?

I started fishing this way as a teenager in 1972 after an old freediver got me set up with a lightweight 16’ dive yak. A key piece of gear was a line on the nose of the yak to attach to kelp and to control it either swimming out or in through bigger surf

That pretty much defined everything I did for several decades and for a lot of those years I was out there daily and launched whatever the conditions were, meaning sometimes surf that was way overhead. Which I highly recommend if you’re an adrenaline junkie

The most important thing is to be in control of your yak, going out or coming in. Especially in places where there are humans and pets playing in the surf

When I get time I’ll make up a new line and maybe post pics and a recipe. Maybe I can even coax my son into doing a video while I demo how to use it

Swimming is way safer than how 99% of people are landing their yaks

Keeping good control of your yak in the surf is about more than losing gear. Especially on a sunny beach with surfers kids and pets romping in the surf

If the surf is up a good approach is to swim your yak in on the end of a good floating line. There’s a little bit of a method to it but it’s the safest approach

I have never seen this done. Do you have any video of this being done? Honestly, attaching a line to yourself and a kayak about to hit a rough surf does not seem safe?

I started fishing this way as a teenager in 1972 after an old freediver got me set up with a lightweight 16’ dive yak. A key piece of gear was a line on the nose of the yak to attach to kelp and to control it either swimming out or in through bigger surf. Come to think of it that was the only safety gear other than a knife and a couple of cans of Coca-Cola

That pretty much defined everything I did for several decades and for a lot of those years I was out there daily and launched whatever the conditions were, meaning sometimes surf that was way overhead. Which I highly recommend if you’re an adrenaline junkie

The most important thing is to be in control of your yak, whether going out or coming in. Especially in places where there are humans and pets playing in the surf. Which frankly most of us are pretty careless about.

When I get time I will make up a new line and maybe post pics and a recipe. Maybe I can even coax my son into doing a video while I demo how I do it. Problem is we use all our saltwater time for surfing these days

Swimming is way safer than how 99% of people are landing their yaks

Thanks for sharing. Some serious OG status right there.

My order of landing method would be:

1.  Go in normally (gentle condition)
2.  Go in backward (Rough condition) 
3.  Swim in by holding the rear handle of my Hobie Outback kayak, using both hands. (Extreme condition)

Paul

Completely agree with Paul. I haven’t seen anyone mention this yet, but you should be aware of the hazard that a horizontal kayak presents if you jump out ahead of it (shoreward) and stand up trying to control it. Many knees/legs have been broken from this. Better to jump out early and deeper (even if deeper than you can touch) and swim it in from the rear handle than to try and bail in shallow water last second, only to have nowhere to go as it comes tumbling at you.

This video is pretty good, but they have narrower kayaks that can lean. But he mentions keeping that leading side up as it surfs sideways.

One of the best get togethers i have attended. Cambria slam 3.

 I was so motivated to attend and all the campsites were booked. After the safety meeting when they asked if anyone had questions. I stood up and asked if anyone had room for one at therir site? Of course a fellow yaker came through. 

Action starts at 10:10 .

I leaned into a surge that pushed me in slightly sideways for at least 15 ft. Really long surges up the beach. Good times!!

Now i mostly drive a boat. LMAO

https://youtu.be/kdHdDlqFdRs?si=kPriISjZqP6pAoaY

Or do most people just get close enough to the shore where they can jump out and stand (like knee to waist high water), and then direct the boat in while standing?

This is what I do for both launching and landing (unless it's super easy no swell).

Try to time the launch/landing with the lull between the sets.  When there is swell, I watch a few sets while setting up before launching and will hang out just past the surf and watch a few before landing.

Learn the indicators of the start of a set.  Also pay attention to tide - high tide will be more mellow/mushy and low tide will increase waves.

You should be comfortable standing in ~waist deep water, keeping your kayak perpendicular to the waves and yourself between the kayak and wave, and lift the bow over waves as they pass by you.

Or do most people just get close enough to the shore where they can jump out and stand (like knee to waist high water), and then direct the boat in while standing? I'm wipeing out at the end where I could be standing, so that seems like an easy adjustment to make.


One thing to keep in mind is that some launch points drop off really fast. Fort Ross is one of them. I was coming back in to what I thought was waist deep water, and went in over my head. Needed to swim the rest of the way in.

I have been using CorrosionX on all of my electrical conections, and it has been working great. I reapply a couple times a year.

Lots of great advice here.  Nice post.

Re:  dielectric grease - don't put it on every time.  Just make sure there's some on there and maintain that discipline.  Too much of it will lead to inability to plug things in at all.  BTDT.

I had a FF totally submerged for around 5 minutes and was afraid it would be toast.  It has worked ever since, and I credit Lowrance and dielectric grease.  I lightly wipe my FF's with a damp cloth after use, and I leave the female electronic connection alone - let the dielectric do the work there.

I like my big kayaks, and I don't like losing gear or risking injury - especially while guiding.  I avoid beach launches and landings as much as possible - it's the best way to avoid yard sales, hands down.  I'm lucky to have some very protected launches, and when I do choose to beach launch/land, I only go on the best forecasts.

Beach launch and land is akin to abalone diving - don't get "Sacramento Syndrome".  Only do it when the risk is minimalized by the conditions, or you're going to be much more likely to lose gear and/or get hurt.

Getting out of the kayak outside the breakers and swimming in with a line, like Paul does, is an advanced skill that takes not just practice and impressive physical ability, but also very disciplined stowing of gear.  Paul and I lived in parallel universes on September 10th and 11th, 2006.  We both paddled offshore solo, caught Chinook just under 40 pounds, and returned to shore triumphant.  The difference was that I was at a protected launch and wouldn't have done it differently.  Not sure which of his launches Paul was at, but I am sure he was ready to secure his catch and all of his valuable gear and swim it all in.  Paul is on a different level than almost anyone else in this community.

If someone else out there is swimming it in with a line, please chime in.  Otherwise, I bow down to BlueKayak - it's well deserved.

Abs! We should chat one of these days

The main thing is can you control your yak in the surf (or otherwise)

That line to my yak is in my top 3 or 4 safety things along with a sharp pointy knife, H2O, and if I’m not hugging the shoreline an old fashioned compass

I can think of many times it saved my ass or at least saved me a long lonely swim through sharky waters