Surfski safety

[josko]

This is one of those 'i don't know what I don't know' questions:

I'm transitioning my (mostly solo) fitness paddling from a kayak to a surfski. I feel 'safe enough' in a kayak  out by , say, Cuttyhunk near Thanksgiving, but don't know how a surfski compares. So, assumung my remount and rolling skills are comparable, what is there to think about? The kind of trip I'm asking about is a November ~20 mile Elizabeth islands circumnav, with air and water both ~50F.

Obviously, the surfski has no dayhatches and no place for a spare paddle.  Has anyone ever needed their spare paddle on a solo daytrip? And what about stuiff in dayhatches? Extra clothes, cag, boat/body repair kit, spare dayhatch cover, .... Hmm, prob'ly don't need spare dayhatch if there's no dayhatches, but what safety tradeoffs will I be making? Do different weather limitations kick in?

I'm amazed at seeing surfski dudes in winter with no PFD, no wetsuit, not much of anything, really, just chugging along. It makes me wonder what I'm missing.

Edited August 8, 2019 by josko

[Inverseyourself]

Josko:

Congrats upon your transition to the dark side :-)

You are an experienced sea kayaker with the seamanship that comes with that. That's already a great asset. No doubt surfskiers have a different approach to safety compared to  seakayakers. By the time we have finished schlepping tons of safety equipment, stowing it in various compartments and donning all our gear and then go through a beef breaching, most surfskiers are already 2-3 miles out to sea. That's the beauty of surfskiing: go light, be fast. I thinks that's where its main strength lies, speed. Trying to even remotely reproduce the safety equipment of a fully loaded sea kayak in a surfski annihilates the advantages (and fun) of a surfski.

That is not to say that surfskiers aren't safety conscious or don't possess good seamanship.

For daytrips beyond 3-4 hours, I carry a storm cag in a drybag under the bungees behind the bucket ("cockpit" :-)). If I go further out or if it's colder, I wear my sea kayaking PFD with all its attached safety gear and reservoir rather than just my much lighter surfski PFD. I don't eat much even during longer trips and just carry 2-3 Cliff Shot Block bars in my PFD. I see no good way to store a spare paddle. Spare paddles in my personal experience are for medium consequence-low probability cases. You can always paddle canoe-style. If I'm not close to sore I wear a paddle leash (paddle to boat) AND belt leash (me to boat).

At my level of surfski expertise, which I consider at the low end of intermediate at this time, planning in regards to sea state and weather is key. Whereas I would go out in 25 kn winds and higher sea states in my sea kayak, I would not in my surfski, not yet (downwind runs in > 25+ Kn wind are what surfskiing is ultimately all about). Therefore, stable seas and wind are a must before committing to a longer run like yours, much more so than in your sea kayak with everything including the kitchen sink in it.

Of course, your stability on the ski ties directly into all this. Whereas an expert is faster in an expert ski (21' L, 14-15" W), someone like me will be relatively faster in a wider, more stable ski (e.g. 19"L, 20" W). Relative to myself in a narrower ski that is. With a little bit of training in an "early intermediate ski" you can cruise at 5.9-6.3 mph (statute) without too much effort for the distance you mentioned, especially if you go fitness-oriented. If you get significant  help from the tide, you could make it around in under 3 hours (of course you may have to wait for tide reversal).

Do make sure that you have a reliable remount in the conditions you paddle in. A very fast remount in shark territory (one major disadvantage of surfskis without compartments: one bite and you flood. I went out to 1/2-Way Rock out of Manchester in early April and splashed on the way back near the seals. That was a couple of months before I heard about increasing great white sightings in Salem Bay).

If there's a stable weather window, go for it. Of course, dry suit and gloves w spares and head gear in November, which goes without saying.

I don't think you're missing much relative to "surfski dudes in winter without PFD or wetsuit".

 

Just my 2 cents. There are some much more experienced surfskiers on this forum who could give you advice.

 

Andy

[mattdrayer]

I'd really like people to stop referring to surfskis as "the dark side", even if it's tongue-in-cheek.  I mean, come on, this is a way to have a ridiculous amount of fun on the water -- especially when the wind is cranking and the ocean is hauling.  Why do there have to be "sides" at all?  Paddle a surfski, paddle a sea kayak, go fast, play in the rocks, it's all good!  

When it comes to safety, I really don't think it has much to do with the type of watercraft one chooses.  Safety is a personal issue, and everyone has their own perspective on what is "safe" when it comes to surfskis.  My idea of "safe" may horrify someone else, and someone else's idea of "safe" may horrify me.  I watched this unbelievable video the other day of Sharon Armstrong absolutely kicking arse in Durban.  I mean, it's amazing.  SHE'S amazing.  Watch it right now -- 40kts of wind, 10+mph average speed, wow!  And she's out there in these huge seas, with nothing more than a PFD, an unleashed paddle, and one small water bottle tucked under the back bungee.  She even goes over at one point -- with no boat leash.  Her boat doesn't blow away, although her hat does.  Sharon remounts her boat, gets going again, and finishes her course.  Was she safe?  Was she unsafe?  IMHO what is "safe" for Sharon is very different than what is safe for someone new learning to stay upright on flat water. 

This topic of "what is safe" carries over to other sports/activities as well, such as climbing, which I enjoy very much as well, mainly in the winter.  The climbing community constantly debates the topic of safety -- watch Free Solo or read Will Gadd's articles.  Ultimately everyone walks away from these discussion shrugging their shoulders -- "Do what works for you."  "Operate within your abilities."  "YMMV."

Philosophy aside, as you've noted there are certainly practical constraints with today's surfski models that limit one's ability to carry additional equipment.  Some ski manufacturers do offer models (or offer to outfit their models) with various features -- dayhatches, tie-down anchor points, compass mounts, flip-up rudders, etc.  Some crafty people have even customized their skis on their own to have these items.  Most ski designs are focused on two specific design characteristics -- stability and speed -- and so the boats generally are very basic and optimized for these traits. This, along with the fact that skis are sealed, self-bailing, sit-on-top watercraft, combined with the competitive racer's desire to weigh as little as possible overall, does tend to lead one down the minimalist path in terms of gear, and that means tradeoffs with respect to carrying safety-related equipment. 

For example, as someone who has paddled sea kayaks for 20+ years, and logged an average of 110 sessions in a surfski each season over the past six years, my mantra when pulling out of the driveway has been simplified from an initial kitchen-sink gear list to this:  "Boat.  Paddle.  PFD.  Phone.  VHF.  Ok, go."  No skirt.  No pump.  No paddle float.  No spare paddle.  No drysuit.  No tow bag.  No extra clothes.  No sunglasses.  No knife.  No chart.  No compass.  No first aid kit.  No picnic basket.  No fluid if less than an hour.  1L fluid/hr if more than 1 hour.  Calories mixed into fluid if more than 2 hours.   Again, different people have different perspectives on what to carry, and these perspectives are mainly based on the conditions people deal with.

My perspective is based on the fact that I'm typically on the water for 60-70 minutes per session.  I typically cover 10k-15k (6.2mi-9.3mi) of distance during that time.  I typically cover a mile in 8--9 minutes -- 7-8 minutes if I'm going with the wind and/or current.  I know I can make reasonable progress with a 20mph headwind with oncoming seas and/or current, and expect 4.5-5.5mph of VMG, and I know I can keep that up for two hours or more.  I know from experience that I can remount my boat in heavy seas 10-12 times in a single warm-water session before I don't want to swim anymore.  I also know from experience that I can only remount 3-4 times in a single cold-water session before I'm equally feeling that way.  I know on a 10k downwind course I'll average ~7.5mph and hit 10mph or faster when i get on the waves (a truly transformative experience).  I'm not beating my chest, this is what I know I can do, because I've done it many times.  So the "safety" determination for me is what to do and/or carry when conditions exceed what I consider to be my normal range. Sessions >15mi either above 7.25mph or breathing hard.  Sessions > 2hrs either above 7.25mph or breathing hard.  Headwind > 20mph.  Tailwind > 30mph.  Seas > 6ft.  Water temp cold enough to make my face hurt.  Air temp hot enough to make my throat hurt.  These are all aspects that factor into my decision to 1) go at all, and if yes, then 2) consider carrying additional contingency gear.

For a specific tactical example with respect to colder conditions, to manage early-season cold temps I'll wear a 4/3 wetsuit w/ hood+gloves+boots in April and a 3/2 wetsuit+boots + neoprene beanie in May.  The 4/3 suit sucks for mobility -- I want to replace my "surf" suit with a nice triathlon suit, which I think would be perfect.  By mid-June the wetsuits are hung up to dry, and I'm wearing a pair of jammers and a LS top.  The 3/2 wetsuit will come back out in late September for downwinds and surfing in nor'easters, but only really to keep the chill from setting in too soon when there's lots of fun to be had.  If I went further into October the 4/3 would come back out as well.  By November I'm in the gym training for winter climbing, so i can't really comment on that, but I know several people who do use drysuits for paddling their skis in colder temps and they seem to all say the same thing -- they wear the drysuit because that's what they have available, not necessarily because it's ideal.  Most people don't wear wetsuits, because most people are scared of going in the water.  The people who wear wetsuits also enjoy surfing and swimming.  Being in the water is not an emergency, imnsho, it's part of the experience.

Based on this excellent Peak Paddle Performance Podcast episode I've considered tucking a couple pencil flares into the back pocket of my PFD.  You know, in case an SAR team is looking for me, because I was paddling in conditions way above my ability (1), and I fell in (2), and I couldn't remount (3), and I got tired (4), and my boat leash broke (5), and my boat blew away (6), and my phone died (7), and my VHF didn't work (8), so yes, carrying pencil flares would be a good 9th level of safety.  But would I carry them all the time, or just when there's a good chance I'll get into trouble?  Should I carry a PLB (Level 10?)?  If there's a good chance I'll get into trouble and will need to activate a PLB, why am I even going in the first place?  My goal is to have *fun*, not to have a stare down competition with Death -- after all, staredowns with Death are for young people  

Is my setup unsafe?  Is yours?  Is theirs?  It's all a matter of perspective.  I'm late-night pontificating at this point, yes, but it's fun and hey I'm on vacation

Regarding your proposed Elizabeth Islands circumnavigation -- I think it sounds like an excellent trip.  Being a ~20-mile course and given that most people can get a surfski moving at 6mph or faster with a reasonable amount of practice, you are looking at 20mi/6mph = 3.33 hours assuming constant speed.  This is proven by first-timers year after year at the Blackburn Challenge.  My first-timer friend did it this year in an older Epic V8 -- 3:19:56.  He beat my SK-class course record time from 2012 by almost a minute, and logged maybe a dozen training sessions before the race.     So, you can probably do your trip on a nice Saturday morning and be home in time for lunch. 

When it comes to managing air + water temps, it's again YMMV and you'll need to decide what safety contingencies make the most sense to include on your trip.  If I were doing this trip on a nice day in November (and why pick a suboptimal day, especially in November?) I would wear my 3/2 wetsuit+boots+gloves+beanie, because I personally think this setup is better than a drysuit.  The 3/2 offers a reasonable balance between thermal management and mobility, I am going to be wet anyway (sweat + spray + possible immersion), and the wetsuit provides inherent additional flotation.  A 3/2 wetsuit will probably knock 0.25-0.5mph off my average speed, with most of that loss coming in the second half of the trip due to the additional resistance. 

A PFD is certainly a consideration for open ocean sessions imho, although it's important to know how tightly your PFD fits with a suit underneath.  Remember you want mobility, because you want to be fast, which means you want to easily move your body.  So you might consider a "winter PFD" and a "summer" PFD.  And as you may have read in that Valkyrie Downwind article I linked above, sometimes even a PFD can be overkill.  What's better -- bobbing for an hour in cold water with your PFD on and waiting for help to arrive, or actively swimming for an hour back to shore in your wetsuit?  Assuming one knows one can actually swim for a whole hour in a wetsuit, in cold water.  But maybe it's not an hour, maybe you're hugging the islands all the way around, and you're never more than a 10-15 minute swim from shore.  If you don't have the PFD over your wetsuit, will you have better mobility and thus finish the trip faster, limiting your overall exposure? 

Fun things to think about...now I must sleep, because I am planning on paddling my ski 15k before breakfast 

Matt

 

 

Edited August 9, 2019 by mattdrayer

[Jim Snyder]

Be nice if some of the surfski guys could do a clinic for curious kayak guys...

[prudenceb]

1 hour ago, Jim Snyder said:

Be nice if some of the surfski guys could do a clinic for curious kayak guys...

Ummm, how about surfski GALS giving a talk to curious kayak gals?  Or better yet, surfski guys and gals giving a talk to curious kayak gals and guys.

just sayin'...   

[Jim Snyder]

Sorry Prudence...

[josko]

5 hours ago, prudenceb said:

Ummm, how about surfski GALS giving a talk to curious kayak gals?  Or better yet, surfski guys and gals giving a talk to curious kayak gals and guys.

just sayin'...   

Pru, If the 9/28 (ladies' thing in Woods Hole) is still on, we can add all the surfski stuff you'd like. 

[prudenceb]

3 minutes ago, josko said:

Pru, If the 9/28 (ladies' thing in Woods Hole) is still on, we can add all the surfski stuff you'd like. 

I sure hope conditions will allow 9/28.  As for surfski, not in my future (I imagine) but it's not just for guys or to be taught by guys!  

 

1 hour ago, Jim Snyder said:

Sorry Prudence...

???

[JanetL]

Josko, is this ladies thing open to more? I'm interested...

[josko]

I think sooo, but I'll let Mel chime in with details. 

Pru, so lemme see: a surfski is not, but Falls island is? 

[prudenceb]

8 minutes ago, josko said:

I think sooo, but I'll let Mel chime in with details. 

Pru, so lemme see: a surfski is not, but Falls island is? 

Falls Island, yes!   Enjoyed Cobscook this year and look forward to next.  It helped to survive that trip at max flood last year!

Although it would be fun to try a surfski.  Expect I'd be upside down in no time!

Edited August 9, 2019 by prudenceb

[Pintail]

Thanks, Matt Drayer, for the excellent attachment (Sharon Armstrong)!  She looks to be a couple of miles off-shore in that clip and <forty> knots?  That's one mighty southwester blowing, there!  It's not often that they are <that> strong, when they come through...

[BethS]

I'd love to learn more about surfskis; I've tried them a couple of times, with mixed results. But definitely still interested, and yes it's obviously not just a "guy thing" (That Sharon Armstrong is amazing... thanks for the link!)

Pru you'd be fine in a surfski, if I can do it so can you!!

Edited August 20, 2019 by BethS

[BethS]

On 8/9/2019 at 4:30 PM, JanetL said:

Josko, is this ladies thing open to more? I'm interested...

Me too? Just asking... Not sure if I'm free but i might be...

[josko]

3 minutes ago, BethS said:

Me too? Just asking... Not sure if I'm free but i might be...

I know we have room... Pru, Janet, Beth,...  consider yourself invited to stay with us for the weekend while I get Mel to post particulars. Expect current, tideraces, maybe even a downwind leg.