C-Forum

I'm trying to learn how to spin to my off side. i can spin towards my paddle just fine. on playak.com there is a c-1 technique section with some videos and descriptions of some play moves but no off side flat spins. any one have any tips or know of the location of descriptions on the internet? i am also wondering about an upstream paddle position when side surfing with my paddling side upstream. i met a guy last season in salida that suggested keeping my paddle on my paddling side rather than using an off side brace, which doesn't seem too strong. i haven't tried this position yet, have any of you? i want to improve my side surfing on that side since a flat spin in that direction will need a good set up from that side.
thanks

I am not much of a rodayo playboater (but I definitely put on a good show sometimes ), but I may be able to offer some useful information regarding off-side surfing.

DON"T DO IT! Heh heh heh. I couldn't help it. Anyways, Let's say that you're sitting in a nice frothy hole that is not trying to trash you and your onside is facing upstream. Normally, you keep the upstream edge up with your body weight toward your offside and the paddle in a high brace on your offside. The biggest key is balancing your boat and not relying on the brace to keep you upright--just a light touch to keep the balance. There is no such thing as bracing upstream for balance, rather you go to the onside with the paddle to the stern and execute a stern pry and initiate a stern pivot. I do this move quite a lot and it spins me nicely so I am now surfing on my onside. Again, the key is being able to balance while the paddle is not in the water.

You can hold the stern pry in a static position so that the boat does not pivot and sits on a pseudo-offside surf/pseudo front surf (you're not really doing either one). It can be a bit strenuous and tricky because your offside edge is still downstream and if your bow pearls, you're gonna execute a HE!! of a dynamic windowshade (with all the other boaters applauding and admiring the finesse you just demonstrated ).

The bottom line is, jump in the hole on your offside and see what you can learn. Maybe I gave you something that is helpful. Give it a try and let me know if I was right about something.

KNeal

I do my flat spins to my off side two ways one I do a cross bow, bow sweep and reach ford around the bow to keep the boat spinning. But this puts a lot of force on your sholder if you get it wrong. The other way I do it is to simlpy plant my hand into the water on my off side and get the boat to spin around off that, it is a bit harder to learn but comes in very handy when leaning how to hand blunt and all so helps then off side side surfing.

When I'm off side surfing I only use my hand for suport and only when needed, I keep the paddle out of the water normaly over the bow. It takes a few power flips to lean but once you lean how to use your edge it is so easy. The best place to learn is the beach sitting in the white water after a good ride, just try sitting there untill you fell happy with it. To get off your off side surf I normaly do out of a few things depending on what the hole is like and what I want to do next. Some times I use my hand to spin the boat around onto a back surf, use my paddle to spin around ford or back, or use my boat to cave down into the hole and up again and out of the hole by moving my body wight and edge. Some times when I want to have a lot of fun, I try, but still have not got it 100% I use a sweeping rear ply and throw the bow into the hole and start cartwheeling. I am still working on this move as some times it works some times it does not.

Any way the best way to learn it to get out there and try different things in holes that you are happy to roll in and get some of your mates to watch you and see if they can see anything you are doing wrong or they think you may be able to do different. Just go out there and have fun, thats the best way of learning.

Wayne.