C-Forum

anyone experienced in surfing big waves and tidal bores?

(such as La Malate or la scie in France, or the buseater or the skookumchuck? I refer to that wellknown wave in Nova Scotia, Canada)

where can I get information about riding such waves (how it feels, how to learn it, what skill/experiences one needs, what the dangers are and so on)?????


hm, well, I'm mainly a slalomist and doing additionaly freestyle but am not very experienced, so no wave experience
I'd like to learn a bit about it and maybe surf some myself one day

I don't know much about tidal flows, and I'm sure there are some folks here with more big wave experience, but here's a few thoughts if you're just getting started:
-Most big wave surfing is very safe (compared to creekboating or playing in pourover holes).
- Make sure you have a 100% roll so you don't end up swimming in big water (because you will be upside down a lot).
- Watch a few people surf the feature that you're about to try. Make sure that is seems to flush people out when they end up upside down or out of control. It takes some experience to tell the difference between a nice friendly foam pile and something that will keep you for awhile.
-Examine the river just downstream and make sure you can handle the whitewater below the feature. And remember that you may be rolling up after a long surf and feeling exhausted when you have to deal with the stuff just downstream.
-Catching a fast wave in a c-1 can be difficult. If dropping in from directly above, it helps to try to slow the boat down a bit as you drift closer to the wave, and then a few strong strokes upstream as you reach the face of the wave to get your boat planing off the water.
-If there is a foam pile, aim for it as you approach the wave. It will help stop your downstream momentum and plant you on the face of the wave.
-I like to approach the wave from an angle (instead of from directly upstream) so I can get some lateral momentum, then redirect this momentum upstream at the last second as I get to the wave. I think this makes it easier to get the boat planing.
-The easiest ones to catch are waves with nice big eddies next to them so you can just do an upstream ferry/surf directly onto it.
-Once on the wave, the initial difficulty is to keep your bow up and to avoid catching an edge. You'll get the feel of it eventually, but expect some rude faceplants into the fast greenwater on your first few tries.
-As with most other types of paddling, it helps to start on medium size waves and work your way up to the really big and fast ones.

Good luck!
jay

Check out this site
http://c1freestyle.blogspot.com/

Hi Sabrina,
Jan Liska and myself have talked about a Euro wave tour this year....maybe you should join us...

Chris..

WHAT????
:o when do you go and for how long? wahooo, holy mackerel, that would be a DREAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



oh, and thanks so far for the lesson on wave riding;) The only wave I've ever been riding is Kuchl, Austria..............but the few times I catched it when it was really big, this ride felt like what LSD and cannabis must feel like together (I've never tried any of them, don't worry :wink: ), it was kind of a big flush that lasted till late night. So I'm pretty fascinated by it and maybe one day when being skilled enough.........I want get that wave flush feeling again!


and:
I will spend september in Canada, actually it's a road trip, but it will lead to Nova Scotia where the skookumchuck wave has it's home. Probably I won't be skilled enough for this one until then, but getting some information will never be for the worse anyway. Anyone knows this it? I've heard it's pretty dangerous and some kayakers died riding it.

I have spoke to Jan, we are looking at 12-20th April...

Hey, there is one more C1 paddler coming-Filip
And I am currently inviting other people
The date is fixed at 12-19 April
Location- Lyon Hawaii sur Rhone and other waves in the region (depends on the levels, should be good though thanks to the massive amount of snow in the mountains)
I will be in Prague the week before that and I will drive to Lyon probably on Friday 10. April so if anybody needs a lift from around Munich, Mannheim etc just let me know. But it would be just one-way trip (I am staying in Geneva after the Easter holidays)
So long
Jan

insolence wrote:
I will spend september in Canada, actually it's a road trip, but it will lead to Nova Scotia where the skookumchuck wave has it's home. Probably I won't be skilled enough for this one until then, but getting some information will never be for the worse anyway. Anyone knows this it? I've heard it's pretty dangerous and some kayakers died riding it.

Hey insolence !

Skookumchuck is at the other end of our BIG country. WEST coast, Nova Scotia is on the EST coast...not even sure of how many 1000's of kms you'll have to drive but 4or 5 days of solid driving for 1 wave is alot in my book

The Ottawa and Gatineau rivers have water that is comparable in size as Skook and probably safer.

You'll get your big wave surfing if you come and visit And buddies showing you how to catch them and picking the pieces at the end of these rapids.

See you then ?

hm, might be possible! Ottawa was, see the Canada thread, warmly recommended so I'll mark this one on my travel map!

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&source=s ... 76904&z=14

6270 KM between Halifax NS and Skook.

for the surf trip with jan
anyone who needs a lift on 13th/14th April from around Augsburg/Munich? (And back 19th/20th)

Don't feel like driving all these 700 km alone in the car and have still places free