# Scared of tackling the surf



## jp1 (Jan 23, 2010)

Just got a Nemo after having a Daylite Paddler. I fish the Maroochy River but t going out through the mouth to the open sea looks a bit risky for me. Would Mooloolaba be a safe place to start my surf experience? If so, how should I start?


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## Bailz411 (Mar 30, 2009)

Gday JP1,

Going out through the mouth of the Maroochy would be very hairy indeed.

Launching from Mooloolaba would be a much better option, you can park near the break wall and go from there, no waves there but be careful of boats around the spit. After your comfortable with the open ocean then start practising the surf launches and returns.


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## action1974 (Sep 3, 2008)

Lots of people have said this before but just go down with no fishing gear. Paddle out through a small break, turn come back in, repeat. I have a nemo and its pretty hard to keep straight, you have to lean into the wave to prevent rolling. This will all help in the long run.


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## jp1 (Jan 23, 2010)

Thanks for the tips. Sounds like there will be a bit to learn on the Nemo.


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## Kitfox (Aug 13, 2009)

Be really careful of the Maroochy bar as it can stand up without warning, particularly on the run out. Thats not to say dont use it, just be careful and as everyone else has suggested, get to now your yak and develop confidence with your ability before you tackle it. Also keep in mind that the bar may be OK going out but on your return may have shut down with weather, increasing swell size, change in tide etc. Mooloolaba is a great alternate and probably gives you access to better fishing.

Cheers
Graeme


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## kayaksportsmark (Apr 1, 2009)

Try walking before running. 
I recommend you get used to your new kayak in flatwater first, climb all over it and find your balance points, lean it over until you flip to know how far you can get it on edge (important in surf zone) reflip it and climb back on from sides, front and back. Learn which paddle strokes are needed to manouevour the kayak in all directions. And fish from it.
Once you are competent on flat water take it to the beach and practice in small waves, (no gear) try catching waves forwards backwards and sideways without falling off. Build up your surf skills from small waves to bigger. Once you are competent then start learning about fishing offshore from a yak.
Keep an eye out for upcoming kayak courses posted in commercial section. 
All the best
Mark


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## sunshiner (Feb 22, 2006)

Hi jp

Read and absorb Mark's advice above. It's based on extensive sea time. Don't rush into it, take it easy and go bare-bones initially. The Nemo is capable of handling surf in appropriate hands, as has been demonstrated by a couple of guys with Nemos who fish with us here at Noosa.

_Modern Fishing_ magazine, April 2010, contains an article on this very subject. That would be worth checking out.

Noosa's north facing and relatively sheltered Main Beach offers the opportunity to get offshore, sometimes in tiny surf. Many of us who fish here use it (including a couple of Nemo owners) and all of us have been smashed several times with no real harm done. If you'd like to get in touch with these guys just use the email contact link provided in the blog which is linked in my sig below.


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## jp1 (Jan 23, 2010)

Thanks Mark and Sunshiner. I'll take the advice onboard. I'm certainly in no hurry. I've been rocking the kayak a bit on the river to get a feel for how far it goes. Also found the simple things like sliding forward from the seat have their own reactions to deal with. Much to learn but plenty of time.


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## bazzoo (Oct 17, 2006)

JP1, mate i would heed the advice of all the above guys as they know what there talking about and give that area a miss until your experianced , so i would be practising in small surf conditions at your local beach until you get the feel for the surf , as its a whole new ball game . So get to know how your yak handles the waves and what it performs like before you tackle an entrance


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## jp1 (Jan 23, 2010)

Hey Graeme, thanks for the heads-up on Maroochy. Reckon I'll stay well away for a long time. Looks like I've got plenty of work to do on flat water for a while anyway. Haven't fished the Mooloolaba River/Marina area yet but I hear it has better fishing than Maroochydore. Trouble is it's only a two-minute walk to get in the river here and I keep taking the easy option.


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## DougOut (Dec 31, 2006)

jp1 said:


> Reckon I'll stay well away for a long time.


 best to stay clear of river mouths all together. While your read through the various "offshore" trip reports, you'll notice that very-very few begin with an exit from rivers, this is for several good reasons. 
The main one being ...... strong ocean swells and opposing river tidal flows, simply are "danger zones" Full-Stop.
Heed the good advise already give by the above authors and only then launch from a sheltered beach.


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## grinner (May 15, 2008)

hey buddy, 
glad you posted cause i enjoyed reading the comments above.

if mark reads this maybe he has a tip on going out thru the seaway on an outgoing tide.
this produces some very strange sensations in the kayak and makes it feel like your walking on slippery ice. 
it feels like the mirage cant get purchase on the water and on occassions like your pedalling against thin air. most disconcerting but probably still worth having a practice in.

i would say, the best way to not fall off is probably to keep your momentum up.
nothing capsizes quicker than a craft which is just floundering in the swell. this probably goes for going out and coming in.
pic a point on the horzion and just paddle as fast and hard as you can. like a push bike , the things are more stable when moving along.

and avoid waves like this one


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## spooled1 (Sep 16, 2005)

Anyone can join the $250 paddle snapping, yak folding, surf zone related injury club.


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## Feral (Oct 18, 2008)

I've never done a surf launch, but I am surprised I never hear of people launching out through gutters and the associated rip, or coming back through gutters along the edge, hitting the beach at the deepest point across the gutter. Surely that would be by far the easiest way?


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## snapperz (Dec 31, 2008)

Feral said:


> I've never done a surf launch, but I am surprised I never hear of people launching out through gutters and the associated rip, or coming back through gutters along the edge, hitting the beach at the deepest point across the gutter. Surely that would be by far the easiest way?


I have wondered about launching through a gutter myself.Usually there is flatter water in a gutter and it seems like a highway to the open water.Wouldn't the rip just carry you out?


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## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

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## Kitfox (Aug 13, 2009)

jp1 said:


> Hey Graeme, thanks for the heads-up on Maroochy. Reckon I'll stay well away for a long time. Looks like I've got plenty of work to do on flat water for a while anyway. Haven't fished the Mooloolaba River/Marina area yet but I hear it has better fishing than Maroochydore. Trouble is it's only a two-minute walk to get in the river here and I keep taking the easy option.


Dont fall into the trap that the Maroochy river doesnt have any fish in it because believe me it does. It is an incredibly healthy system with an enormous variety of fish to challenge you but you need to persist and in my opinion select a target fish and concentrate on getting it wired before you move on to another. I have heard so many people say that the Maroochy is dead, but believe me its far from it. If you would like to join me one day I would be happy to hook up with you. Just drop me a PM

Cheers
Graeme


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## jp1 (Jan 23, 2010)

That's good to hear, Graeme. I've only been living here a few months and it's rained ths whole time, so I guess the fresh water isn't helping. I mainly fish between Swan Boat Hire and the motorway bridge. I'm picking up thye odd flathead and I've had a few bream off Chambers Island and under the bridge. Got one setuary cod (small) along the bank by Bradman Avenue. Guess its doesn't help that I'm new to lure fishing, too. I'll stick at it and see what happens.


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