# Kingscliff a Beginners Tale



## Guest (Jul 9, 2006)

Went out to Kingscliff this morning hoping to get out to the reef with several other AKFF members. 
This was to be my first serious surf launch the conditions were reportedly mild according to the coastal report I got last night. Arrived to be greeted by surf a little bigger (this means a lot) than I expected. I prepared to launch tying down my box (or so I thought) and putting my paddle leash onto my rod (thank goodness).
And off I headed to the mouth of the creek, this was the point I started to get worried and should have headed back, but as I was here I thought what the hell and waited for a break in the waves and out I went following some of the paddlers out, as I went through the first set of waves I thought well this isnt as bad as I thought at which point a larger set came through and hammered me as I was going over the phrase rig to roll and dress to swim popped into my head, this is where I learnt that less than 100% adherence to this rule is going to cost. Well the swimming was fine, I still had my paddle and at this point all my gear so I righted the kayak and BBF came to mind (thank god I'd practised) and so back up I went and continued on my way out as the next set pounded me, I realised this was probably going to get worse so back to shore I headed, when something else I had read came to mind "it is harder to get in than out" now I wasn't feeling good at all so as the first wave passed under me I paddled to try and follow it in, not fast enough it seems as the next wave hit I started going sideways which I was prepared for but unfortuantely not good enough too handle this is where my tackle box and anchor headed there own way.
So I made it to the beach and started counting the cost, one tackle box one anchor a spray jacket and a bit of pride plus a dash of confidence. As I walked the beach to try and see if anything had washed up I saw another paddler heading in who had faired a little better but who was also now aware of his limitations in these conditions.
Did I learn anything, yes rig better because although I was geting hammered it wasnt that bad I never felt as though I was in real trouble and practice makes perfect.
And if anyone sees my tackle box or anchor float they should be at Kirra now please get in touch.


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## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

John
Good on you for having a go and better luck next attempt, it sure is an interesting experience isn't it.
Maybe some runs through the surf without the gear might be worthwhile initially.
Goodluck on your next run


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## Guest (Jul 9, 2006)

That was the plan if conditions were marginal, I was only going for a paddle but the lure of fishing....... I had practised a little up at Teewah but should have practised a lot.


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## JT (May 25, 2006)

Gidday Johnlikestofishinayak.

Thanks for sharing the story. Ah yes...the indignity of it all at times :roll: . There are moments I have in the yak as I start to really get to know her where I am mighty pleased that there is no one around to see the comedy of errors. Unnecessarily tangled lines, almost falling out as I lunge for a rod and reel that has hooked up, slipping on the mud trying to get in and falling into the yak. Yesterday it was the yak falling from the roof as I was unloading her. Bounced off the tarmac like a bucket (I was amazed to discover that it hadn't even scratched). Just generally making a fool of myself. Luckily these little incidents are the minority and are reducing as time goes on 

Sorry about the tackle box and other stuff. Keep on smiling and keep on learning. We all do the slightly regrettable stuff (well I do anyway) 

John


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## Breambo (Apr 19, 2006)

Good effort anyway. I get hammered all the time in the surf , thats half the fun for me. I have a small tacklebox, holds about 10 lures, that I can stick down the front of me wetty, for when the going gets rough, losing a set of lures is the worst.


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## beefs (Jan 30, 2006)

Welcome to the wonderful world of offshore kayak fishing john! I'm yet to get barrelled heading offshore but when I was starting I more than made up for it by having my introductory embarrasing fall out of kayak episode in a river....  I nearly sank the kayak, broke my new rod, lost a spray jacket and lost my anchor - I then got all tangled in my fishing line. Sounds like we made very similar mistakes re rigging the yak 

Keep at it though, its great fun! Tip re the surfing down the waves - I have a swing and find that as soon as there is any indication of it starting to skew off in one direction you put all your effort into straightening it back up, don't give it any lee-way at all!! Once it has gone past about 10-15 degrees off the perpendicular to the wave breaking I find there is just about nothing you can do to straighten it back up - you have to stop it early! Best way to learn (and most fun way as well) is as Dodge said, do an afternoon or two just playing in the waves.


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## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

scotty beefs said:


> Tip re the surfing down the waves - I have a swing and find that as soon as there is any indication of it starting to skew off in one direction you put all your effort into straightening it back up, don't give it any lee-way at all!! Once it has gone past about 10-15 degrees off the perpendicular to the wave breaking I find there is just about nothing you can do to straighten it back up - you have to stop it early!


Travis

When I was going to be a surf wizard [now long past] as calm flat water suits me fine, I was researching points of view everywhere.

I read an article in KFS by one of the gurus who seems to contradict your point of view, saying once you were skewed in the surf to accept it, as you will not bring the yak back...however at that point drive the paddle into the wave below your boat and lean against it using the power of the wave to keep you boat flat, from memory he called it a high brace.

When the power of of the wave is past you resume control again.

We have plenty of blokes hear with heaps of experience so am quite happy to shut up after this not having practical knowledge; but do recommend the article its well written with pics to explain his points

Here it is
http://www.kayakfishingstuff.com/articl ... rticles=20


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## Guest (Jul 9, 2006)

I was going with the view that you are going to go sideways and the best thing to do is go with it and control it which is what the information on the web says, now I was going with it but that was all that went right for me it all happened so fast that I couldnt counter balance, this seems to lead back to the practice thing again.


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## spottymac (Aug 29, 2005)

Glad you are OK ,l had no idea the surf was that big until l got to the river mouth and l couldn't see you anywhere
You weren't the only one to get rolled l got hit on the way out and on the way back in.
l counted 10 kayaks at the boat ramp this morning a good turn out but the fishing wasn't the best l hooked a small stripped tuna and l think Dennis and Gerard landed a small snapper each.
l am glad this hasn't dampend your enthusiasm for ocean kayak fishing,it's a lot of fun with a bit of practice


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## troppo (Feb 1, 2006)

Great story. Brave man! I did some surfing on some small waves the other day. Feeling good, so on a biggy half way in, I decided to drop off it. Too late, rolled me   Had no gear so just good experience.

I find, as Travis said, if you start going sideways, you get to a point where you just can't straighten, then you are most likely to go sideways and be rolled off. I have been practicing doing a high brace at this point with some success (which is what Dodge spoke of).

Basically, as the yak goes sideways, I lean sideways so far I should fall off the yak on the ocean side, but by shoving the paddle flat against and pushing, it keeps me from falling in. While I am learning so hard, the wave front is trying to tip me the other way, so it counterbalances it. Feels like I will fall in the drink but amazing, just keep upright. Good feeling when the wave passes and still upright. Usually I ride the wave in sideways. Can't wait until summer to practice it more. Bit cold for going for a dip now I reckon.


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## spottymac (Aug 29, 2005)

Toppo and Dodge you are spot on l found this was the only way l could get my scrambler XT back to the beach in big surf, the XT would float sideways all the way in on the top of a wave,oh what a feeling getting to the beach with out tipping it
l have found this idea works just as well on my scupper pro but l have to be a lot faster getting into the right angle position because it tips so much faster with the narrow hull, the high back seat makes it harder to lean all the way out to the side as well
Another good tip l have found is to pack all your gear in the back half of the yak they track so much better riding in on a wave
Having said this it didn't help me today


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## troppo (Feb 1, 2006)

Man it would be good to have an AKFF get together on a (small) surf beach, minus the fishing gear. We could have some fun and learn some tricks on handling the surf. Yeha, it would be a scream seing everyone (self included) getting rolled.


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## Shoey (Aug 30, 2005)

Good onya John. After seeing you do cartwheels in the surf and then seeing your name attatched to a post in the 'For Sale ' forum, I thought you must have had a bad experience, glad to see it was only a set of racks.

It was a pretty full-on morning. I was convinced I was going swimming at some stage going out or comming home, luck was on my side and I stayed almost dry. You should be congradulated for giving it a go, it was the kind of conditions that bordered on staying in the river.

I'm hoping to fish The Pin soon, which wont involve anything worse than avoiding stink pots, so keep your eye on the trips forum.


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## beefs (Jan 30, 2006)

Dodge said:


> scotty beefs said:
> 
> 
> > Tip re the surfing down the waves - I have a swing and find that as soon as there is any indication of it starting to skew off in one direction you put all your effort into straightening it back up, don't give it any lee-way at all!! Once it has gone past about 10-15 degrees off the perpendicular to the wave breaking I find there is just about nothing you can do to straighten it back up - you have to stop it early!
> ...


Hi Dodge, you're right that once the yak has skewed then you pretty much just hang on for the ride! What I was trying to say though was that if you concentrate on the front of the yak and then put all your effort into correcting your direction at the very point where it begins to skew then I have found you can bring it back and shoot into shore like a pro. You have to catch it early though or things get messy very quickly 

I've done this is decent sized surf (and excuse this bit i'm not up with the lingo of paddle strokes :? ) but its much more effective to drag the paddle "rudder style" and lever outwards against the water than using broad sweeping corrective strokes - these are just too slow and ineffective.

This is what works for me and was learnt from a couple of practice afternoons spent with the majority of my time rolling underwater avoiding a kayak blow to the head while untangling myself from my paddle leash :lol:

Breambo is probably the bloke with all the handy hints as he just about lives in the surf zone when fishing :shock:


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## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

scotty beefs said:


> Breambo is probably the bloke with all the handy hints as he just about lives in the surf zone when fishing :shock:


Yes agreed there is a wealth of experience with breambo and others, re surf use here among akffers, and I only quoted the yank article because it is well written and I thought I could find it again easily.

I went chicken after my encounter in surf, and to old to change, so certainly don't set up as any authority on the subject :wink:


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## Gunston (May 10, 2006)

Good on you for giving it a go! I had a similar experience at Narrowneck a while back, I didn't lose anything though. I hate that sinking feeling when you know your going to get nailed.
What was the reason the others got out and you didn't :?:


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## couta1 (Sep 10, 2005)

i wondered were you had got to as i saw you behind me and then you were gone.if fishing a new spot it is good to watch the sea or beach for a while in daylight to sea were the rips and gullies and sandbanks are that you want to try and avoid.the bar launch at kingscliff and the reef seems a bit tricky at first,but once you get to know were the waves break and the water runs it becomes easier.basically once you pass the two outer rock walls the current and the water runs to the left.paddle out next to the right wall and then once over the bar break there is a gully before the main reef starts.you must then paddle left (almost parralel with the beach)and past the left wall and then track out on the outside of the left of the reef untill round the front of the outside of the first set of bommies.if a large south east swell is running(like it was on sunday) you would have to swing much wider(but beware there is a spot there called the knob that seems to surge ocasionally on a se swell over 1.5m,so dont get caught by that when swinging wide instead swing wide then duck on the inside between the knob and the main reef.i tried to anchor there once when the swell was over 2m,and that was when i realized that happens)you can paddle out to the right after the right wall.but that area has full on reef with rocks sticking out all over the place ,so that is not advisable.i have done it before but only on a high tide and virtually no swell,as it save s a bit of paddling time if you want to go and get some bait around the corner.but dont let that get you down.i have lost weeks of wages in fishing gear and broken yaks,bashings to the head,all learing the hard way.but then if i am not comfortable with the conditions or the weather forcast is bad,then i dont go out,or i come straight back in(even if it means chucking all my gear overboard and heading for land).hope to catch up with you again


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## Guest (Jul 10, 2006)

basically lack of experience in the surf was the main factor combined with my own inability to say no, although I had fished there lots from the land and thought I was aware of what happened there I wasnt. Like the post before says and what was clear from the beach was that once past the initial break I needed to head left, a lot more than I had, but saying that I dont know if I would've got out or back dry as there was some good size waves there to that were jacking up on a bank too. But I am hoping to get down the coast on thursday or friday for a paddle in the surf at one of the southern beaches and practice catching waves and paddling out.


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## JT (May 25, 2006)

As a matter of interest how high where the waves you were trying to get through?

JT


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## Guest (Jul 10, 2006)

I'd say a metre to a metre and a half (using the prescribed measuring technique of measuring the back not the face) could've been smaller might've been bigger. But as three of us discussed on the beach waves look small from the shore and big from the bottom of one. I am happy to be contradicted on the size if anyone has a more accurate judgement


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## kingfisher111 (Jun 13, 2006)

Hi guys, this has been a great thread. Scottybeefs had me balling with laughter, I could`nt read! The suggestion to meet for a session in the surf would be a blast. We should do it all around Oz when the waters warmer.
The best tips I could offer would be:
Once the boat goes sideways thats it, you cannot get it back. But thats good, sideways is even easier. For starters you can`t bury the nose and cartwheel your boat. All you have to do is throw a brace into the face of the wave pushing you, or the whitewater if its already broken. A high brace is best for experienced paddlers but get it wrong and you`ll pop your shoulder in a wink. A low brace is nearly as supportive and risk free. Just stab your blade through the surface and then lean on the paddle. The water you are bracing off is charging the opposite direction to you and is full of power so your brace is very strong. Another important thing is to try to tip your boat towards the wave as well to keep the edge closest to the shore from catching. The trick is to keep the water sliding under the boat and not into that leading edge and up onto your deck. Notice when you have a broached capsize its generally always towards the shore, as that edge gets caught.
Then its just a matter of hanging on till you get to shore, if you feel the wave pushing past you straighten up your hull, you don`t want to slide off the back or you`ll have to catch another! Hope this has made sense. Have fun! Steve.


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## Breambo (Apr 19, 2006)

I dont have much to add as I'm pretty much learning myself. Waves with three to four foot backs can have 7-8 foot faces easily. When your sitting down thats 6 foot of wave crashing onto you.I reckon its mostly practice, I'm always bracing with a flat paddle especially riding waves, and try to be aggressive with the kayak and paddle to make it go where you want, not the wave dictating everything and keep your speed up. These kayaks arent really designed for surfing(I think?) so a lot of luck comes into it as well as things can go bad awfully quickly. I fell of at least once today, that I remember, the little alvey and rod floats I know that. :lol:


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## troppo (Feb 1, 2006)

Good info from you folk. I am just glad my beach only has little waves compared to what some of you face (funny how even my little waves can still get me a lot wet.)


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