how to remount a surfski

See Surfski Baja.surfskibaja.blogspot.com for a variation on the remount technique as shown here - www.surfski.info/index.php?option=com_co...iew&id=421&Itemid=97

Nice one Ionas!

When it's choppy you might want to have your paddle in hand ready for bracing a little earlier in the process. I often see guys get back in the boat either with the paddle in one hand only, or still floating in the sea... and they almost always fall straight off again.

Your paddle is your friend when it comes to staying upright. I use the same method as shown in your video, but before I put even one foot back in the boat, I have the paddle in both hands ready to brace!

Cheers, Rob

I do it too when the seas are high, when I shot the vid, as you saw it was almost flat calm, I will attempt to make a new vid where the motion is a) more fluid and b) it will show that I hold the paddle by the hand on the side of the bow of the ski so that it is ready, not really for bracing but for immediate forward stroke. Skis are tippy when dead in the water, give them speed they get stable, so immediately after remounting, even before putting your feet in the straps, start paddling lightly (low position) to get a little momentum, and then get everything else sorted away.

I'm fairly new to ski paddling especially in the ocean. Today I had one of my first ocean paddles wearing a leg leash. When I fell, the leash was usually twisted around the ski and I would end up on the down wind side. Are there any tips to remounting a ski with a leash on?
I found it quite difficult to flip the ski over into the wind and also remount from the down wind side.
Any tips?

as per Oscar



and remount from upwind side or face ski into wind.

Hawkey wrote: Are there any tips to remounting a ski with a leash on?
I found it quite difficult to flip the ski over into the wind and also remount from the down wind side.
Any tips?

For me a huge tip is: take your time.

In big conditions I use both paddle leash and a belt leash. My paddle leash is 5mm rope; the belt leash is the usual coiled elastic leash but I clip it onto a belt (Mocke supplied).

I have come off a number of times in big conditions and on occasion the leash has wrapped, become tangled. Just by taking a deep breath and working methodically I've always been able to disentangle the leashes without much effort and prepared myself to get back on the boat.

But the big thing is not to panic and try frantically to jump straight back in the boat. A couple of seconds to calm yourself down and set yourself up, get the paddle across the boat, right way up, is the way to go.

As for pointing the boat upwind or downwind... In big conditions, in a strong wind, it's a total waste of time. The boat will go right angles to the wind and parallel to the waves. A Dawid Mocke might be able to point the ski downwind and leap on it and get cracking in 0.5 of a second, but not real people. Real people take time to get back on and if you try to point the ski downwind, it will be swinging back to right angles as you're trying to get on and it will cause difficulties.

Something else that Oscar usually talks about but left out in this video is that as you're getting your legs back in the boat, you sometimes find your bum sitting to one side of the cockpit and it's difficult to slide into the bottom of the bucket. The way to get around that is to lean back onto the back deck - this makes it easy to slide your bum into the bottom of the bucket...

Hawkey, duck under the ski and get onto the upwind side. A lot easier.

Kayaker Greg wrote: Hawkey, duck under the ski and get onto the upwind side. A lot easier.

How about if the ski is upside down and leash wrapped around the underside? Is it best to try and flip ski first and then swim under? Sometimes it doesn't even seem easy to flip the ski from the down wind side, without having it blow back at your head!!
Is there ever a case for unclipping the leash or is that asking for trouble?
Thanks all for the advice so far.

I wouldn't unclip it, too much chance of not re attaching it securely and finding out too late when you next capsize. Can't say I've had too much trouble flipping a ski over, but mine is only 11kg, if it was 18kg it might be harder. Perhaps just take your time to get your breathing and heart rate under control, relax, it really can't be too hard if you think about it. Flip it and go under it at the same time while keeping a hold of it, that way you can push yourself under the water while the ski passes over top, then it won't blow into your head.

Yep, I agree with Greg - don't unclip!

As long as you're not panicking, it's generally pretty easy I've found to roll the ski (from the windward side). Just by pulling hard on the leash, you'll get the ski to roll the right way to unwrap the leash.

So: 1. Duck under the ski to get to the windward side. 2. Tug on the leash to roll the ski and unwrap the leash. 3. Untangle the paddle if necessary. 4. Take a deep breath and climb back on!

I think remounting is probably something that I should actually practise so that I feel comfortable doing it in all conditions. As well as practising with a leash on, I should also practise with a pfd on as no doubt that poses another factor into the equation.

Yep, practise = a Good Thing.
A couple of years ago we took an Aussie paddler on a fairly hectic downwind. About half way he came off and I thought we might be in for a bit of admin.
But he was back on the ski in seconds and on his way again.
Turns out that he had been training in a group with Dean Gardiner - who makes the guys get off and remount as a matter of course during the session (at least when the weather's warm!)
On the other hand I know of an elite grade paddler here in SA who, a couple of years ago, found himself in the water, no leash, in very hectic conditions, unable to get back on. He was eventually assisted by some guys in a double. That day another paddler ended up in the water for 6 hours, being rescued minutes before he would have died of hypothermia. Also fell off and couldn't get back on.

Hawkey wrote: I think remounting is probably something that I should actually practise so that I feel comfortable doing it in all conditions. As well as practising with a leash on, I should also practise with a pfd on as no doubt that poses another factor into the equation.

Yes, a PFD makes a surprising difference. On one hand, it helps by keeping you higher in the water so you can "jump" up more easy. But on the other hand, the front of the PFD (if yours is bulky) tends to catch on the side of the ski. I know someone who on on particular ski can remount without a PFD but can't with a PFD...

Another factor - if you have some sort of tape on the side of the cockpit for protection. It may make sliding over the cockpit more difficult if it has increased friction.

Also try both cowboy and side-entry versions. I find the side-entry a lot easier (especially in winds as my legs drag on the upwind side and stabilize me rather than flip me. But some prefer the cowboy (straddle first, then slide in the seat) better.

Lastly, a reentry at the end of a vigorous paddle and if you are already cold from being in the water/wind may prove a lot more challenging than expected

a) Never unclip, if the ski drifts away, you will have to swim ashore!
b) turning the ski to face the wind helps
c) start paddling immediately to gain stability.
d) check out my rig - I saw this basic setup on a kayak of a Norwegian friend and through trial and error refined it for surfskis












the idea with my rig is a) that I can immediately make the ski to face upwind by tugging on the paddle leash, and b) I can always get to the upwind side easily
The trick on the rig is that the rope extension on the paddle leash is attached to the tightly tied line which runs from the bow to the cockpit with a bowline, which means that it runs freely fore and aft. When in the water, let the ski drift a bit, tug the line, the ski faces upwind immediately, the lines are untangled, all you have to do is swim to the upwind side of the cocpit paddle in the upwind hand, enter the ski - I very much prefer side entry, then paddle like crazy to gain speed and stability - dont worry about getting feet in the straps, you can do that afterwards
AND YES PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!!
It took me days of constant dumps and remounts to be able to remount in high wave conditions!

It often crosses my mind to jump in and practice some remounts in conditions - but its a hard call to make. The upside I guess is when you do go for a dive you can always tell your mates its 'practicing'

notice, as soon as you enter the boat:
a) start paddling to gain stability
b) lean back a little bit until you get speed
c) enter with paddle in upwind hand towards bow
d) put legs in straps gradually
e) practice a lot to get the desired fluid motion
f) when reentering dont jump on the boat, tilt it towards you and roll onto the deck, pushing with both hands.

I shot this video from a new angle bow to stern :