Taking it to the Edge

January 2009

Skillset: Edging

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.

To download a pdf copy of the magazine click here: > DOWNLOAD

1. Edge into a breaking wave with a brace.

2. Maintain edging while balanced over the boat.

3. Ride out the foam pile.

By Alex Matthews

Edging refers, logically enough, to holding your kayak on edge. It is accomplished by dropping one knee and raising the other. Think in terms of loading one butt cheek or the other, while keeping your upper body and head over the kayak. With practice, it will become easy to quickly edge your boat to either side, maintain it on edge, or smoothly transition from one edge to the other.

Note that this is different from simply leaning your torso out to the side. Edging refers to angling the kayak on edge, not just leaning your body.

When tilting your boat on edge, keep your hips loose and your weight balanced over your kayak. Shift your weight slightly over to one butt cheek and lift the opposite knee. You should feel your whole rib cage shifting over to that side of your kayak. Your stomach and side muscles will be working to keep your body upright, while your legs hold a steady tilt on your boat. In particular, your top knee will be pulling upward on its thigh hook.

Holding your kayak on edge is a skill that takes practice, and your ultimate goal is to be able to hold your boat on edge and still take effective strokes. One of the best ways to practice this is to try to hold your boat on edge as you paddle forward.

Edging is generally done for three fundamental reasons:

• To turn your kayak faster;

• To hold course; and

• To manage waves and current.

Edging to turn

To turn your kayak faster, you can edge your boat to the inside or the outside of the turn (depending on what stroke you are doing). Edging your boat either way will yield a tighter turning radius and increase maneuverability. The reason why this works is that placing a kayak on edge drastically changes the boat’s “footprint.”

A kayak’s footprint is the shape that its hull makes in the water. Imagine standing on the bottom of the sea, looking up at a kayak floating on the surface. As the boat is put on edge, the shape that its hull makes in the water changes. The overall waterline, or length of the boat that is immersed, will shorten as the boat rolls on edge. Depending on the kayak, the boat’s keel may also come free on the water when edged aggressively and allow the stern to “skid around,” giving even tighter turns.

Edging to hold course

Some conditions will tend to cause a kayak to veer off course. Beam winds can often have this effect. Edging your kayak to the same side that your bow is tending to veer towards will often work very well to compensate for the wind’s action on your boat, and can be very effective in maintaining a straight course. Since edging for long distances is physically demanding, most boats come equipped with a skeg or rudder that will help with course corrections without the need to maintain edging.

Edging to manage waves

When paddling in current or waves, it is often necessary to aggressively edge the kayak one way to avoid accidentally loading or catching the other edge of your boat, which would flip you upside down.

In breaking waves, a kayak will be pushed across the surface of the water by the power of the waves. In this case, you must lean away from the direction that the kayak is skimming across the water. Failure to do so will engage the leading edge of the boat and flip it (sometimes quite violently). To stay upright and in control, expose the bottom of your boat to the oncoming water by leaning your boat into wave. Edge your kayak toward the approaching wave and use a low or high brace for support as the wave pushes you sideways across the water’s surface.

Small, friendly surf is a wonderful medium for developing confidence while edging, as all three reasons for edging come into play while surfing. Dress warmly for immersion and keep your arms and hands low to protect shoulder joints while playing. And have fun!

Adapted from “Sea Kayaking: Rough Waters” by Alex Matthews available at www.helipress.com. Alex has authored and co-authored several kayaking skills books and has been involved in the design and development of kayaks. Contact him at matthewsalex@hotmail.com