The trip back to shore may be a bit wetter than the runout. If you do not want to ride the surf, use the following method: bring the canoe to a right-angle position with the waves, bow toward the beach. The bowman should return to his position behind the bow thwart. The sternman should shift to a high kneeling position with one leg in front of the stern thwart and one behind. From this position he can move quickly fore or aft as needed to trim the canoe.
The surf may look deceptively light when seen from seaward, but watch it! It is important to move more slowly than the waves. As you come near the break you will feel the stern of the canoe lift. Back water hard and move your weight aft. You must keep the canoe from moving forward with the wave.
After the wave rolls by, move your weight forward and paddle forward on back of the wave. Try to avoid the point where the wave would break on top of you by slowing down or speeding up. This is where keeping a right angle to the waves is most important. If the canoe gets the least bit out of line, even a small wave can roll it over.
Watch for lulls and try to come in with them. When nearing shore, pick a small wave and paddle in on the back of it, not the front.
Another method is to come in with the canoe in just the reverse position, bow out to sea, stern toward shore. The paddlers, in the same position as before, back water toward shore on the backs of the waves holding or paddling into their fronts. With this method you can keep an eye on the oncoming surf and pull hard into it. It is the way surfmen bring in dories and skiffs through heavy surf.
Tags: water sports
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