Party Surfing – a fun way to develop boat control

This post was originally posted at http://jacksonkayak.com/blog/2018/07/09/party-surfing-a-fun-way-to-develop-boat-control/

We have used party surfing for years as a fun way to develop and fine tune boat control. It turns learning into a game that is highly interactive and fun for everyone. It is also a fun game that can be played with both kids and adults.

Step one: Find a bunch of friends to paddle with that like to have fun
Step two: Find a wave that will fit at least 3 boats in it
Step three: Someone starts surfing and then the next person joins in, and then the next person, and so on and so on.
Step four: When you fall off, or are knocked off, paddle back to the eddy, get in line and get back out there.
This game can also be called King of the Wave (or hole), which refers to the person that stays out in the feature the longest.
We have found that you can get a bunch of people playing this and it can go on for up to 30 minutes, at which point most people are exhausted and need a rest. People are smiling and cheering and laughing the entire time and don’t realize that they are actually enhancing their paddling skills; – learning better edge control so you don’t zoom into someone, getting comfortable in areas of the wave/hole that you don’t normally go to, playing with side surfing to make room for someone else.
We were in Glenwood Colorado in May and spent an afternoon on the Glenwood wave with the Kellogg family. We had the party surfing game going for a good 30 minutes with at least 8 people cycling through. Even the Dad’s gone into the fun and showed you are never too old to party surf!
If you are a bit hesitant and just getting started, then just try party surfing with one other person, then slowly add more friends/family into the mix. You will be amazed at how much fun it is and how your skills develop without you even trying.

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