Saltwater Paddling
Saltwater paddling can range from flat water tours,
to navigating rock gardens in fierce surf. For this page I
will examine the latter.
In saltwater, or rock gardening, kayaking, paddlers
use waves to navigate through and over rocks along
shorelines.
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The notion that waves are created in a sine like wave is incorrect. Ocean waves are actually created to form a trochoidal curve. |
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| The difference in curves is easier to tell apart when the magnitude of a wave increases. The peak of the wave is sharper. This sharp peak is what causes waves to crash. The water at the top of a wave is moving forward with respect to the the wave direction. This allows paddlers to get up on waves and allow them to carry their boats over rocks. Water in the trough of a wave is actually moving in the opposite direction the wave is traveling. |