Guys,
Had a hell of a day yesterday.  I was paddling a Epic V10 Sport in the channel.  Sudden weather change. Got caught out in deep water with a big ugly cross chop.  Waves from 2 directions and a strong wind chop.  I was getting thrown around pretty badly.
It felt as though every stroke I made was a sweep/balance stroke.  I had to change my timing to deal with it. 
I know that when the ocean throws something that big at you you have to respect her.  But how do others keep their boats from being swamped?  The question is would changing my stroke length have helped or hindered? 
Appreciate any ideas as I'd like to continue paddling this winter, just don't want to find myself in a position where you are reading my obit.
Thank you
Sean

Hi guys


I`m no expert, but I found that if I can increase strokes per minute(my RPM so to speak) I feel much more stable.  Might be worthwile trying a shorter and/or smaller paddle.  I felt much more stable in the chop using  a 214cm Endorphin than I did using a 216cm Bratcha 2.  I usually paddle relatively flat water where the Bratcha works fine.  But in the chop it didnt go down so well.


Enjoy!

1. Get a really good fit in the boat, i.e. put hip pads or foam on the sides of the bucket seat to keep from being tossed around within the ski.  Make sure your footbrace is not too far away.  Putting some nonslip something or other on the footplate helps too.  Maybe a snug but not too tight footstrap as well. 
2.  Exiting the blade sooner will help as a blade in the water and behind your hip will be a balance liability and drain on efficiency.  Shorten your paddle and increase your stroke rate a bit.  Sometimes short powerful staccatto slap strokes are all you can do to get through some areas. 
3.  Vary the stroke rate for to meet conditions.  Plant your blade on the wave peaks in a steep cross chop, i.e. if the waves are from the left, plant the left blade into the wave and then your right one into the same wave just after it rolled underneath you.   While in the intervening trough, you are more stable so you can take regular strokes.  If there are waves from more than one direction, you just do the same thing, it just gets to be more of a mind strain to coordinate it all.  Whenever I fall out in rough water it's usually because I don't follow the above rule and I plant my blade into the trough, take a good "air stroke" and over I go. 
4.  Paddle more assertively; keep the blade in the water, AND whenever the blade is in the water, make sure there is firm pulling pressure on it.  In other words, don't apply a smooth build up of power to the blade.  Abruptly apply the power and keep it constant until the exit.  Move the water or the waves will move your blade for you in a direction you might not like.
5.  Keep momentum as well as you can.  Try to surf anything even small waves going your direction, the backsides of waves coming at you, the backside or frontside of near-beam waves.  If you come to a stop facing beam to the steeper waves, you'll wallow and be unstable.  To get going again look to see if you can find some waves, shoulder waves to help you get going and stay going.  Sometimes you can even just focus hard on a particular wave pattern going your way and block out the other waves in your mind.  Just get help from the ones going your way and your momentum will make the other patterns affect you much less.
6.  Don't lean back, it makes you less stable.  Sit upright or lean slightly forwards. 

Just suggestions that work for me. 

 There was an artical on the manly paddlers website a few years ago,I think by Dean Gardiner and the point that stuck out for me was there always will be some swell or backwash going your way...use it.I also think if you know its gonna be dicey before you leave,keep the techno gear,ie gps, phone,expensive sunnies, that split shaft that moves on you when you least expect, to a minimum or at least secure,as they are all distractions that will take away from your main objective of moving the boat forward