Updated September 2026 · Technique guide for surfski paddlers
You will fall off a surfski. It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when — and how gracefully you get back on. The remount is the single most important skill in surfski paddling, more important than your forward stroke, your brace, or your ability to catch a runner. Every minute you spend in the water instead of on the ski is a minute of energy lost, core temperature dropping, and distance from safety growing. A smooth, practiced remount gets you back paddling in under 30 seconds. A panicked, unpracticed one can leave you flailing for minutes or unable to get on at all.
Learn this skill in calm, warm water when you're fresh. Practice until it's automatic. Then it's there when you need it in rough water, cold water, and the middle of a race.
After capsizing, the ski will likely be upside down or on its side. Swim to the center of the ski (near the cockpit), reach across the hull, grab the far side, and roll it toward you until it's upright. Some paddlers prefer to flip the ski away from them by pushing up from underneath — use whichever method feels more natural. The key is getting the cockpit facing up with minimum energy expenditure.
Float alongside the ski at the cockpit, facing the bow. Your body should be parallel to the ski, roughly centered on the cockpit opening. Place both hands on the near side of the cockpit rim — one hand on the front coaming, one on the rear coaming. This is your launch platform.
This is the critical moment. Give a strong flutter kick to get your body horizontal in the water (like you're about to do a push-up on the surface), then drive your chest up and across the cockpit in one explosive motion. Think of it as a seal landing on a rock — belly first, draped across the cockpit with your weight centered. Don't try to sit up yet. Just get your belly button over the centerline of the ski.
Once you're draped across the cockpit with your weight centered, rotate your hips so your legs swing into the cockpit on the far side. Lower yourself into the seat while keeping your weight low and centered. Slide your feet into the foot straps. The ski will wobble — keep your weight over the centerline and use gentle paddle braces if you've kept hold of your paddle. If you let go of the paddle during the capsize, retrieve it before attempting the remount (it should be leashed to the ski).
Once seated with feet in the straps, take three to five slow breaths. Get your bearings. Check your leash, your paddle, and your direction. Then start paddling — gently at first to stabilize, then build back to your normal pace. The entire remount should take 15 to 30 seconds with practice.
The most common mistake is trying to sit up too early. Paddlers instinctively try to get upright as soon as they're partially on the ski, which puts their center of gravity too high and tips them off the other side. Stay low. Belly across the cockpit first, rotate second, sit up last.
The second most common mistake is insufficient kick power. If you don't get your body horizontal and high in the water before the drive, you'll exhaust your arms trying to pull yourself up instead of leveraging your kick momentum to carry you across. Think swimming, not pull-ups. Your legs provide the initial energy; your arms just direct the motion.
The third mistake is choosing the wrong side. Always remount from the downwind side of the ski when possible. If you try to climb on from the upwind side, the wind catches the hull and pushes the ski away from you or tips it onto you. Downwind, the ski's windage works in your favor, pressing it toward you.
Start in shallow, calm water where you can stand — a swimming pool, calm bay, or knee-deep lake shoreline. Practice flipping the ski and getting back on until you can do it without thinking about the steps. Then move to deep water (still calm) and repeat until the deep-water version feels no different from the shallow version. Only then should you practice in choppy conditions. Build up gradually — small wind chop first, then increasing swell.
A valuable drill is the timed remount: capsize deliberately, start a mental count, and see how quickly you can get back on and take three paddle strokes. Competitive surfski paddlers aim for under 15 seconds. Recreational paddlers should target 30 seconds. If you're over a minute, keep practicing — the skill isn't there yet.
Practice cold-water remounts before you need them. Falling off a surfski in 15°C water feels fundamentally different from 25°C water — the cold shock makes your muscles less responsive and your breathing harder to control. Wear appropriate immersion gear and practice with a buddy nearby.
Always leash yourself to the surfski. A coiled calf or ankle leash attached to the foot strap or a dedicated leash point keeps the ski within reach after every capsize. Without a leash, a surfski in any wind will blow away from you faster than you can swim. Your surfski is your life raft — losing contact with it in open water is a genuine emergency.
Never paddle a surfski alone in conditions beyond your remount ability. If you can remount reliably in flat water but haven't practiced in chop, don't solo paddle in chop. Paddle with a group or at minimum with a buddy who can provide assistance. Carry a communication device — a waterproof VHF radio, a personal locator beacon, or a phone in a waterproof case. And tell someone onshore where you're going and when you expect to return.
Most paddlers can complete a basic remount in calm water within one or two practice sessions. Getting it reliable in rough water takes 10 to 20 practice remounts across several sessions.
Always. A surfski without a leash can blow away faster than you can swim. Attach a coiled ankle or calf leash to the foot strap. This is non-negotiable for open-water paddling.
Stay with the ski. It floats, and you're far more visible on it than as a head in the water. Flip it upside down for stability, drape yourself across the hull, and wait for assistance.
Yes. Wider, more stable surfskis give you more time to settle your weight. Many paddlers start on a stable ski and progress to a narrower racing hull over one to two seasons.
New to surfskis? Our Best Beginner Surfskis guide covers the most stable entry-level options. For the full performance paddling picture, see our Performance Paddling Guide.