Kayak Surfing is exhilarating to participate in and a spectacular sport to watch. The sheer enjoyment of feeling the force of the surging sea and learning to harness its power is a feeling which is difficult to surpass. To feel your boat being lifted by a large green swell, to experience the wave steepen underneath as you gradually pick up speed and take control, carving out turns as you cut across the steep face of the wave - pure magic.

Many people enjoy kayak surfing as a purely recreational pursuit, but there is also a strong competition scene in Ireland. Kayak surfing is one of the only disciplines in which Ireland can offer truly world class conditions, proven by our hosting of the World Surf Kayaking Championships in 2003.

Type of boat:
Most surf contests have categories for several different boat types. Designs usually incorporate fins, a flat hull and sharp edges. They tend to be longer than river playboats for extra speed and are usually made of composite material rather than plastic.

An off-shoot of surf kayaking has been the development of wave-ski surfing. A wave ski is similar to a surf board and has no closed deck. The paddler is strapped onto the ski and uses a kayak paddle.

Competition Structure
As in Board Surfing, Paddle Surfing competitions are based on a knock-out structure. Each round of the knock out consists of a number of heats. Typically four competitors take to the water in each heat for approximately twenty minutes. The number of competitors and the duration may change from competition to competition depending on factors such as the number of entries, time available, and prevailing conditions. During a heat each competitor is marked for the first ten waves ridden. The scores are based on wave selection, manoeuvres, style, judgement, and skill. The competitor's three best wave scores are totalled to give a final placing, and those with the two highest scores go forward.