ST. PETE BEACH - Russell Farrow found a nice spot on the sand and sat down for what he knew could be a long wait.
"The waves will get here sooner or later," the 44-year-old sea-kayaker said. "It is just a matter of time."
Farrow, who grew up riding longboards on the North Shore of the Hawaiian island of Oahu, is accustomed to waiting for surf. Since switching to a kayak about six years ago, he has learned to take what he can get and be thankful for that.
"We don't get a lot of opportunities," he said. "So if there are waves on the horizon, we know to show up early and stay late."
Outside of an occasional foray to Florida's east coast, Farrow doesn't get many chances to surf warm water in Pinellas County, where he is co-owner of Sweetwater Kayaks on Gandy Boulevard.
Paddle- and board-surfers get the most action during the winter, when northern cold fronts churn up the "slop-chop" the Gulf Coast is usually known for.
But that changed Wednesday when Hurricane Ivan roared across the Gulf of Mexico and sent what surfers called "an epic swell" toward the west coast's beaches.
"This probably isn't the best time for somebody to learn how to kayak surf," Farrow said. "It is better to learn the basic skills when you are not in the survival mode."
As a former longboarder, Farrow chose his surf-kayak spot carefully. He avoided the classic breaks, such as Sunset Beach, for fear of offending the throngs of board surfers who gather there.
"Those guys can get pretty territorial," Farrow said.
Surf etiquette - the on-the-water rules of the wave that keep surfers from running into each other is especially important to surf-kayakers.
"Because we can set up on the outside (of the break) we can get on the wave first," Farrow said. "If there are surfers in the same area, this can lead to friction."
Etiquette dictates the surfer closest to the breaking part of the wave has the right of way. But just because paddle surfers can catch the wave first doesn't mean they should do so every time.
The same holds true for surfers sitting the line-up. "Do you want this one?" is a question seldom heard on days like Wednesday, when the surfers lined up shoulder-to-shoulder on Sunset Beach.
"I started paddle surfing when I realized that I could catch a lot more waves with a lot less energy," Farrow said. "I am finding that that is more important as I get older."
Although several manufacturers sell fiberglass boats designed specifically for surf-kayaking, Farrow and his friends prefer the plastic craft favored by kayakers running whitewater rivers.
"They are short, maneuverable and relatively inexpensive," he said.
Standard equipment includes a short-shaft paddle for bracing and catching the wave, a personal floatation device and a helmet.
"You turn over in shallow water, you may bounce all the way into the beach," he said. "You have to protect your head."
Knowing how to "Eskimo" roll a kayak also is an essential skill.
"Contrary to popular belief, you are not trapped inside the kayak if it flips in the surf," Farrow said. "It is much harder to stay in the kayak than get out of it."
Once the kayak is in the wave the paddle surfer uses his hips to "edge" the boat and keep it in the wave.
"There is a lot you can learn in flat water that will give you an advantage when there finally is some surf," he said.
Farrow, a British Canoe Union certified instructor, has taught dozens of people over the years to paddle surf. For more information call him at (727) 570-4844.
