> How does a rudder hurt in a broaching situation? (Trying to educate
> myself)

> Thanks in advance,

> Woody

Woody,

I am not an expert on this subject, (I have never, myself, surfed a kayak - except on boat wakes), but I will go out on a limb here. In a broach the stern of the boat is in the faster moving part of a breaking wave, (the crest), while the bow is still in the slower moving part, (the trough). Once a rudder or skeg gets side-ways to this faster moving water, it contributes to the stern being forced around.

If you can keep the boat actually surfing, then the boat is moving at the same speed or slightly faster than the breaking wave, and a skeg might be helpfull. It's when a broach actually starts that the skeg would hurt.

Generally, when a boat is overtaken by a breaking wave, the relative flow of water is from the stern to bow. The boat is actually moving backwards in relation to the water. The skeg which gives you directional stability when moving forward now has the opposite effect. This is somewhat over-simplified because in a breaking wave, the horizontal speed of the water varies depending on which part of the wave your boat is in. The water in the crest having the fastest horizontal speed.

There are accounts of sailboats having their rudder damaged or even torn off when stern-to breaking seas.

Keep in mind that this information may be worth exactly what you are paying for it!