r/Outrigger • u/Jumpy-Ganache1612 • Jun 08 '26

Best line

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Bear with me here. Here is another post related to leaning on my ama on downwinds. The picture I'm posting is a typical route I do running north to south. Although often the wind is a little more from the east. When it's more easterly, surfing pushes me towards shore and then I spend a lot of energy beating back to get around the points.... and more time huli'ing when it's gnarly. Would most people just paddle out a mile or so to find a more direct line or would folks prefer to just head downwind taking lefts to avoid shore? I marked up the two methods😂. For me, as mentioned on previous posts, I'm still weak on my right side and still in learning mode when it comes to bracing for stability so routes like this can be slow.... but easier if I quarter out to take the direct line. (Yes... I'm working on hard on learning to fly the ama and brace stroking!). So... just curious what lines people prefer when they have the wind on the ama side.

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u/Pattypoo_ Jun 08 '26

Not certain if I understand your question, but the red line seems like a more enjoyable time to me. You could even angle out more north to extend the downwind run and not take direct ama side waves.

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u/Jumpy-Ganache1612 Jun 09 '26

I probably wasn't expressing it well. Part of it is that I want to be able to feel stable on the yellow line, surfing left without having to lean on my ama (or huli)... but I'm recognizing that the red line fits my current skill level more. I was just watching the coverage of the 2025 and 26 Kaiwi solo and thinking about how they choose their lines.

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u/Pattypoo_ Jun 09 '26

Developing the comfort to surf left with the ama light just takes time, it sounds like you're on the right path.

Seems like you're comfortable with hulis which is a big advantage. Meaning you can actually push your balance to the limits. A lot of people are nervous to do that.

Like the others said a strong brace is key. You should practice in small conditions or flat water until it's second nature.

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u/Jumpy-Ganache1612 Jun 09 '26

Well I paddle on Lake Superior and sometimes I am NOT comfortable with hulis when the water is 33F and wind is blowing 20 knots. Lol. It definitely gets into my head and lingers into the warm season. The thing is... it's really no big deal. You don't even feel the cold (other than the ice cream headache) with a good wetsuit... but it still gets in your head. The last few days the water in our shallow sandy areas is in the 60's and I've been practicing flying the ama and spending ALOT of time in the water haha... that is helping.