Whether you're paddling solo or tandem, canoeing requires a variety of skills; if you master them you can effectively surf your canoe on the big waves. You should be able to follow a the following strokes - the thumbs-up J-stroke, stern draw, stern pry, power stroke, and rudder. All these require good upper-body rotation. Once you have a control on these strokes, you need to perfect upstream ferrying, maintaining consistent boat angles in fast and turbulent waters. You must also know how to change ferry directions with ease.

For starters it is necessary to, choose well-formed, glassy waves close to large eddies. Practice on one wave over and over to build consistency. Learn to recognize user-friendly "hero waves" to practice on, and get to know the flows that create your favorite waves and their locations.

It is important to note that not all canoes are created equal. Longer, less rockered boats have good upstream speed and fewer tendencies to spin, making it easier to catch waves. If you want to carve back and forth, you're better off in a shorter, more rockered canoe, or in a whitewater playboat. These boats stick in waves better and can flat spin, side surf, and back surf with ease.

If you paddle left, choose waves on river right-- they will be easier to attain from a river right eddy. A pry is a stronger stroke than a draw and can be used as you enter a wave from river right. In the pry you bring the bow angle back upstream parallel to the current, which helps prevent you from being blown off the wave toward the center of the river.

The reverse is holds good if you paddle right. Choose a wave close to an eddy on river left and again use a pry to bring the bow upstream.

Two important aspects should be kept in mind here-- boat angle and boat speed. Your canoe should not have too much angle when entering the main current. The bow should be facing almost directly upstream when you enter the main current; then adjust your angle enough to carry your craft to the sweet spot.

Lack of speed will also impede surfing and often results in your canoe flushing downstream. Watch the wave through carefully and monitor your position. If you see the hull of your canoe moving back off the wave, apply some forward momentum with your on-side power stroke and rudder. When carving back and forth, use your on-side power stroke and rudder to initiate changes in direction.

The canoe lurches forward as the bow plunges towards the bottom of the wave trough. You feel the energy of the wave as it grabs hold of the hull. With a few rudder adjustments you find the "sweet spot" and enjoy the sensation of surfing.

If you are still having trouble surfing, practice proper body rotation with your thumbs-up J-stroke (power stroke with a rudder).You might also want to practice basic single blade skills, including an efficient power stroke with an effective rudder, and a stern draw and pry executed with outboard hand positions.

Cut down on crossover strokes, as they are weak and slow to execute, and never use reverse sweeps, as they will kick you downstream off the wave. Also make sure your paddle is not too short - I am 5'9" and use a 59-inch paddle. For my 6-foot tall students I recommend a 62-inch paddle.

Seating arrangements and boat length are the prime concerns for the tandem paddlers. There are three basic tandem seat positions.

Traditional lake or expedition canoes have the bow seat set almost twice as far from the bow end of the canoe as the stern seat is from the stern end. This type is perfect for longer canoes and touring, but will not be effective for surfing.

Tandem whitewater multi-day tripping canoes that boast four-plus inches of rocker over 14 to 16 feet and have decent payload are often outfitted with bow and stern seats placed equidistant from each end. Here the seats are placed toward the ends of the canoe helping in some amount control on surfing, and the bow paddler can provide forward momentum and execute draws and cross-bow draws.

In pure tandem whitewater play boating, the seats are placed in the adjacent position, where both paddlers sit equal distance from the bow and stern but in the midsections of the craft. This arrangement allows the best control for tandem surfers. A tandem play boat is generally 14 feet or less and has four inches or more of rocker with a beam of less than 30 inches.

The bow paddler has almost as much control as the stern paddler and can execute a rudder to control surfing when carving away from the team's paddling side. The stern paddler can execute a rudder and control the craft when carving toward the bow paddler's side. The paddler who is not controlling with a rudder is responsible for applying forward momentum when needed.

Expedition and whitewater canoes must be strong to withstand the rigors of river, whereas lake touring and sport canoes must be strong enough to carry the desired load but light enough for easy control.

A good combination of materials for touring and sport canoes is a hull made from Kevlar with wood gunwales, thwarts, and seats to keep it light. Expedition and whitewater canoes are best made from Royalex, polyethylene, or Kevlar - with vinyl-clad aluminum gunwales to ensure they can take abuse.

Flat-bottomed hulls are used in sport and cottage-type canoe hulls because their stability makes them good for fishing and starters. A moderately rounded bottom is more maneuverable and capable of better speed; it is used in touring and expedition canoe hulls.

Lake canoes should have a keel or v-bottom to help the canoe track and river canoes should not have a keel, for maneuverability. Tumblehome (the width between the gunwales is less than the overall width of the canoe) allows the canoe to be paddled without giving up hull displacement - which determines weight-carrying capacity (burden). The greater the displacement, the greater the carrying capacity. Tumblehome is often achieved in whitewater play boats by using a gunwale tuck (a method of molding materials such as Royalex to create tumblehome).