Surf ski and double ski rules

Course

Two orange turning buoys about 75 m apart and 250 m from knee-deep water, with an apex buoy about 50 m further out for single skis and about 100 m for double skis (§4.4.2–4.4.3). The summary sheets put the apex at 300 m (single) and 350 m (double) (Section 4, Appendix B).

Start and finish

Skis line up about 1.5 m apart in knee-deep water, and no one may sit in their ski before the start (§4.4.1). The finish is when any part of the ski crosses the line with the paddler riding, holding or carrying it, and you must have your ski and paddle (§4.4.2). You can fall off and remount.

Dry start: paddlers stand with their skis on the beach and carry them in on the signal. Dry finish: after the last buoy you run up to a line about 15 m up the beach, judged on the chest (§4.4.2).

Double ski

Both paddlers must cross the line in contact with the ski and at least one paddle (§4.4.3). At the SA championships the double ski is a combined-junior and a senior event (§11.4.1); in masters the younger paddler's age sets the band (§3.8.2c).

Ski relay

Three paddlers each complete the course, leave the ski at the water's edge and run around the turning flags to tag the next (§4.4.7).

Common disqualifications

Deliberately impeding another ski, ignoring the Starter's alignment instructions, two skis with the same number (the wrong user is disqualified), and a ski without the LSA compliance decal (§4.4.1–4.4.3).