Easy tailwater management with multi adjustable kicker system

The multi adjustable kicker system on a fixed ramp provides a new and inexpensive method of creating amazing waves under conditions of highly variable tailwater level. The ramp configuration allows for simple retrofitting of existing features and will create consistent waves under a wide range of flows. The design minimizes moving components allowing for low cost construction and easy maintenance. In the simplest configuration, the only moving piece is a sled which spans the width of the wave channel. The sled rests and rolls on the fixed slope so it can be moved with common mechanical, pneumatic, or hydraulic processes.

River wave multi adjustable kicker system by Surf Anywhere is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

This article is part of Surf Anywhere sharing wave building knowledge to make river wave building easier and to improve wave quality. An overview of the research is at SurfAnywhere.ca/wave-research.

Kicker sled motion

The video below shows how the multi adjustble kicker system moves on a fixed ramp. The video shows the complex version involving multiple kickers. The simplest version of the has a single kicker and on a sled that spans the width of the channel.

Tailwater and wave formation

As in flat bottom waves, the wave height increases as tailwater elevation increases until the wave breaks. Waves can be formed at any tailwater elevation by sliding a kicker up and down a ramp. When the tailwater is high, moving the kicker sled up the ramp will form a wave. When the tailwater is low, moving the kicker sled down the ramp will form a wave.