Every spring in the Sierra Nevadas, snow begins its age-old search for sea level, raising the water levels of such California classics as the American, Tuolumne and Kern. Often helped by rains, it also raises the levels of these rivers’ headwaters and tributaries, many of which are attracting experienced boaters looking for the path less traveled. Although the water level is lower on these creeks (anywhere from 150 to 500 cfs), the stakes are usually higher. Their gradient often exceeds 200 feet per mile, and ratings range from Class IV-V+, many with mandatory portages to boot. For the properly prepared,…
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After only a year or two of paddling, you start closely watching the snowpack, rainfall, and temperatures, and gradually become aware of a river’s moods. At first this knowledge is purely in terms of your favorite spots—you know you can surf a particular wave when the water gets to a certain level, or a certain rapid fills in and some great move develops. Over time, it expands into hundreds of such details, and they branch out into the tributaries and sister rivers of a watershed. Knowing each river’s quirks and gestures makes them feel like old friends. Your kayaking becomes…
The most basic of playboating moves is the front surf. It’s essential to all playboating; the better you are at it, the easier it is to do other moves. Even if you’re comfortable surfing waves, the techniques here will increase your success rate and improve your rides. Each wave is different, varying in speed, volume, steepness and accessibility. Wave surfing revolves around putting your boat on the wave in control and adjusting for these factors. Catching a wave from an eddy Getting on a wave is simply a ferry from an eddy to the wave. The goal is to ferry…
Whether you’re racing slalom or simply catching an eddy on a local river, there are three rules that govern how you should turn a kayak. RULE 1: Your head and body should lead the boat in every turn. RULE 2: Control your turns with strokes on the inside of the turn. If you want to turn left you should first get the boat spinning left with a sweep. Then determine the radius of the turn, your forward speed, how much you slide sideways—all with your left blade. Your right blade is used for forward strokes to help keep boat speed…
Inflatable kayaks are awesome and you know it. They are easy to carry around and they are extremely lightweight. But as you know, they need to be inflated properly before they can be deployed. Since most of the inflatable kayaks come with a hand pump, you might choose not to invest anymore on a kayak Electrical Pump. But the hand pumps do have their own share of disadvantages. They demand a lot of effort from the kayakers in order to inflate a kayak and it might make you feel exhausted at the end. So, if you wish to keep your…
S-turns link the three river maneuvers that are the foundation of whitewater kayaking – ferries, peel outs, and eddy turns. They are used to transition from a carving turn in one direction to a carving turn in another and help you take advantage of available features, nature’s slalom course without the gates. Harnessing river currents to put your canoe exactly where you want it is the kayaker’s goal. Get into the mindset of “playing the river” as you “run the river.” Uses: Moving across an eddy or current, safe eddy to safe eddy, shore to shore, wave surf to hole…
Rapids and Paddles don’t always mix. A case in point is one rapid where, after a tremendous thrashing, a certain rafter lost three Paddles. It was a previously unnamed rapid, but a logical name came to mind: The Three Paddle-Deal. Then there are those rapids where Paddles flow with water as though the two were one. It’s a graceful sight to behold: Paddles moving up and down like a bird’s wings, steering the boat through intricate boulder-strewn rapids. In this day of mechanization and computerization, it’s comforting to know there’s a place for a sport where propulsion comes from nothing…
Kayaking through surf can be the easiest or hardest thing you ever do in a kayak. Here’s how to maneuver more efficiently through the waves Launching Face the ocean with your bow pointed directly at the water. If you wish to make it to the other side of an approaching wave you must maintain a perpendicular angle to it. The larger the wave, the more true this is. If the waves are coming in at an angle, you may need to adjust your launch angle to face the swell directly. While keeping your desired angle, push off the sand with…
In many parts of North America moving water is the norm. Whitewater and tranquil ponds may be hours away, but gently moving current is often right at paddlers’ fingertips. Coastal areas like the Southeast have waterways that remain motionless until a big rain; as rainwater drains, however, their once docile waters become alive with flow. With no great rocks to dodge or hydraulics to negotiate, moving water lies in that often-neglected, in-between world of not quite being one type or another. Moving Water It’s a black and white world: most kayakers describe themselves as either whitewater or quietwater paddlers. A…
The idea of practicing specific paddling skills may not seem exciting. But drilling essential techniques can lead to moving your kayak with precision, confidence and control. An important element in many instructional programs is the use of buoys, ropes, hula-hoops or other practice devices to help sharpen skills. Buoy work is a staple of precise practice. A single buoy – or a course designed with dozens of buoys – helps paddlers put their boats exactly at the right place at the right time. One, two, or more buoys, and/or a hula hoop The following drills using one or more buoys…