tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40089987309965517992024-03-13T09:32:18.262-07:00NOC Paddling School BlogA resource for paddlers with the latest News, Events, Information, Gear Reviews and Techniques related to whitewater kayaking and canoeing.Jon Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17029578279252837684noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008998730996551799.post-67715392774872170792009-07-25T06:42:00.000-07:002009-07-25T07:04:15.527-07:002009 Whitewater Symposium<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9u1YNQG9XiQ/SmsQwbFgN2I/AAAAAAAAANM/Gk7CeEwfZQQ/s1600-h/Whitewater+Symposium.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 76px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9u1YNQG9XiQ/SmsQwbFgN2I/AAAAAAAAANM/Gk7CeEwfZQQ/s320/Whitewater+Symposium.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362398205405312866" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Join some of NOC's top instructors at the next Whitewater Symposium October 2-4, 2009, at Zoar Outdoor, near Charlemont, Massachusetts.</span><br /><br />NOC's Paddling School has been involved with the Whitewater Symposium from the start and we highly recommend participation by all paddlers but especially for paddling program leaders and instructors.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">There is something for everyone...especially club leaders!</span><br /><br />The 2009 Whitewater Symposium has something for everyone, well not everyone, just everyone that has a true love for whitewater. For those of us that call in sick when it rains or plan our vacations around release schedules, this is one whitewater event that you will not want to miss.<br /> <br />The symposium is an opportunity for paddlers from across the world to get together with manufacturers, instructors, and club leaders to put their collective heads together and think outside the box and on the river.<br /> <br />The 2009 Symposium will help you:<br /><br /> * Learn How to Generate More Members<br /> * Get the latest Safety Tips and Tricks<br /> * Update your ACA Instructor Certification<br /> * Network with other Club leaders and share ideas<br /> * Learn how your club can help protect the rivers you love<br /> * Pick up the latest instruction techniques from the best instructors in the country.<br /><br />Check out this brief video intro from the folks at ZOAR. <br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lq6F3RowfmM&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lq6F3RowfmM&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Find out more at the <a href="http://wwsymposium.com/">Whitewater Symposium website.</a><br /><br />We hope to see you on the Deerfield this fall!Waynerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13520373262178124669noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008998730996551799.post-58634630448473163202009-07-08T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-08T06:36:16.229-07:00New Paddling School VideoNo tips here, just a video of our our kayak instruction clinics. The video includes scenes of beginner to intermediate paddling instruction, starting with stroke mechanics and rolling on the flatwater of Fontana Lake to running Class III Nantahala Falls. While not all clinics or paddlers will tackle the Falls, most do follow a flatwater to beginner-friendly river section progression.<br /><br />Two-day clinics are available on weeekends and five-day clinics during the work week, and both include the best kayak instruction available, cabin lodging, hearty meals, transportation to and from rivers/lakes and top-notch, model-year gear. <a href="http://www.noc.com/index.php/whitewater-kayaking-courses.html">Click here</a> for more details and pricing.<br /><br />We have weekly clinics all summer long. Call 888.905.7238 to sign up!<br /><br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JN9KapRBSPs&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JN9KapRBSPs&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>NOCCharleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260957236602982793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008998730996551799.post-31521907980146830182009-06-04T05:32:00.000-07:002009-06-18T05:43:39.242-07:00Sticking to the Basics by Andrew Holcombe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SjkJ2OxtxUI/AAAAAAAADHI/YkDrJaUvzkc/s1600-h/2007+07+09+007+-+2007-10-15+at+11-08-30+-+Version+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 262px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SjkJ2OxtxUI/AAAAAAAADHI/YkDrJaUvzkc/s400/2007+07+09+007+-+2007-10-15+at+11-08-30+-+Version+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348316859763377474" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Have you ever heard of the book <span style="font-style: italic;">All I Really Need to Know I learned in Kindergarten?</span> The title alone is a great reminder, in my opinion, that we learn a lot of the most important life lessons at a pretty early age. Then we spend the rest of our lives trying to figure out how to apply them to the myriad of circumstances put in front of us. How does this apply to kayaking? Well I’m a firm believer that you learn most of the skills necessary to be a great kayaker in the first year (or maybe if you want to get really crazy in the first month). The trick, and this is what we spend the rest of our kayaking careers on, is figuring out how to use and apply the basics in lots of different and sometimes quite intense situations. The following sequence of photos of Big Boy on the Ravens Fork illustrates this quite well. At first glance Big Boy is a pretty intimidating rapid. However, if you look closer the most important skills sets being used are made up of things we learn on our first couple trips in whitewater: Maintaining an aggressive forward body position and how to punch a diagonal wave or hole.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SjkAa9ZRtBI/AAAAAAAADGc/JMjg5B6w3s0/s1600-h/IMG_5464+12-45-43.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SjkAa9ZRtBI/AAAAAAAADGc/JMjg5B6w3s0/s400/IMG_5464+12-45-43.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348306495636354066" border="0" /></a><br />The key to a successful line here is to punch the left to right diagonal at the top of the picture. To do this I set up angled towards that diagonal with an aggressive (slightly forward) body position.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SjkAqiV2isI/AAAAAAAADGk/5eCfhDmS6N0/s1600-h/IMG_5466+12-45-43.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SjkAqiV2isI/AAAAAAAADGk/5eCfhDmS6N0/s400/IMG_5466+12-45-43.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348306763252140738" border="0" /></a><br /><br />As I approach the diagonal I keep my body position forward while adjusting my boat angle to hit the diagonal at 90 degrees. This, as we learned early on, will allow me to punch across the diagonal without turning.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SjkA2yappMI/AAAAAAAADGs/iVF2vyG7FOo/s1600-h/IMG_5467+12-45-43.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SjkA2yappMI/AAAAAAAADGs/iVF2vyG7FOo/s400/IMG_5467+12-45-43.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348306973725664450" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Notice that my right paddle blade is in the water to help hold my angle as my boat begins to cross the diagonal.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SjkBAAZ1giI/AAAAAAAADG0/irHcVdi0qWA/s1600-h/IMG_5468+12-45-43.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SjkBAAZ1giI/AAAAAAAADG0/irHcVdi0qWA/s400/IMG_5468+12-45-43.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348307132099166754" border="0" /></a><br />Completing the right paddle stroke my boat crosses the diagonal with my body weight still forward and angle still at 90 degrees relative to the diagonal.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SjkBMAfJeEI/AAAAAAAADG8/EamIFKUrT7Q/s1600-h/IMG_5469+12-45-43.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SjkBMAfJeEI/AAAAAAAADG8/EamIFKUrT7Q/s400/IMG_5469+12-45-43.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348307338279876674" border="0" /></a><br />Success! I’ve crossed the diagonal thus continuing my path from right to left and my body weight is still forward and aggressive.<br /><br />It’s important to remember that the decision to run a large or difficult rapid is not one to be taken lightly. But, once you do make it its good to remember that you use the same skills you learned early in your kayaking career. The rapids are just bigger, taller, and scarier. So get out there and remember the basics.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008998730996551799.post-49151844128833132282009-05-19T13:53:00.000-07:002009-05-19T13:55:40.968-07:00Got Protection?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9u1YNQG9XiQ/ShMS_f5RInI/AAAAAAAAALg/pWPJFIcvs9s/s1600-h/manly+protection+02.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9u1YNQG9XiQ/ShMS_f5RInI/AAAAAAAAALg/pWPJFIcvs9s/s320/manly+protection+02.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337630865466925682" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">No, not that kind of protection ... this kind</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9u1YNQG9XiQ/ShMTN38ORtI/AAAAAAAAALo/Y-kk9ZFk1Hs/s1600-h/foot+protection+01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9u1YNQG9XiQ/ShMTN38ORtI/AAAAAAAAALo/Y-kk9ZFk1Hs/s320/foot+protection+01.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337631112439940818" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Foot protection!</span><br /><br />It’s that time of year when winter has faded away and the rivers are filling up with excited kayak, canoe and raft paddlers again. It’s time for you to enjoy the thrill of the whitewater rapids. Hopefully you have been schooled on the importance of the essentials for paddling: boat, paddle, helmet, personal floatation device and sprayskirt (for kayakers). I would like to add another river essential, for your own personal safety and comfort, proper footwear. <br /><br />Studies and river stories have shown that the place where many injuries occur is on shore while either scouting or running down the river back to help rescue someone or something. It is also essential to have proper footwear when you encounter an “out of the boat experience” yourself and have to perform your own rescue. One of the best ways you can prevent injuries in these situations is to wear sturdy but comfortable booties or other supportive footwear designed for watersports.<br /><br />To help you better protect yourself from injury and provide for a more comfortable trip down the river, we looked at several good options for your feet. We have chosen the best models for kayakers, canoeists and rafters. The footwear was tested in various boats on the Nantahala Outdoor Center’s local rivers such as the Nantahala River, Ocoee River, Chattooga River, Cheoah River, Pigeon River, Nolichucky River and French Broad River. Because there is footwear for a broad range of paddlers, I will give my overall impression of each one then include information about their best specific use(s).<br /><br />To read the full review, <a href="http://nocoutfitterstore.blogspot.com/2009/05/got-protection.html">Click Here to go to the Outfitter's Store blog.</a>Waynerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13520373262178124669noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008998730996551799.post-40217997565022464882009-04-30T12:47:00.000-07:002009-04-30T13:04:36.273-07:00One of My Favorite Places, NOC Summer Camp<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9u1YNQG9XiQ/SfoAfqqvPnI/AAAAAAAAALU/1boxAX762mE/s1600-h/palmer_whale_cropped.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 229px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9u1YNQG9XiQ/SfoAfqqvPnI/AAAAAAAAALU/1boxAX762mE/s320/palmer_whale_cropped.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330573652975894130" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">By Palmer Miller - a former NOC Teen Leader and camper.<br /></span><br /><br />As part of a photo-journalism assignment for New River Academy Palmer chose to write about one of her favorite places, the Nantahala Outdoor Center.<br /><br /> Tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina is the Nantahala Outdoor Center. Sitting on the bank of the Nantahala River, the NOC has been working with paddlers and rafters for the past 30 years, through its outdoor programs and camps. Its excellent service is world-renowned and people continuously return. Many expert paddlers are born at the kid, teen, and adult kayak camps and programs. <br /><br />Sam Fulbright, a New River Academy alumnus, professional photographer, and an avid playboater, attended two of the NOC teen kayak camps. The beginner camp gave him more confidence that backed up what he already knew. The intermediate camp helped him delve more into the sport of freestyle kayaking, and by the end he was hitting stern squirts and cartwheels. He believes the “NOC was [really big in] solidifying my boating skills. <br /><br />I found that their programs gave me a lot of confidence in my kayaking and they worked really hard to get all the fundamentals of kayaking built up, and built up well.” For the experienced paddlers to the rookies who are scared to run Nantahala Falls, the Nantahala Outdoor Center is the perfect place to have a good time and life-changing experience. <br /><br />Click on the following links to find out more about:<br /><a href="http://www.noc.com/index.php/kids-kayaking-instruction-courses.html">NOC Kids and Teens Camps</a><br /><a href="http://newriveracademy.org/kayakblog/author/palmermiller/">The Exploits of Palmer Miller</a><br /><a href="http://www.noc.com/index.php/teen-summer-camp-kayaking-a-photography-with-the-new-river-academy.html">NOC's Summer Photo Course with New River Academy</a><br /><a href="http://www.newriveracademy.org">New River Academy</a>Waynerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13520373262178124669noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008998730996551799.post-43936998820000685062009-04-20T08:44:00.000-07:002009-04-20T08:47:53.684-07:00Three Lines through Nantahala Falls<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0FTTUWXbVDs&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0FTTUWXbVDs&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008998730996551799.post-50318300308945362009-03-12T12:55:00.000-07:002009-03-12T13:21:14.549-07:00Rob Barham does a presentation for AWC<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9u1YNQG9XiQ/SblrRiwKSdI/AAAAAAAAALM/tjAaym_rVhs/s1600-h/Having+fun.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9u1YNQG9XiQ/SblrRiwKSdI/AAAAAAAAALM/tjAaym_rVhs/s320/Having+fun.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312395184590965202" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Rob recently headed down to Hotlanta to give a talk about proper creeking techniques to the Atlanta Whitewater Club members. He met up with a fun and excited crowd and gave his presentation with a lively discussion challenging paddling dogmas. Some say his presentation was in <span style="font-style:italic;">revival style</span>, and told the members of AWC <blockquote>"It is time to free yourself from paddling dogmas!"</blockquote><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9u1YNQG9XiQ/SblpA1ySCiI/AAAAAAAAALE/oGqjvbgYrY8/s1600-h/Rob+talks+to+AWC.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9u1YNQG9XiQ/SblpA1ySCiI/AAAAAAAAALE/oGqjvbgYrY8/s320/Rob+talks+to+AWC.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312392698619103778" border="0" /></a><br /><br />As always, Rob can find a way to make instruction fun! At the end of the presentation, Rob gave away shirts and DVD's to excited participants. According to the Vice President of AWC Chuck Spornick, <blockquote>"A good time was had by all."</blockquote><br />To see more photos and info from Rob's presentation, <a href="http://chucks.smugmug.com/gallery/7518467_52fy3">check out Chuck's photo site.</a>Waynerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13520373262178124669noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008998730996551799.post-722156750766950782008-11-05T19:59:00.000-08:002008-11-06T07:04:27.296-08:00Come Explore The Dominican Republic This Winter<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SK3mZwk25sw/SRJsx2a1N5I/AAAAAAAAAQ4/4XbxebhnwcA/s1600-h/photo+5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SK3mZwk25sw/SRJsx2a1N5I/AAAAAAAAAQ4/4XbxebhnwcA/s320/photo+5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265390518026975122" border="0" /></a><br />Daylight savings time is over and the drought continues in the Southeast. These two things along with the rough and tumble economy could bring one down, but don't give up too quickly we have the perfect cure. You need to take a paddling trip, and it just so happens we have the perfect place, the Dominican Republic.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SK3mZwk25sw/SRJsyuMSU8I/AAAAAAAAARI/nXv64vIp_uc/s1600-h/photo+7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SK3mZwk25sw/SRJsyuMSU8I/AAAAAAAAARI/nXv64vIp_uc/s320/photo+7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265390532998353858" border="0" /></a><br />We are looking forward to our second season in the Dominican Republic after two Pilot trips last year. We ran our first ever commercial trip in January 2008, followed up by an advanced Teen group in June. In September we returned once more to teach a swift water rescue, and first-aid course to our Dominican counterpart Rancho Baiguate. Needless to say we spent quite a bit of time there this past year and are looking forward to our 2009 season with some new runs to add to our itinerary.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SK3mZwk25sw/SRJtv1bH1aI/AAAAAAAAARQ/w9tA7_PIMJ4/s1600-h/photo2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SK3mZwk25sw/SRJtv1bH1aI/AAAAAAAAARQ/w9tA7_PIMJ4/s320/photo2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265391582911649186" border="0" /></a><br />So why should you come to the Dominican Republic with us this winter? Because you can't afford not to that's why. Plane tickets to the DR are under five hundred dollars from the southeastern US and depending on how far south you are they could be really cheap. The Ranch where we stay is only 45 minutes from the Santiago International Airport (STI) and is on the banks of the Jimenoa river. Just think you can leave home in the morning take a short flight, go paddling in the Dominican Republic and take out at the door of your room all in one day.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SK3mZwk25sw/SRJtvxHfEuI/AAAAAAAAARY/JeyU4ESddSM/s1600-h/photo+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 242px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SK3mZwk25sw/SRJtvxHfEuI/AAAAAAAAARY/JeyU4ESddSM/s320/photo+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265391581755544290" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SK3mZwk25sw/SRJudr-wFqI/AAAAAAAAAR4/1_pWY9ht08M/s1600-h/photo+4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SK3mZwk25sw/SRJudr-wFqI/AAAAAAAAAR4/1_pWY9ht08M/s320/photo+4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265392370650715810" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Not only are we offering kayaking trips but we can accommodate non paddling friends and family as well, with a rafting or multi-sport adventure. Rancho Baiguate offers everything from horseback riding to multi-day trekking trips and of course the best rafting trips in the Caribbean.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SK3mZwk25sw/SRJtwVVOE0I/AAAAAAAAARg/3T7kpJhNLEA/s1600-h/photo+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SK3mZwk25sw/SRJtwVVOE0I/AAAAAAAAARg/3T7kpJhNLEA/s320/photo+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265391591476826946" border="0" /></a>We are the only outfitter running trips in the DR. Our partner Rancho Baiguate has been rafting in the DR for over ten years. We are still discovering new runs all the time. Paddling is still very new in the DR so there are many logistical challenges; that's where we come in, all you have to do is buy your ticket pack some clothes and let us take care of the rest.<br /><br />The trip dates and full pricing details are on the NOC website just click <a href="http://www.noc.com/index.php/dominican-republic.html">here.</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SK3mZwk25sw/SRJudRIEjCI/AAAAAAAAARw/5iQhyWgK8Tc/s1600-h/photo+8.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SK3mZwk25sw/SRJudRIEjCI/AAAAAAAAARw/5iQhyWgK8Tc/s320/photo+8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265392363442048034" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SK3mZwk25sw/SRJsyLUL51I/AAAAAAAAARA/oPOq1bXLQhI/s1600-h/photo+9.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SK3mZwk25sw/SRJsyLUL51I/AAAAAAAAARA/oPOq1bXLQhI/s320/photo+9.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265390523636246354" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008998730996551799.post-78030666519383221812008-09-02T16:22:00.001-07:002008-09-04T05:34:26.429-07:00Why we love the southeast<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SL3MIBZ8YYI/AAAAAAAAAjQ/fpzlfwP8h28/s1600-h/DSC_6042.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SL3MIBZ8YYI/AAAAAAAAAjQ/fpzlfwP8h28/s320/DSC_6042.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241569979517395330" border="0" /></a>The southeast is great. We have bologna biscuits. We have coca-cola. We have lots of creeks. Here's some photos of what the instructors have been up to the past two weeks.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SL3MejYcICI/AAAAAAAAAjY/Nrno5aPa7Fk/s1600-h/DSC_5521.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SL3MejYcICI/AAAAAAAAAjY/Nrno5aPa7Fk/s320/DSC_5521.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241570366595014690" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SL3M26Is-zI/AAAAAAAAAjg/aUZuw3R6aiU/s1600-h/DSC_5688.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SL3M26Is-zI/AAAAAAAAAjg/aUZuw3R6aiU/s320/DSC_5688.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241570785019886386" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />This is the Chattooga at .4 feet.<br />Surprisingly, everything is still runnable. To the left, Herm finds low-water Seven Foot to be more like Six Foot. To the right, Israel shimmies under the log at center crack. It's definitely a skinny man's move.There's nothing better than paddling the lake out in the dark with friends.<br /></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SL3OlIB-y5I/AAAAAAAAAjw/_B3H-DYym6U/s1600-h/DSC_5248.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SL3OlIB-y5I/AAAAAAAAAjw/_B3H-DYym6U/s200/DSC_5248.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241572678535400338" border="0" /></a> Here's a little creek that flows into Jocasse. Heck of a paddle in. Heck of a hike up. But the slides are heck of a lot of fun - especially this one. Thank you Wayne Gentry.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SL3OAxrrIrI/AAAAAAAAAjo/xjYwZpnJUHI/s1600-h/DSC_5319.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SL3OAxrrIrI/AAAAAAAAAjo/xjYwZpnJUHI/s200/DSC_5319.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241572054060966578" border="0" /></a><br />And then it rained -some sort of hurricane or something. Some of us headed over to Joyce Kilmer to stare at the really big trees. We did some kayaking too. There was a big slide. We like big slides. Below, Sean Corbett refuses to stop for red lights in the Hallway.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SL3QjHbjDUI/AAAAAAAAAj4/yBp9ykic1Yw/s1600-h/DSC_5700.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SL3QjHbjDUI/AAAAAAAAAj4/yBp9ykic1Yw/s320/DSC_5700.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241574843037715778" border="0" /></a>Speaking of big slides....we found some more on the East Fork of the Tuck the next day.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SL3XqLQyzlI/AAAAAAAAAkA/A_r4HFGv0q0/s1600-h/DSC_5849.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SL3XqLQyzlI/AAAAAAAAAkA/A_r4HFGv0q0/s320/DSC_5849.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241582660906831442" border="0" /></a>On the left, Michael Curtis<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SL3cysMcpwI/AAAAAAAAAkI/o3tmw1e35V4/s1600-h/DSC_5948.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SL3cysMcpwI/AAAAAAAAAkI/o3tmw1e35V4/s200/DSC_5948.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241588304744064770" border="0" /></a> disengages the flux capacitor as he reaches 88 miles per hour. To the right, Jason Aytes stares into the mouth of the beast, while Rob Barham gets creative with a tight line. Below, Joe Ravenna punishes a rapid into submission. Later,<br />the creek punished the boaters into submission as<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SL3ehT1m0fI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/hGERinxB24o/s1600-h/DSC_6030.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SL3ehT1m0fI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/hGERinxB24o/s200/DSC_6030.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241590205171290610" border="0" /></a> they portaged around a wood-choked monster sieve. (Top picture) Thanks for checking in. See ya where the water is.<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SL3kIC2OoNI/AAAAAAAAAkg/M07xqnUyK80/s1600-h/DSC_5886.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SL3kIC2OoNI/AAAAAAAAAkg/M07xqnUyK80/s200/DSC_5886.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241596368183533778" border="0" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008998730996551799.post-87496350313903213152008-08-07T13:10:00.000-07:002008-08-08T05:21:43.094-07:00The Big JumpPart of the fun of kayaking is the challenge. Nothing feels better than running a hard rapid successfully. It doesn't really matter if "hard" is class three or class five for you - the joy (and relief) of styling a hard rapid is universally shared by all boaters.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SJt2jj4ZuLI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/FeQxqEbjlHs/s1600-h/0023.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SJt2jj4ZuLI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/FeQxqEbjlHs/s400/0023.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231905745420269746" border="0" /></a>It is our contention that on the five scale rapid rating system, the jump between class 2 and 3 is the largest. Class one and two rapids are very similar and often difficult to differentiate. Think about paddling the Nantahala - most of the time you're not thinking about whether that rapid you paddled was class 1 or class 2 - they're pretty similar. When you get to class 3 Nantahala Falls though it's pretty easy to tell that the rapid is much bigger/harder than everything else you've paddled. For beginners, the jump from class 1/2 to class 3 is often a very big o<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SJt3AO6FV9I/AAAAAAAAAZ8/OeBrAgn2b1c/s1600-h/0025.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SJt3AO6FV9I/AAAAAAAAAZ8/OeBrAgn2b1c/s200/0025.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231906238006384594" border="0" /></a>ne. This is primarily because they're now facing a larger rapid with more serious consequences. Not to say that there aren't consequences to messing up a class 1/2 rapid, but the consequences are much greater to messing up a class 3 rapid. Deciding to run a class three rapid for the beginner therefore is often a difficult decision because they must factor the consequences into their decision making process- something they haven't really had to do on class 1/2.<br /><br />Once a boater gains experience though factoring the consequences aspect into the decision-making process it becomes easier to make future decisions, for instance stepping up from class 3 to class 4 rapids. We have plenty of boaters in our beginning clinics agonize over the decision to run or walk Nantahala Falls. We then see those same boaters in our intermediate clinics spend only a fraction of the time agonizing over the decision to run a class 4 rapid. The same boater that spent 20 minutes deciding to run their first class 3 rapid now often spends less than five deciding to run their first class 3+/4.<br /><br />This is not to say that the decision to step up from class 3 to 4 should be a cursory one. We are merely saying that it's often easier for paddlers to decide to run their first class 4 rapid than it is to run their first class 3 rapid. This can be attributed primaril<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SJt5RVnuzAI/AAAAAAAAAaM/yVUBuYqdTco/s1600-h/Frankenstein.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SJt5RVnuzAI/AAAAAAAAAaM/yVUBuYqdTco/s320/Frankenstein.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231908730889489410" border="0" /></a>y to the fact that a boater has very little experience when he/she makes a decision to run that first class 3 rapid, and much more experience when they decide to run their first class 4 rapid.<br /><br />The same applies to the jump between class 4 and class 5.0. Class 5 is certainly harder than class four and entails greater consequences, but the jump comparatively isn't as great as the leap from class 2 to class 3. There's a much bigger gap between running Surfer's and Nantahala Falls than there is between running Bride of Frankenstein and Frankenstein. (The jump between class 4 and 5.2, well, that might be another story.)<br /><br />The long and short of it is, if you're a beginner, it's ok to take your time deciding to run a class three rapid - it is indeed <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SJt4HzGyjJI/AAAAAAAAAaE/a_Rn2c6x2qU/s1600-h/Costa+Rica+2006+155.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SJt4HzGyjJI/AAAAAAAAAaE/a_Rn2c6x2qU/s320/Costa+Rica+2006+155.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231907467494067346" border="0" /></a>a big step up. For the advanced boater paddling with beginners, be aware of this. Don't downplay a class 3 rapid because it's "only class three". For the beginner, deciding to run a class three rapid is a big step because for the first time they're factoring in consequences to making a mistake. They should be given all the time they need to make this decision.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008998730996551799.post-77510481607146048282008-07-12T17:25:00.000-07:002008-07-21T07:04:32.623-07:00No Water, Low Water, Big Water<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SHlUVkM9TXI/AAAAAAAAAZE/VieKyIA4qCU/s1600-h/DSC_3922.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SHlUVkM9TXI/AAAAAAAAAZE/VieKyIA4qCU/s400/DSC_3922.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222297972384812402" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SHlTW1iwmGI/AAAAAAAAAY0/3W0_4lzln0U/s1600-h/DSC_3860.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SHlTW1iwmGI/AAAAAAAAAY0/3W0_4lzln0U/s200/DSC_3860.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222296894707898466" border="0" /></a>The adventure started at the Nanthala Cascades. After a big rain we figured they'd be running. Of course they weren't, which didn't stop us from banging our way down them anyways<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SHlTptuBjzI/AAAAAAAAAY8/sD5KEbOALIw/s1600-h/DSC_3880.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SHlTptuBjzI/AAAAAAAAAY8/sD5KEbOALIw/s200/DSC_3880.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222297219025178418" border="0" /></a>. We did a few laps and bruised and battered we made our way back to NOC around nine o'clock. One of the instructors suggested we drive to West Virginia. Being that we all had two days off it sounded like a great idea. We met at Arby's at 11 pm, loaded the boats, and started the trip north.<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SHlVYy9JURI/AAAAAAAAAZM/ALFUuqxsfy8/s1600-h/DSC_3969.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SHlVYy9JURI/AAAAAAAAAZM/ALFUuqxsfy8/s200/DSC_3969.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222299127396258066" border="0" /></a>We drove through the night and made it to the West Virginia Visitor's Ce<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SHlVytj2G1I/AAAAAAAAAZU/fGzrjyTPwHs/s1600-h/DSC_3955.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SHlVytj2G1I/AAAAAAAAAZU/fGzrjyTPwHs/s200/DSC_3955.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222299572624563026" border="0" /></a>nter around 5am the next morning. We slept in the parking lot for two hours until the rangers showed up and started leaf-blowing right by our heads. Barely awake we pressed on to the put-in for Mann's Creek. It was on the low side of doable, but still very fun.<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">With bruised tail-bones we then headed over to the Gauley put-in for the 26 mile marathon over-nighter. We put-on at three and by four we were standing at Iron Ring. It felt strange paddling a river with water in it but we adjusted nicely. The Meadow was pumping in a significant amount of water and we estimated the flow between 6 and 7 thousand cfs. It took us an hour to get to that rapid, but we then spent an hour working up the courage to run it.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SHlW8tMGqKI/AAAAAAAAAZc/HaibGubLVSs/s1600-h/DSC_4015.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SHlW8tMGqKI/AAAAAAAAAZc/HaibGubLVSs/s400/DSC_4015.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222300843835304098" border="0" /></a>It went pretty well, considering we were paddling boats loaded down with camping equipment and hotdogs. Lost Paddle was also exciting, but not as exiting as Sweet's Falls which had a hole as big as train in it. We snuck that one. We continued to paddle down through the Middle Gauley and a few miles into the Lower. We spent a lot of time surfing holes. Sometimes the holes spent a lot of time surfing us. After a tasty meal of s'mores, hotdogs, and vegetable stirfry we fell asleep in the dirt somewhere below Five-Boat Hole. The next morning we finished the paddle out on the Lower and arrived at the takeout at 11am for the long drive back to Bryson City.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SHlXlopX5EI/AAAAAAAAAZk/sx1jtkIZhQ4/s1600-h/DSC_4026.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SHlXlopX5EI/AAAAAAAAAZk/sx1jtkIZhQ4/s400/DSC_4026.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222301546990527554" border="0" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008998730996551799.post-9958297923877782092008-07-07T09:03:00.000-07:002008-07-21T08:17:01.790-07:00Boater First Aid Kit<div> Before you even begin building a boater first aid kit ask yourself what the most likely types of injuries you’ll encounter are. Your answer to this question will determine what you pack in your first aid kit. Remember, you only have limited space – there’s not enough room for everything. Also, pack with others in mind. You may not be diabetic, but chances are somebody else on the river is, so cake icing would be a valuable addition to your kit.<br /><br />The most common injuries we see are: sprained ankles, pulled muscles, head lacerations (remember to tuck), dislocated shoulders, and dehydration. With that in mind, here’s a very small, but effective, kit equipped to handle the aforementioned emergencies.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SISoPjLztkI/AAAAAAAAAZs/APnq6kNjRRM/s1600-h/FApic2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SISoPjLztkI/AAAAAAAAAZs/APnq6kNjRRM/s400/FApic2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225486452752889410" border="0" /></a><br />1.Sam splint: Great for stabilizing sprained ankles, or broken bones<br />2.Crevats: These triangular pieces of cloth can be used for slinging a dislocated shoulder, or wrapping a wound<br />3.Roller Gauze: Dip it in a little iodine water to create a wet dressing, or use it to wrap a wound<br />4.Gauze packets: to stop the bleeding<br />5.Band-aids and butterflies<br />6.Tape<br />7.Matches (to warm people up)<br />8.CPR mask<br />9.Gloves<br />10. Ace wrap<br />11. Ibuprofen/Aspirin, Benadryl (for those allergic to bee stings, etc), Cake Icing (for diabetics), Oral potassium/salt (for dehydrated people that can’t keep water down), iodine (for purifying water or cleaning wounds – when cleaning wounds dilute the iodine)<br /><br /><br /><div>Having a first aid kit is only the first step. Knowing how to use it or administer aid is the second step. We offer advanced wilderness first aid courses as well as wilderness first responder courses here at NOC. Even if you don’t take a course with us, we strongly encourage all boaters to take a first aid course somewhere - preferablly a wilderness course.</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008998730996551799.post-77733200031665188612008-07-05T14:11:00.000-07:002008-07-06T10:15:52.305-07:00False Lips and Delayed Boofs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SHD8gbb_4wI/AAAAAAAACNU/_CyvpmwBu-w/s1600-h/clip_image001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SHD8gbb_4wI/AAAAAAAACNU/_CyvpmwBu-w/s400/clip_image001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219949602173608706" border="0" /></a><br /><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">Scouting waterfalls is a little different than scouting a traditional rapid. Determing a waterfall’s difficulty depends on four factors – the approach, the lip, the height, and the landing. <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Baby</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Falls</st1:placetype></st1:place> on the Tellico is a good example of an easy waterfall to run. It’s got a fairly easy approach, a 90 degree lip, it’s not too high, and it lands in a pool. Gorilla on the Green is a more difficult waterfall. The approach is through a narrow slot, you paddle over a wave to get to the lip, it’s fairly high, and has a narrow, shallow landing with a hole downstream. </p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">In this video we focus on the second factor, waterfall lips. There are two types of waterfall lips, the traditional lip and the false lip. With the traditional lip water will flow towards the lip and then fall straight down at a ninety degree angle. A traditional lip has one horizon line. A false lip on the other hand has two horizon lines. Water flows towards the first horizon line, slopes off for a bit, and then falls over the actual lip. The key to running a water fall with a false lip is to use a delayed boof stroke (assuming it’s not a really big drop). Don’t throw the boof stroke until after you’ve gone over the first horizon line (the false lip) and reached the true lip. </p><br /><br /><object height="300" width="400"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1289377&server=www.vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"> <embed src="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1289377&server=www.vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="300" width="400"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://www.vimeo.com/1289377?pg=embed&sec=1289377">Whitewater Creeking Instruction: False Lips</a> from <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/user582052?pg=embed&sec=1289377">Christopher Port</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/?pg=embed&sec=1289377">Vimeo</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008998730996551799.post-17311595314048877202008-06-29T08:00:00.000-07:002008-07-07T05:16:20.563-07:00Shoulder Safety<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SGjIX-iZu6I/AAAAAAAACLM/hNBGnTCHwb0/s1600-h/pullinxray1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SGjIX-iZu6I/AAAAAAAACLM/hNBGnTCHwb0/s400/pullinxray1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217640482558557090" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Imagine a basketball balanced on a golf tee. The basketball is the end of your humerus bone. The indented part of the tee the basketball is balancing on is your shoulder joint. It’s not very deep, and it’s not very big, considering the large ball that’s resting on it. And therein lies the problem. The shoulder socket is very small, while the humerus bone resting on that socket isn’t. The shoulder socket is designed for range of motion, and not designed to be a weight bearing joint (like how paddlers use it for bracing, turning, or rolling). In contrast, the hip socket is a weight bearing joint – the bone is set deep in the socket for stability and to prevent a large range of motion. (This explains why dislocating a hip is horribly painful) </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">The ratio of a basketball to a golf tee is actually pretty accurate when describing the shoulder joint. Now imagine how easy it is to knock that basketball off the tee and you can see why shoulder dislocations are fairly common. If not for the skin, muscles, tendons, and ligaments that surround the shoulder, humans would perpetually walk around in slings. As it stands though, it’s only kayakers that perpetually walk around in slings. Usually, the paddle is the culprit when a kayaker dislocates his shoulder. Archimedes once said, “Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum to place it on and I’ll move the world”. Your paddle is that lever, and although it’s only 197 centimeters long, it’s plenty long enough to apply the minimum pressure required to knock that basketball off the tee. Keeping your shoulder in a strong position while paddling is therefore of utmost importance. A strong position is one in which the elbows stay below the hands and the hands stay in front of the torso. The easiest way to achieve this strong position is by rotating your torso with all your strokes – especially strokes done at the back of the boat.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div style="text-align: justify;">Below are two pictures of a sweep stroke. In the first, the paddler has rotated his upper body with the stroke. His elbows are bent and below his hands, while his hands are in front of his torso. This is a strong position. In the second picture a paddler has not rotated his torso when doing the sweep stroke. You can see that the elbow is above the hand, and the hand is not in front of the torso. This is a weak position.<br /><br /></div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SGjfgTFEidI/AAAAAAAACM0/WJ59WGiOm6A/s1600-h/IMG_3010+-+2008-06-26+at+15-53-47.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 159px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SGjfgTFEidI/AAAAAAAACM0/WJ59WGiOm6A/s400/IMG_3010+-+2008-06-26+at+15-53-47.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217665914279070162" border="0" /></a></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SGjdNHz-_XI/AAAAAAAACMU/hoWDPCoBNwE/s1600-h/IMG_3013+-+2008-06-26+at+15-53-59.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 257px; height: 170px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SGjdNHz-_XI/AAAAAAAACMU/hoWDPCoBNwE/s400/IMG_3013+-+2008-06-26+at+15-53-59.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217663385813843314" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><br />Strong and weak shoulder positions can also be applied to rolling. In the first picture below the paddler is executing a sweep roll. Notice how he has twisted his torso as he rolls to ensure that his hands stay in front of his body as his rights himself. (One of the easiest ways to achieve this is by following the lead paddle blade with your eyes). His left hand and elbow stay tucked close to the body to maintain a strong position. In the second picture the paddler is not rotating with the sweep. This puts a lot of pressure on the shoulder and is a weak position. The shoulder has become a weight-bearing joint – something it was never intended to be.</p><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SGjfgvhfJ2I/AAAAAAAACM8/Glp5IaEFsGg/s1600-h/IMG_3034+-+2008-06-26+at+15-56-04.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 223px; height: 147px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SGjfgvhfJ2I/AAAAAAAACM8/Glp5IaEFsGg/s400/IMG_3034+-+2008-06-26+at+15-56-04.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217665921914447714" border="0" /></a></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SGjdNabHSiI/AAAAAAAACMc/edK5y1vlC3Q/s1600-h/IMG_3018+-+2008-06-26+at+15-54-49.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 157px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SGjdNabHSiI/AAAAAAAACMc/edK5y1vlC3Q/s400/IMG_3018+-+2008-06-26+at+15-54-49.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217663390809803298" border="0" /></a></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /><br /></div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">This concept also works with bracing. It is often said that a low brace is safer than a high brace. In actuality, a poor low brace and a poor high brace can dislocate your shoulder equally well. Both braces should be executed with the bracing blade planted in the water in front of the paddler. Bracing perpendicular to the paddler, or behind the paddler (even worse) places the shoulder at risk. The farther back you brace the more you load the blade with weight, and the more you’re depending on the shoulder alone, and not the other muscle groups, like abs, obliques, and pecs to stay upright. A high brace is perfectly acceptable so long as the hands aren’t rising above the head.</p><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SGjdNpkHJ_I/AAAAAAAACMk/BfI_S5_hMjs/s1600-h/IMG_3067+-+2008-06-26+at+15-58-47.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 249px; height: 165px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SGjdNpkHJ_I/AAAAAAAACMk/BfI_S5_hMjs/s400/IMG_3067+-+2008-06-26+at+15-58-47.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217663394874075122" border="0" /></a></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SGjfg9Zqi4I/AAAAAAAACNM/upjUZK5FGrM/s1600-h/IMG_3064+-+2008-06-26+at+15-58-43.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 246px; height: 162px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SGjfg9Zqi4I/AAAAAAAACNM/upjUZK5FGrM/s400/IMG_3064+-+2008-06-26+at+15-58-43.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217665925639736194" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><br />A low brace is acceptable as long as the elbows aren’t rising above the hands or head. Below are four pictures. The first and third pictures demonstrate a shoulder-safe high and low brace, respectively. The second and fourth pictures demonstrate an unsafe high and low brace, respectively.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SGjeJM7sHLI/AAAAAAAACMs/JaI0RkeOqHc/s1600-h/IMG_3046+-+2008-06-26+at+15-56-38.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 217px; height: 308px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SGjeJM7sHLI/AAAAAAAACMs/JaI0RkeOqHc/s400/IMG_3046+-+2008-06-26+at+15-56-38.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217664417980488882" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SGjfg4dMfoI/AAAAAAAACNE/gDvgjrG65fA/s1600-h/IMG_3049+-+2008-06-26+at+15-56-48.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 210px; height: 315px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SGjfg4dMfoI/AAAAAAAACNE/gDvgjrG65fA/s400/IMG_3049+-+2008-06-26+at+15-56-48.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217665924312366722" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/SGjS23XpJ9I/AAAAAAAACLs/K6Sh2VwIguQ/s1600-h/IMG_3067+-+2008-06-26+at+15-58-47.jpg"><br /></a></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008998730996551799.post-4311187392054927272008-06-19T10:47:00.000-07:002008-06-27T13:01:15.845-07:00Turn less, not more<div align="justify"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SFqkmI7HmoI/AAAAAAAAAYg/R8JcZbGitpc/s1600-h/INSTRUCTIONPHOTOS+48.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213660493772200578" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SFqkmI7HmoI/AAAAAAAAAYg/R8JcZbGitpc/s400/INSTRUCTIONPHOTOS+48.JPG" border="0" /></a>In our advanced level instruction we spend a lot of time “re-teaching” people to paddle. Most of these guests are great paddlers who learned to kayak in Dancers, RPMs, etc and have now transitioned to the planning hull boats or shorter playboats. This transition is not always smooth for the simple reason that these smaller boats do not paddle the same way as the longer ones. </div><p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="justify">The longer boats are more difficult to turn and thus a paddler may need a combination of strokes to turn the boat. For example, to catch an eddy in a longer boat the paddler might utilize a forward sweep into a stern draw into a bow draw. Using that stroke combination in the smaller boats is unnecessary – it will in all likelihood spin you in a 720 degree circle down the eddy line. If this doesn’t make sense think of it this way – in the longer boats you focus your energy on turning the boat aggressively whereas in the smaller boats you focus your energy on preventing the boat from turning too aggressively. </p><p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="justify">In the 1990’s, we taught peel-outs with the “speed-angle-lean” concept. You have probably heard this at some point in your paddling career. Accelerate towards the top of the eddy, set a thirty degree angle, and then lean downstream as your boat peels out. This worked well because the longer boats carried the speed you built up in the eddy across the eddy line and into the current. This does not work as well in the shorter planning hull boats because they’re not very fast. If you try and use “speed, angle, lean” in a short boat you’ll find that often you don’t have the speed to bust through the eddy line into the current and you simply spin on the eddy line which is not very stable. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SFqeRNdzrSI/AAAAAAAAAX8/jjXHxGEHEjg/s1600-h/INSTRUCTIONPHOTOS+83.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213653537144417570" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SFqeRNdzrSI/AAAAAAAAAX8/jjXHxGEHEjg/s200/INSTRUCTIONPHOTOS+83.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SFqfo5-CVfI/AAAAAAAAAYQ/bF5SCxhSiNo/s1600-h/INSTRUCTIONPHOTOS+92.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213655043739375090" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SFqfo5-CVfI/AAAAAAAAAYQ/bF5SCxhSiNo/s200/INSTRUCTIONPHOTOS+92.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SFqfYMoFCKI/AAAAAAAAAYI/mMC7L1I1pjs/s1600-h/INSTRUCTIONPHOTOS+85.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213654756689774754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SFqfYMoFCKI/AAAAAAAAAYI/mMC7L1I1pjs/s200/INSTRUCTIONPHOTOS+85.JPG" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify">Instead of focusing on speed, focus on preventing the boat from turning too soon. As you hit the eddy line, that planning hull boat wants to spin. Don’t let it. Use a forward stroke on the downstream side to accelerate the boat onto the eddy line, and then link it to a slow stern draw on the same side, to prevent the boat from turning downstream. (Or if the current is slow, just a stern draw) You’re not so-much peeling out of the eddy as ferrying across the eddy line with a two-stroke combo. You are now in control of the boat – you can continue the ferry, do a peel out, or return to the eddy you came from. With “speed, angle, lean” you’re not really in control of the boat – the water is. It dictates when and how quickly you turn. </p><p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="justify">The same applies for catching an eddy. Of course you will need a little speed to cross the eddy line, but you will also need a stroke or two (now on the upstream side) to keep the boat from spinning too quickly and preventing you from driving deep into the eddy. As you cross the eddy line plant a forward stroke in the eddy water to pull you across the eddy line, and then use a stern draw on the same side to keep the bow of the boat from turning upstream too quickly.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SFqdNXSlV_I/AAAAAAAAAXk/Txj1gFNZ36M/s1600-h/INSTRUCTIONPHOTOS+8.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213652371550590962" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SFqdNXSlV_I/AAAAAAAAAXk/Txj1gFNZ36M/s200/INSTRUCTIONPHOTOS+8.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SFqc-5VzwqI/AAAAAAAAAXc/i4aspJbwi1E/s1600-h/INSTRUCTIONPHOTOS+7.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213652122992886434" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SFqc-5VzwqI/AAAAAAAAAXc/i4aspJbwi1E/s200/INSTRUCTIONPHOTOS+7.JPG" border="0" /></a>1.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">2.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SFqdn31PyeI/AAAAAAAAAXs/dTni24L47Nc/s1600-h/INSTRUCTIONPHOTOS+10.JPG"></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SFqdy4jNfUI/AAAAAAAAAX0/68RLHiJ5vPg/s1600-h/INSTRUCTIONPHOTOS+12.JPG"></a></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SFqdy4jNfUI/AAAAAAAAAX0/68RLHiJ5vPg/s1600-h/INSTRUCTIONPHOTOS+12.JPG"></a><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SFqdn31PyeI/AAAAAAAAAXs/dTni24L47Nc/s1600-h/INSTRUCTIONPHOTOS+10.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213652826962512354" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SFqdn31PyeI/AAAAAAAAAXs/dTni24L47Nc/s200/INSTRUCTIONPHOTOS+10.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">3.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SFqdy4jNfUI/AAAAAAAAAX0/68RLHiJ5vPg/s1600-h/INSTRUCTIONPHOTOS+12.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213653016133860674" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SFqdy4jNfUI/AAAAAAAAAX0/68RLHiJ5vPg/s200/INSTRUCTIONPHOTOS+12.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SFqdy4jNfUI/AAAAAAAAAX0/68RLHiJ5vPg/s1600-h/INSTRUCTIONPHOTOS+12.JPG"></a><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SFqdy4jNfUI/AAAAAAAAAX0/68RLHiJ5vPg/s1600-h/INSTRUCTIONPHOTOS+12.JPG"></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">4.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">For precision boat control in the newer boats you need to use stroke combinations to limit the boat’s turning ability, not stroke combinations to turn it more.<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008998730996551799.post-71544304440236675102008-06-06T14:50:00.000-07:002008-06-06T15:09:54.572-07:00Go Green!<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SEmzY8CjaoI/AAAAAAAAAWc/HB4bqKS7N6M/s1600-h/DSC_2122.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208891685045758594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SEmzY8CjaoI/AAAAAAAAAWc/HB4bqKS7N6M/s400/DSC_2122.JPG" border="0" /></a>This year, for some odd reason, the instructors have spent an incredible amount of time paddling upstream. Three to five times a week we hop in a river-runner, put in at the Outfitter’s store and attain up to Nantahala Falls. It’s a heck of a workout – at least until the Green Boat arrived two days ago. Now it’s not so hard, and has become significantly more fun.<br /><br />Let’s get the obvious out of the way first – it’s fast, real fast. It accelerates quickly and as you accelerate the bow of the boat rises slightly to maintain speed. The other nice thing about the <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SEmz6fKb8kI/AAAAAAAAAWk/AWANqT89-Fw/s1600-h/DSC_2112.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208892261409747522" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SEmz6fKb8kI/AAAAAAAAAWk/AWANqT89-Fw/s320/DSC_2112.JPG" border="0" /></a>Green Boat is it doesn’t slough its speed off like a typical river-runner. It starts fast and it stays fast. We also noticed that a well-timed stroke will lift the bow onto waves or holes before you get to them which further prevents the boat from losing speed.<br /><br />The Green Boat derives part of its speed from its narrow width, so it feels more tippy than your typical creekboat. The advanced paddler (like the one racing the Green) won’t have any problems with the secondary stability, but there may be a bit of a learning curve for us mere mortals.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SEmy2WCYQII/AAAAAAAAAWU/mrUgL2u6hxw/s1600-h/DSC_2150.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208891090728927362" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SEmy2WCYQII/AAAAAAAAAWU/mrUgL2u6hxw/s320/DSC_2150.JPG" border="0" /></a>Additionally, this boat isn’t going to turn like other river-runners/creekers, but it wasn’t designed to turn. This boat was designed to lock in the line the paddler sets, and then drive through that line. This boat won’t be pushed around very easily.<br /><br />Lastly, this boat is really fun to boof. I’d be giggling before I even got to the boof rock in anticipation of the air I was about to get. Even if you don’t ever plan on racing, do yourself a favor and demo this boat if you get a chance. It’s really fun – which is the reason we kayak in the first place.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008998730996551799.post-40843537764265320412008-04-24T10:21:00.000-07:002008-05-13T08:02:25.656-07:002008 River Runner/Creek Boat Reviews<div align="justify"><span style="font-size:100%;">We've</span> had a couple months now to put the new boats through their paces. The following are the instructors' thoughts on the new offerings. For reviews and comparisons of last year's boats click here :<a href="http://nocpaddlingschool.blogspot.com/2007/05/whats-best-beginner-boat.html"> Jackson Funs and Dagger Mamba </a>,here for the <a href="http://nocpaddlingschool.blogspot.com/2007/04/two-instructors-review-pyranha-ammo.html">Pyranha Ammo</a>, and here for the <a href="http://nocpaddlingschool.blogspot.com/search/label/pyranha%20burn">Pyranha Burn.</a> Without further ado...<br /><strong><br /><span style="COLOR: rgb(255,0,0);font-size:130%;" >Liquid Logic Remix</span></strong><strong><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal"> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SBDvliG6RCI/AAAAAAAAAVs/ru6adb60lSE/s1600-h/IMG_8692+-+2008-04-23+at+15-32-21.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192913798448170018" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SBDvliG6RCI/AAAAAAAAAVs/ru6adb60lSE/s200/IMG_8692+-+2008-04-23+at+15-32-21.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(255,255,51)">You’ll probably like this boat if:</span> you’re a driver (as opposed to a floater), y</span></strong><strong><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">ou want a boat </span></strong><strong><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">with speed that can lock in a line. </span></strong><strong><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(255,255,51)"><br />You probably won’t like this boat if: </span>you’re used to paddling a hard-chined, planning hull boat</span></strong><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><strong><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">Finally! It’s taken a decade for someone</span></strong><strong><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal"> to design the next RPM –</span></strong><strong><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal"> </span></strong><strong><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">the most beloved kayak to ever hit the water. Liquid </span></strong><strong><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">Logic has brought back everythin<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SBDy6iG6REI/AAAAAAAAAV8/HWcisoBFy-k/s1600-h/IMG_8735+-+2008-04-23+at+15-38-22.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192917457760306242" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SBDy6iG6REI/AAAAAAAAAV8/HWcisoBFy-k/s320/IMG_8735+-+2008-04-23+at+15-38-22.jpg" border="0" /></a>g we loved about the RPM, but given it some new-school flavor. The Remix locks in a line well, has good speed, and is easy to roll, thanks to its narrow hull platform. Unlike the RPM though, the Remix floats the paddler higher in the water. This fact, coupled with a more modern chine placement, makes the Remix a stable river runner. The Liquid Logic outfitting is the best on the market. </span></strong></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><strong><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">This boat isn’t for everyone, and like the RPM, if you’re looking to get into playboating or you want a really responsive boat that </span></strong><strong><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">turns quickly, this probably isn’t the best boat choice. Because of its n</span></strong><strong><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">arrow width a heavy paddler may feel a bit tippy as well. Still, if you loved the RPM, or are looking for a fast, comfortable boat that’s easy to paddle down river, this is a great choice. <?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p></o:p></span></strong></p><div align="justify"><strong><span style="COLOR: rgb(255,0,0);font-size:130%;" >Pyranha Everest</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(255,255,51)">You’ll probably like this boat if:</span> you liked the Burn, you’re a ser</span></strong><strong><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">ious creeker/big-water paddler, you’r</span></strong><strong><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">e looking for a stable river runner that turns well, you’re a bigger paddler, you like to carry a lot of gear with you<o:p></o:p><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(255,255,51)">You probably won’t like this boat if:</span> you’re a smaller person</span></strong><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SBDFsSG6Q9I/AAAAAAAAAVE/xRkTEEke7tU/s1600-h/img_0111sa.jpg"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192867734923920338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SBDFsSG6Q9I/AAAAAAAAAVE/xRkTEEke7tU/s320/img_0111sa.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="justify"></a><strong><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">You’d be hard-pressed to find an instructor here who doesn’t like the Everest. Like the Burn, the Everest’s </span></strong>stability is <em>the</em> feature that sets it apart from other boats on the water. Put simply, you place this boat on edge and the Everest will stay on edge for confident, precise carving across pushy currents. The edges were softened a bit from the Burn which means you don't have to worry about tripping over that edge once you cross the eddy line. The Everest accelerates quickly (a highly desirable feature when creeking or big water paddling) and has a nice downriver feel. The increased bow rocker gives the Everest predictable performance in big water and seldom buries in waves. It’s an easy boat to paddle and has a nice balance between tracking and turning. Like the Millennium Falcon though, the Everest has it where it counts, and can boof with the best of them. (The Everest has softer chines than the Burn, which makes landing rock boofs flat a little easier) </p><p class="MsoNormal" align="justify">If you already have a roll, the Everest won’t feel any different than rolling your current boat. If you’re just learning to roll, or have an unreliable roll, the Everest may feel more difficult to roll. The paddler sits low in the boat, the hull is wide, and the sidewalls are somewhat high. Still, for what it is, the Everest is an easy boat to roll. (Our instructors are in agreement that it's easier to roll than the Burn)</p><p class="MsoNormal" align="justify">Our instructors love creeking in this boat, but our beginner’s also lov<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SBDG0CG6Q-I/AAAAAAAAAVM/1KQv1GRr-Bc/s1600-h/img_0108sa.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192868967579534306" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SBDG0CG6Q-I/AAAAAAAAAVM/1KQv1GRr-Bc/s320/img_0108sa.jpg" border="0" /></a>e it for river running. The ample volume, wide hull, speed, and responsiveness make it a great boat to learn in. <span style="font-size:0;"></span>This is one of those boats you can’t outgrow. You can learn in it, use it as your reliable river-runner when running rivers right on the edge of your limit, or take it creeking or on over-nighters.</p><p class="MsoNormal" align="justify">The outfitting is our biggest criticism of this boat – not everyone agrees on its comfort. Larger paddlers have felt quite comfy in the boat while smaller paddlers have remarked that they have a difficult time getting snug in the boat. Still, we love the long cockpit and the step-up center wall as safety features. <strong><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="COLOR: rgb(255,0,0)">Jackson Hero/Super Hero</span></span><o:p></o:p><br /></strong><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SBDu1SG6RBI/AAAAAAAAAVk/W8yDFtJt0BY/s1600-h/IMG_8633+-+2008-04-23+at+15-22-49.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192912969519481874" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SBDu1SG6RBI/AAAAAAAAAVk/W8yDFtJt0BY/s320/IMG_8633+-+2008-04-23+at+15-22-49.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(255,255,51)">You’ll probably</span></span></strong><strong><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(255,255,51)"> like this boat if:</span> you don’t like to flip-over, you want a boat that’s easy to paddle, you think of yourself as a class 2/3/4 river runner. <o:p></o:p><br /></p><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(255,255,51)"></span></span></strong><p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><strong><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(255,255,51)">You probably won’t</span></span></strong><strong><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(255,255,51)"> li</span></span></strong><strong><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(255,255,51)">ke this boat if:</span> you want something responsive or want a river-runner that can play<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><strong><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">I’ll admit it – I judged this book by its cover. I wanted to dislike the Super Hero, but after paddling it I just couldn’t – it’s just so darn easy to paddle. I’ve never felt so stable in a boat in pushy water. It was almost as if waves and holes had no affect on the line I was trying to hit. This boat is </span></strong>predictable, ex<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SBDwhSG6RDI/AAAAAAAAAV0/VILixvG_NpI/s1600-h/IMG_8751+-+2008-04-23+at+15-42-16.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192914824945353778" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SBDwhSG6RDI/AAAAAAAAAV0/VILixvG_NpI/s320/IMG_8751+-+2008-04-23+at+15-42-16.jpg" border="0" /></a>tremely stable, turns well, rolls pretty easy, and is the most user-friendly<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>river runner out there. This is a great choice for the class 2/3/4 paddler looking to paddle down the river in comfort. It’s not the fastest river-runner but it is responsive and turns well. It tends to lose it’s carving momentum once it crosses the eddy-line, so paddlers may need to throw some extra strokes in to prevent slipping out the back of an eddy in faster water. </p><p class="MsoNormal" align="justify">The Dagger Mamba was our go-to boat for beginner’s last year- it was stable, held its speed, and carved well. The Heros do not carve as well as the Mambas, and are not as fast, but are more stable.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="justify">Can you outgrow this boat? Maybe. It’s not designed to be a playboat, so if you like playing your way down a river, this isn’t the boat for you. It would be a fun boat to creek something like the Tellico in, but if you were looking to get into advanced creeking, the Burn or Jefe would probably be a better choice. It’s the perfect size boat to learn to boof though. <strong><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><strong><span style="COLOR: rgb(255,0,0);font-size:130%;" >Riot Thunder/Magnum</span><o:p></o:p><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(255,255,51)">You’ll probably like this boat if: </span>You like an aggressive river runner, you liked the Dagger GT, you like to stop and surf while river-running<o:p></o:p><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(255,255,51)">You’ll probably dislike this boat if:</span> your edges are still a little wobbly, you want a big stable boat<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">We re</span></strong><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SBDHvSG6Q_I/AAAAAAAAAVU/5ysV5CllJ0Y/s1600-h/img_0094sa.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192869985486783474" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/SBDHvSG6Q_I/AAAAAAAAAVU/5ysV5CllJ0Y/s200/img_0094sa.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">ally enjoyed the Dagger GT series for novice and intermediate paddlers. The Thunder and Magnum have that GT feel, but with a little more rocker and a little sportier hull, this Riot offering is both more stable and more playful than the GT. We were surprised by how well this boat accelerated and enjoyed its responsiveness and speed carving in an out of eddies. This boat is for the paddler who wants a more aggressive feel while river running without sacrificing the speed and stability that often comes with paddling a true playboat. This boat is fairly easy to roll. We’ve found the people fall into two camps with regards to the outfitting – they either love it or hate it. </span></strong></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong><span style="color:yellow;">Easiest Boat to Roll:</span></strong> <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Jackson Fun Series</span><br />Having paddled the new boats, we still find the Funs to be the easiest boat to roll regardless of your size, flexibility, or strength of hip snap. The Funs are great boats for the C-to-C roll because as the paddler arches out to the second position the boat already starts to come up before a hip snap is even initiated. Paddlers that learn a sweep roll will have an easy time of rolling when they commit to leaning back a bit in the boat. Bigger people that may have a difficult time rolling other boats will find that they can sink the stern down of the Funs and do a “wheelie” up.</span> </span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008998730996551799.post-90353318531822425422008-04-05T09:09:00.000-07:002008-05-13T08:04:40.430-07:00A Paddle Offset Study<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/RggLexVA0EI/AAAAAAAAALw/_AbUsu0XR70/s1600-h/2007+03+26+001.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/RggLexVA0EI/AAAAAAAAALw/_AbUsu0XR70/s320/2007+03+26+001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5046296005734092866" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">45° versus 0°</span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Coke vs Pepsi. Kayaks vs Canoes. Republicans vs Democrats. Star Wars vs Lord of the Rings. These are the timeless debates that occupy our time. These debates have no real answer, which is why they’re fun to argue about. Let’s add the<span style=""> </span>0 degree vs 45 degree paddle debate to that list. Ok, ok – that one is not quite as fun to argue about. Still, that has never stopped the instructors here from debating the merits of each. (Of course, instructors will debate anything – I once overheard two instructors arguing over what color moss, green or brown, was more conducive to seal launching)<br /><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Anyway, instructors fell into three camps in this paddle offset debate – a zero degree paddle would enable beginners to learn quicker; the forty-five degree paddle would enable beginners to learn quicker; it didn’t matter what paddle they used – it was simply a matter of instruction. After about six months of back and forth debate, we decided to design an actual experiment to put the argument to a test.<br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/R_OoGPbVcOI/AAAAAAAAB90/3Y_8CHV0VKU/s1600-h/2007+10+21+ASCI+061_edited-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/R_OoGPbVcOI/AAAAAAAAB90/3Y_8CHV0VKU/s400/2007+10+21+ASCI+061_edited-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184672421207437538" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Typical spirited debate</span></div> <p class="MsoNormal">The prevailing hypothesis was that a paddle with a zero degree offset would make learning to kayak easier. We reasoned that:<br /><br /> • Novice kayakers would be able to go straighter faster with a zero degree paddle<br /> • Novice paddlers would have better blade control with a zero degree paddle and they would therefore execute better strokes.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Method</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Only new paddlers participated in this study. At the beginning of our novice clinics the participants were taught how to wet exit but no other instruction was given before the test. In the test we had each participant paddle thirty yards out on a lake, pass behind a fixed object and paddle back to the starting point. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br />Each participant completed this loop twice, once with a zero degree paddle and once with a forty-five degree paddle. Half of the participants used a zero degree offset first and half started with a 45 degree offset first. After completing the second loop each participant selected a preferred paddle to use for the rest of the clinic. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br />The participants were video taped just in case something funny happened that we could post on Youtube. Ok, that’s not true. The tapes were used to determine the elapsed time for each trial and to categorize the quality of the strokes executed and to identify the paddler’s final paddle preference. The elapsed time was from the moment the participant’s boat left the beach until the boat touched the beach upon the return. Stroke quality was judged on three dimensions: how well did the paddler reach out on the stroke, how vertical was the stroke, and was the paddle blade completely immersed. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br />We ran 34 brave volunteers through the experiment in an attempt to answer four questions. </p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Since we ran the paddlers through two trials, did they learn to go faster between the first and second run?</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Since we had paddlers use two different paddle offsets, did they go faster with one offset over the other?</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Were there differences in the “quality” of the paddle strokes between the different offsets?</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Which paddle did the beginners choose?</li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br />If you’re playing at home, feel free to take a guess before you see the results. (If your answers are correct please fax your resume to human resources at NOC) </p> <div style="text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/R_ou8vbVcPI/AAAAAAAAB98/XwS2r5SrlGk/s1600-h/Costa+Rica+2006+174.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/R_ou8vbVcPI/AAAAAAAAB98/XwS2r5SrlGk/s400/Costa+Rica+2006+174.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186509541928694002" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Humm....</span><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-style: italic;">Results</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Question 1</span>: Did paddlers learn to go faster between the first and second run?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Answer: No</span>. Keep in mind that no specific instruction was given about the use of the different paddles. We thought this would have made the 0° paddles more effective because the 45° paddles require a twist with the right hand to get good blade orientation to the water with the left paddle blade. We expected that without instruction new paddlers would struggle with this twisting movement. The lack of instruction about the twist did not seem to matter though.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Question 2</span>: Did one offset enable paddlers to go faster than the other?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Answer: Yes and no</span>. There was no significant difference in the speed with which a subject completed their first run using either a 45° or 0°. However, their was a difference on the second run. The paddlers who started with 45° paddle and then used a 0° paddle were faster on their second run than the paddlers who started with a 0° and then used a 45°. This defied our conventional wisdom – we actually predicted that the opposite would happen. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Question 3</span>: Were there differences in the “quality” of the paddle strokes?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Answer: No</span>. The novice paddlers’ stroke quality was equally modest.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Question 4</span>: Which paddle did the beginners choose? </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Answer: Both</span>. Given a choice between 45° or 0° paddles, 18 of 29 paddlers preferred the 0° paddle. This is not a significant difference in preference. (In the videos it was impossible to determine the choice of five paddlers.)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Final Thoughts</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The results of our study were inconclusive, and probably raised more questions than answers. We are already planning a second test and are exited about the chance to apply the scientific method to other debates about kayak equipment, boats, and paddling technique. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So in conclusion: Coke, Kayaks, Democrats, Star Wars, Green Moss, hand paddles. </p> </div><br />More details here for those of you that just need to see the numbers:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Sample Video of a volunteer during the study<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/R_OJCvbVcNI/AAAAAAAAB9s/l50FlD-P8vA/s1600-h/Figure2.jpg"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx_pq20iTzP3fozaCrFG69bXNE1Y2Rvbtc3pRMCGl9NxuVA7BDDHX-2jFHz8L25t96AqJdCxPLJZt_rFZm1vg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;">(Note: The Instructor in the kayak is tethered to a cable that is hard to see in the video. This was anchored at the waterline for every test so the the distanced around the instructor was roughly the same for every test.)</span><br /></div><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Figure 1<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Average Elapsed Time for loop 1 versus loop 2 across paddle offsets<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/R_OIMvbVcMI/AAAAAAAAB9k/uJeoRVcY00k/s1600-h/0+Degree+0vs45.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/R_OIMvbVcMI/AAAAAAAAB9k/uJeoRVcY00k/s400/0+Degree+0vs45.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184637348504498370" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Figure 2<br />Average Elapsed Time for loop 1 versus loop 2 for both paddle offsets<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/R_OJCvbVcNI/AAAAAAAAB9s/l50FlD-P8vA/s1600-h/Figure2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/R_OJCvbVcNI/AAAAAAAAB9s/l50FlD-P8vA/s400/Figure2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184638276217434322" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center">Table 1</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center">Average time for 0° versus 45° for loop 1 versus loop 2</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><o:p> </o:p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Used 0° first</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> 0°</span> (Trial 1) M = 34.8, SD= 8.6<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">45°</span> (Trial 2) M = 34.2, SD = 8.5<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Used 45° first</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> 45°</span> (Trial 1) M = 30.5, SD = 6.3<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">0°</span> (Trial 2) M = 29.3, SD = 4.5</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p><div style="text-align: justify;">Were there differences in the “quality” of the paddle strokes? What of the other data we collected? The table below listed the number of strokes scored as having a vertical catch, good extension and full immersion. As would be expected, before any instruction, the stroke quality for beginners was pretty modest. However, to the point of this study there appears to be no difference in stroke quality for 0° versus 45° paddles.<br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Table 2</span><br /><table str="" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 237pt;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="316"><col style="width: 141pt;" width="188"> <col style="width: 48pt;" span="2" width="64"> <tbody><tr style="height: 15.6pt;" height="21"> <td class="xl24" style="height: 15.6pt; width: 141pt; font-weight: bold;" height="21" width="188">Used 0° first</td> <td class="xl27" style="width: 48pt; font-weight: bold;" width="64">0<span class="font5">°</span></td> <td class="xl27" style="width: 48pt; font-weight: bold;" width="64">45<span class="font5">°</span></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15.6pt;" height="21"> <td class="xl25" style="height: 15.6pt;" height="21">Catch Vertical =</td> <td class="xl28" num="">25</td> <td class="xl28" num="">18</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 16.8pt;" height="22"> <td class="xl25" style="height: 16.8pt;" height="22">Extension =</td> <td class="xl28" num="">7</td> <td class="xl28" num="">3</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15.6pt;" height="21"> <td class="xl26" style="height: 15.6pt;" height="21">Catch Immersion =</td> <td class="xl29" num="">38</td> <td class="xl29" num="">30</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 13.8pt;" height="18"> <td class="xl25" style="height: 13.8pt;" height="18"># of strokes scored =</td> <td class="xl28" num="">54</td> <td class="xl28" num="">54</td> </tr> </tbody></table><br /><table str="" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 237pt;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="316"><col style="width: 141pt;" width="188"> <col style="width: 48pt;" span="2" width="64"> <tbody><tr style="height: 15.6pt;" height="21"> <td class="xl24" style="height: 15.6pt; width: 141pt; font-weight: bold;" height="21" width="188">Used 45° first</td> <td class="xl27" style="width: 48pt; font-weight: bold;" width="64">45<span class="font5">°</span></td> <td class="xl27" style="width: 48pt; font-weight: bold;" width="64">0<span class="font5">°</span></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15.6pt;" height="21"> <td class="xl25" style="height: 15.6pt;" height="21">Catch Vertical =</td> <td class="xl28" num="">21</td> <td class="xl28" num="">20</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15.6pt;" height="21"> <td class="xl25" style="height: 15.6pt;" height="21">Extension =</td> <td class="xl28" num="">1</td> <td class="xl28" num="">2</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15.6pt;" height="21"> <td class="xl26" style="height: 15.6pt;" height="21">Catch Immersion =</td> <td class="xl29" num="">26</td> <td class="xl29" num="">26</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15.6pt;" height="21"> <td class="xl25" style="height: 15.6pt;" height="21"># of strokes scored =</td> <td class="xl28" num="">48</td> <td class="xl28" num="">48</td> </tr> </tbody></table><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Table 3</span><br /><table str="" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 316pt;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="422"><col style="width: 141pt;" width="188"> <col style="width: 87pt;" width="116"> <col style="width: 88pt;" width="118"> <tbody><tr style="height: 15.6pt;" height="21"> <td style="height: 15.6pt; width: 141pt;" height="21" width="188"><br /></td> <td class="xl24" style="width: 87pt;" width="116">Preferred 0<span class="font6">°</span></td> <td class="xl24" style="width: 88pt;" width="118">Preferred 45<span class="font5">°</span></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15.6pt;" height="21"> <td class="xl26" style="height: 15.6pt;" height="21">Used 0° first</td> <td class="xl25" num="">8</td> <td class="xl25" num="">6</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15.6pt;" height="21"> <td class="xl26" style="height: 15.6pt;" height="21">Used 45° first</td> <td class="xl25" num="">10</td> <td class="xl25" num="">5</td> </tr> </tbody></table><br /><br /><br />Note: In the videos it was impossible to determine the choice for 5 paddlers.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008998730996551799.post-32770493435764378172008-02-29T18:05:00.000-08:002008-05-13T08:10:58.820-07:00Look Around<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/R8wdGz0nIOI/AAAAAAAAB5M/kLcSR2O9H-A/s1600-h/2007+08+18+129_lowres.jpg"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/R8wdGz0nIOI/AAAAAAAAB5M/kLcSR2O9H-A/s400/2007+08+18+129_lowres.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173542074769154274" border="0" /></a><p style="text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">It's usually pretty easy to look at a photo and tell whether the paddler is going to be successful or get worked. It's not always so easy to make it all come together on a river or creek run that's pushing your limits.</span><br /></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote>Have you ever mentally been here?<br /></blockquote>"OK, big rapid, I can do this. Big breath. Peel out with left angle for the first drop. Little bit of speed, not too much, now right <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">boof</span> and go! Got to carry my speed, now left <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">boof</span>, turn the corner and accelerate towards the launch pad - big right <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">boof</span>! Look out for the hole, keep my weight forward, and I’m through! Oh man, what a line! That was perfect, I am the best <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">kay</span>….<br /><p></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Wait a minute – where am I? I don’t know where to go, all I see are rocks. Where’s an eddy? There’s one, but I don’t think I’m gonna make it, don’t want to run this backwards. Too late, just close my eyes and hold on, I hope there’s no sieve. Whew made it, that was a close one…"</span><br /><br /><a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/R8wniz0nIQI/AAAAAAAAB5c/tBakS8en0Eg/s1600-h/2007+08+18+055_lowrescp.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/R8wniz0nIQI/AAAAAAAAB5c/tBakS8en0Eg/s400/2007+08+18+055_lowrescp.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173553550921769218" /></a></p><div> <p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="MsoNormal">Sound familiar?<span style=""> If you've spent much time <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">creeking</span>, or even river running, </span>you've likely come through a rapid that you just scouted and suddenly realize that you have no idea what’s down stream.<span style=""> </span>Most of the time things work out, however it does create a lot of unnecessary stress.<span style=""> </span>And unnecessary stress is something we can all agree is not desirable when <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">creeking</span>. So to keep our buddies from laughing while doing the mad hamster scramble at the bottom of a rapid <b style="">always</b> remember to check downstream for at least these three things</p> <a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/R8wmaz0nIPI/AAAAAAAAB5U/1hnVsU8wQGo/s1600-h/2007+08+18+007_lowres.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/R8wmaz0nIPI/AAAAAAAAB5U/1hnVsU8wQGo/s400/2007+08+18+007_lowres.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173552313971187954" border="0" /></a> <!--[endif]--><b style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Before</span></b><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> you run a rapid:</span><br /><ol style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li>Find a good eddy and make sure you can stop in it.<span style=""> </span>This really serves three purposes.<span style=""> </span>First, it keeps us from running the next section blind. Two, it puts us in a position to set safety for other paddlers. And three, it allows us to pump both fists in celebration for the line we just stomped. </li><li>Check to see if there are more drops downstream. If there are and you can’t see them in detail, or you can’t see any eddies closer to them, it’s a good idea to walk down there and check it out beforehand. (Remember, just because there’s an eddy above a drop <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">doesn</span>’t mean you should catch that eddy. It’s a bad feeling to catch that last eddy above a drop and realize that you now have no choice but to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">commit</span> to the rapid. Make sure if you catch an eddy to boat scout you have other options to leave the eddy, besides simply running the rapid)</li><li>Be aware of your surroundings. Always be scanning for a place where you can get out of your boat, even if there <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">aren</span>’t any more big drops downstream. Why? Because it is your responsibility to run back upstream to help your buddy if he needs it. All this sounds incredibly simple, but in the heat of the moment it’s surprisingly easy to forget to check downstream.</li></ol><a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/R8wp1D0nISI/AAAAAAAAB5s/lhgSWYumAS0/s1600-h/2008+03+01+Chattooga+012_lowrescp.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/R8wp1D0nISI/AAAAAAAAB5s/lhgSWYumAS0/s400/2008+03+01+Chattooga+012_lowrescp.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173556063477637410" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size:0;" > </span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">You can also apply a similar method to boat scouting. In my opinion, boat scouting is one of the most important aspects of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">creeking</span> - primarily because of the time it can save you on the creek. One of the biggest <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">creeking</span> challenges, especially on longer or more remote runs, is the time factor. When done correctly, boat scouting allows you to move quickly downstream and save the bank scouts for when you need them most. To be a good boat scouter, you need good vision.<br /></span><a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/R8wxLT0nITI/AAAAAAAAB50/NqiVU1c_0mw/s1600-h/2008+03+01+Chattooga+031_lowres.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/R8wxLT0nITI/AAAAAAAAB50/NqiVU1c_0mw/s400/2008+03+01+Chattooga+031_lowres.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173564142311121202" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;">Here’s some tips on improving vision:</span><ol style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li>Lift your vision. Whenever you’re <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">creeking</span> (and especially boat scouting) you want to avoid getting tunnel vision (only looking at the line right in front of you).Lots of times a line that looks good at the beginning can turn out badly farther downstream.Lifting your vision will allow you to take in the characteristics of the whole river, determine alternate lines, spot hazards, locate eddies, and find safety set-up positions.</li><li>Always try to look and think at least two moves ahead of where you’re at.</li><li>Catch lots of eddies.<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13"> Creeking</span> can seem really fast and often times when you’re starting out it’s difficult to lift your vision and look two moves ahead. By catching lots of eddies you’ll slow everything down and give yourself time to look around from the safety of that eddy. (You can practice looking two moves ahead on your local run, or on a familiar run that you're comfortable with. Practice this on class two/three first, instead of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">waiting</span> until you get to class five)<br /></li></ol><a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/R8woKz0nIRI/AAAAAAAAB5k/_I7oc8MrW5g/s1600-h/2008+03+01+Chattooga+001_edited-1+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/R8woKz0nIRI/AAAAAAAAB5k/_I7oc8MrW5g/s400/2008+03+01+Chattooga+001_edited-1+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173554238116536594" border="0" /></a> <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">A word to the wise. Boat scouting is something that is learned over time. Once again, practice on easier runs before you move on to harder ones. Most importantly, always take the time to scout if you can’t see the bottom, can’t see the next eddy, or you feel uncomfortable with the information you have. So go get out on the creek and remember to look around!</span><p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><o:p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"></o:p><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Andrew <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Holcombe</span></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Team Dagger</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">NOC</span> Instructor</span> <p style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">Andrew will be teaching this years creek week at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">NOC</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19"></span>on March 9-13, 4 days of creeking with all meals, lodging, transportation and equipment included for $900.<br /></span></p><p style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">For more information or sign up call 888-905-7238<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008998730996551799.post-90041503781241272962008-02-17T22:12:00.000-08:002008-05-13T08:16:33.372-07:00Pulling the Trigger<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/R7w4tSeKoUI/AAAAAAAAB4U/NLsKnRSx2to/s1600-h/2007+07+10+010_edited-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/R7w4tSeKoUI/AAAAAAAAB4U/NLsKnRSx2to/s400/2007+07+10+010_edited-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169068823018119490" border="0" /></a>The other day I was reminded of my first trip to the Nantahala Cascades in 2001. The water was a little high and a large crowd had gathered at the first drop and was watching the boaters go over the waterfall. I watched my friends make two or three runs and then I decided that I wanted to give it a try. I had brought my gear up to the put-in and borrowed a boat (which I’d never paddled), but was unsure if I had the skills to navigate this section of whitewater. Finally, as it was getting dark, I worked up the nerve to give it a try and yelled to one of my friends to wait for me as he was about to put on for the last run. I’ll never forget his response – “No, Jeremy, you will die”. And then he got in his boat and paddled off. Very rarely are you confronted with such honesty.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/R7w4cieKoTI/AAAAAAAAB4M/Uiva8qNCc4c/s1600-h/2007+07+10+027_edited-2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/R7w4cieKoTI/AAAAAAAAB4M/Uiva8qNCc4c/s400/2007+07+10+027_edited-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169068535255310642" border="0" /></a><br />Thankfully, stories like this aren’t that common. Very rarely are you told whether or not you’re ready to run a rapid. Most of the time you have to make that decision for yourself. This is one of the great aspects of kayaking, but also the most frustrating. How do you know if you’re ready to pull the trigger when you’ve never run that rapid before? Because no two rapids are identical it’s difficult to even compare one rapid to another. Just because you can navigate one class three rapid successfully, doesn’t necessarily mean you could navigate another one of entirely different character. If you find yourself struggling with indecision about running a rapid try thinking of the who, what, where, when, and why.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);"><strong>Who:</strong></span> Who are you paddling with? Are these<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/R7wyMCeKoPI/AAAAAAAAB3s/0HPLh8Qm_UY/s1600-h/2007+03+16+040.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/R7wyMCeKoPI/AAAAAAAAB3s/0HPLh8Qm_UY/s400/2007+03+16+040.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169061654717702386" border="0" /></a> people you trust, and do they have good safety/decision making abilities? Or are these people you just met at the put-in or are maybe lesser paddlers than yourself? You will certainly be more relaxed if you have confidence in your fellow paddlers to either show you a good line, or help you out if you blow the line.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);"><strong>What:</strong></span> What are the moves required of me in this rapid? Can you execute the moves required to run the rapid successfully? Are those moves in your wheelhouse? I have run very difficult class five rapids because the moves required were strengths of mine. I have also walked class four rapids because the moves required did not play to my strengths.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);"><strong>Where:</strong></span> Where are you? Are you on an unfamiliar river? Are you near civilization? The risks you might take on a rapid on a roadside run may not be the same risks you should take on a rapid in a remote canyon. This <em>where</em> could also apply to where you are on the actual river. For instance, the last rapid of the Middle Cullasaja is certainly a fun one. It ends in a small, but nice pool. Unfortunately there’s a two-hundred foot waterfall on the other end of that pool. That adds something to the equation. (A similar example might be Corkscrew into Crack in the Rock on the Chattooga.)<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);"><strong>When:</strong></span> When is the right time to run this rapid? Do I feel good? Is my energy level high? Do I have butterflies or am I really nervous? Does today seem like the right time or should I wait<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/R7knOKDrXjI/AAAAAAAAAUc/vvOhNHKMpKo/s1600-h/scouteccanyon.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168205171555786290" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: left;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/R7knOKDrXjI/AAAAAAAAAUc/vvOhNHKMpKo/s320/scouteccanyon.jpg" border="0" /></a> for another time? In my example above at the Cascades, I was nervous, I was using a borrowed boat, and it was almost dark. It was not the right time - I would have failed the <em>when </em>criteria three times over.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Why:</span></strong> Why do you want to run this rapid? There is only one answer to this question – “It looks fun, I like the challenge, and I feel confident making the moves”. My friends and I often talk about a fun-factor to a rapid. If the rapid doesn’t look fun we won’t run it even if we know we can make the moves. (This is pretty subjective. Sometimes what looks like fun to someone, doesn’t look like fun to another.) You should never run a rapid because everybody else is doing it and you don’t want to lose face. You should never run a rapid to impress a girl (or boy). You should never run a rapid because someone is holding a camera. You should never run a rapid because you don’t feel like walking it. (I have proof from the Transylvania Community Hospital that laziness is not a good reason to run a rapid.)<br /><br />I’m not saying that you have to answer in the positive to all these questions to run a rapid. Some, such as the <em>what</em>, may be more important than others, for example, the <em>where</em>. Making the decision to run a rapid is a lot like making a decision in any other aspect of life – you take a bunch of imperfect information and try and combine it to make the most well-informed choice.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/R8NdUieKoaI/AAAAAAAAB5E/OVEjHnUTScg/s1600-h/2008+01+21+Serapique2+135.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/R8NdUieKoaI/AAAAAAAAB5E/OVEjHnUTScg/s400/2008+01+21+Serapique2+135.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171079404583559586" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Lastly, in this day and age of paddling videos, guidebooks, and the internet, chances are you know what rapids you’re going to encounter on a run. Don’t make up your mind about running a rapid beforehand. For instance, everybody knows that Bull Sluice is at the end of section three of the Chattooga. Don’t make up your mind whether to run it or not in the Food Mart parking lot in Clayton. Don’t make up your mind until you get to the rapid. This will allow you to enjoy the rest of the river relatively worry-free instead of worrying all day about one rapid at the end of the run.<br /><br />In closing, if you’re looking at a rapid and you can’t decide whether to run it or not, don’t – chances are there’s a reason you feel so indecisive, even if you can’t articulate why.<br /><div><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/Christopherneilport/BlogPictures/photo?authkey=tJIwQ33BPb0#5087530804363643106"></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008998730996551799.post-51829409001488775662008-01-26T17:49:00.000-08:002008-05-13T08:21:48.807-07:00Malibu Whitewater?<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/R5v3ihpf9LI/AAAAAAAAAT8/_ADw-ynRA2Q/s1600-h/Sarah"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159989970603078834" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="259" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/R5v3ihpf9LI/AAAAAAAAAT8/_ADw-ynRA2Q/s320/Sarah%27s+Pics+323.jpg" width="320" border="0" /></a>Two years ago I decided to go to graduate school in California. Unfortunately I didn’t go to the good part of California where there’s lots of creeks and waterfalls. I went to the very expensive, very dry, very hot section of California known as Malibu. Perhaps you’ve heard of it. If not, it’s regularly featured in such distinguished weekly journals as US Weekly, People, and Star.<br /><br />In Malibu, shampoo is eight dollars, ranch dressing doesn’t exist, and girls wear furry boots in 85 degree heat because it’s fashionable. I forgot to mention that there’s quite a few celebrities that live out here as well. For instance, two days ago I saw Kirk Cameron and Pamela Anderson, although not at the same time. I saw Kirk in the morning and Pamela in the evening.<br /><br />Speaking of float bags, it started to rain two days ago. Malibu does not handle rain very well. First, the entire area is paved. Second, there’s a raging forest fire every other month which destroys everything not made of pavement. There are therefore very few trees, comparatively speaking, and when it does rain there’s quite a bit of run-off.<br /><br />This is great news for kayakers. Unfortunately, the bad news for kayakers is that Malibu is at an elevation of 16. I know, I thought it was a typo too, but it’s right there on the sign as you drive into town. Here’s a picture of that depressing sign.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159968933853262834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/R5vkaBpf8_I/AAAAAAAAASc/MztufGX0csE/s400/malibusign.jpg" border="0" />Due to the lack of gradient, in the past I have had to satisfy my boating joneses by going to the ocean. This wasn’t very fun. The first time I took my Vibe out to the beach a woman walked up to me and told me that my boat was “so cute and little”. She was wearing what looked to be a pair of noseclips as a bathing suit– bathing suits are very tiny out here. I wanted to tell her that her bathing suit was also “so cute and little” but I didn’t. Anyway, the ocean kayaking wasn’t very fun because the surfers have the good waves and I didn’t feel like getting in a knife fight so early in the morning. (I prefer rumbling with surfers after lunch) Secondly, the lifeguard kept coming over and telling me that I had to kayak over by the really big, sharp, barnacle-covered boulders because I might run over some celebrity’s small baby if I stayed where I was.<br /><br />Needless to say I gave up trying to paddle in the ocean, and thought that I would just have to wait until I returned to North Carolina in the summer to get some boating in. That was until it started to rain two days ago and my roommate announced that Malibu Creek had water in it. I had driven past Malibu Creek numerous times and even pulled over on the canyon to look down at it once. I had never seen water in it. I had seen lots of tumbleweeds, dirt, and scrawny bushes though. I also knew that there was a 100 foot dam somewhere in there. We decided that we should give it a try.<br /><br />American Whitewater unfortunately had no beta on Malibu Creek – it’s almost as if it’s not a real creek. So we turned to the great Wikipedia for our pre-kayaking beta needs. This is the best info we gleaned from Wikipedia:<br /><br />“The endangered arroyo toad lives below the dam. The dam is also home to a huge mountain lion and is frequented by cliffdivers.”<br /><br />Thanks Wikipedia. I guess we were on our own. Unfortunately, we would have to wait a day <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/R5vl5Rpf9AI/AAAAAAAAASk/M6ObOpIRYHw/s1600-h/Sarah"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159970570235802626" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/R5vl5Rpf9AI/AAAAAAAAASk/M6ObOpIRYHw/s320/Sarah%27s+Pics+436.jpg" border="0" /></a>because my roommate, who is in law school, had to go do some sort of lawyerly mumbo-jumbo the next day. He was pretty exited about whatever it was he had to do because he went shopping to buy some nice clothes. I forgot to mention that in Malibu, unlike North Carolina, it is unacceptable to wear sweatpants to court. (On a side note, I once saw my roommate run a thirty-footer with a sketchy approach without scouting, and now he’s wearing silver, penguin-shaped cuff-links - how far he’s fallen. That's a picture of him talking about delegable duty and corporate malfeasance with another future magistrate at the put-in) But back to Malibu Creek.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/R5vtIRpf9II/AAAAAAAAATk/CliBOhApHpc/s1600-h/Sarah"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159978524515234946" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/R5vtIRpf9II/AAAAAAAAATk/CliBOhApHpc/s200/Sarah%27s+Pics+422.jpg" border="0" /></a>My roommate got out of his lawerly mumbo jumbo early yesterday and we decided that we still had some daylight left to scout the creek. We spent a few hours hiking along the highway and descending into the canyon whenever the opportunity presented itself. There was a lot of water flowing through the canyon and we were both a little relieved that we weren’t paddling that day, and hoped that the water would drop by tomorrow. We both agreed that the creek looked a lot like the Cheoah with the exception of two rapids that had some weird, non-natural holes in them and of course, the hundred foot dam.<br /><br />Unlike the Cheoah though, Malibu Creek offers mandatory portages of both class 1 and class 6 rapids. When was the last time you had to portage a class 1 rapid? It’s hard to believe Scott Lindgren hasn’t put this little gem in a paddling flick yet. By the way, we saw Martin Sheen at lunch while we were eating sandwiches and drinking over-priced fruit smoothies. He didn’t talk to us though – probably because we were covered in mud from our scouting trip.<br /><br />Oh, I forgot to mention the picture of the hundred foot dam we found on that great boating website, Wikipedia. Here’s a picture of it.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159971648272593938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/R5vm4Bpf9BI/AAAAAAAAASs/DdVUTAJxdHE/s320/800px-The-rindge.jpg" border="0" />As you can see, the move is very similar to the move at Oceana, except that it’s not. We decided that this drop was not runnable and that we would take out before it (mountain lion permitting) whenever we happened to stumble upon it…downstream… somewhere…<br /><br />The next morning we got up early, (about eleven o’clock), and headed to the river on a beautiful sunny day -it sure is nice to go kayaking in January in shorts. We arrived at what could have been a put-in and were careful to not step on any arroyo toads as we unloaded the boats. Needless to say the put-in wasn’t super busy when we got there. There were about 4,700 fewer people at this put-in than at the Ocoee put-in. This is probably because Malibu Creek doesn’t have a put-in and even if it did, Malibu doesn’t have any whitewater kayakers – <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/R5vncxpf9CI/AAAAAAAAAS0/-XO8xIma2dg/s1600-h/Sarah"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159972279632786466" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/R5vncxpf9CI/AAAAAAAAAS0/-XO8xIma2dg/s320/Sarah%27s+Pics+389.jpg" border="0" /></a>except me and my sweet roommate. Our friend from back home who is also in law school here, Sarah, came with us to document this historic descent down Mighty Malibu Creek. (From here on out it will be referred to only as MMC)<br /><br />The first rapid, which we called “No pets, No smoking, No Trespassing” (at least that's what the sign said) was an easy little class two slide which my roommate still managed to mess up. We then proceeded downstream to the fun rapids. It was amazing how many big boulders were in this creek – I guess that’s what happens when you build a road and dynamite a tunnel through a canyon. There was also a strange smell to the water, almost like egg salad. I don’t think the water was very clean. In fact, I’d rate it somewhere between the Chattahoochee and a sewage treatment pond. Nonetheless, the rapids were quite fun and it was nice to get some class 3/4 creeking in again. Here’s some pictures.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/R5voRxpf9DI/AAAAAAAAAS8/RLY6PbtWBL8/s1600-h/Sarah"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159973190165853234" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/R5voRxpf9DI/AAAAAAAAAS8/RLY6PbtWBL8/s200/Sarah%27s+Pics+400.jpg" border="0" /></a> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159991027165033666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/R5v4gBpf9MI/AAAAAAAAAUE/-NqorAhl-vY/s320/Sarah%27s+Pics+413.jpg" border="0" /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/R5vpiRpf9FI/AAAAAAAAATM/Hvkny0RWo_I/s1600-h/Sarah"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159974573145322578" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/R5vpiRpf9FI/AAAAAAAAATM/Hvkny0RWo_I/s200/Sarah%27s+Pics+423.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159989472386872482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 174px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 189px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="218" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/R5v3Fhpf9KI/AAAAAAAAAT0/mrVLUskn-cE/s200/Sarah%27s+Pics+421.jpg" width="196" border="0" />The biggest rapid was in the steepest part of the canyon, which Sarah couldn’t reach. It looked a little like Sweet’s Falls and was maybe fifteen feet tall. My roommate managed to pin against a rock and get stuffed under an undercut at the same time in the run-out of this rapid. I pulled him out because I care about people. You can see the horizon line of this drop in the picture below.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159975926060020850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/R5vqxBpf9HI/AAAAAAAAATc/GrsKH71ZxBs/s320/Sarah%27s+Pics+424.jpg" border="0" />The hikeout of MMC was not fun. It took us forty five minutes to scramble up the canyon wall with our kayaks. This was the most harrowing part of the whole day – one slip on the mud and it was going to be a long way down. We were able to rope the boats up the last thirty feet or so - which was nice. Then we had some burritos - those were nice too.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/Christopherneilport/BlogPictures/photo?authkey=tJIwQ33BPb0#5087530804363643106"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008998730996551799.post-4919675645570947822007-10-29T08:50:00.001-07:002008-05-13T08:21:48.808-07:00NOC Surf Kayak Camp 2007<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b style=""><span style="font-size:28;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SK3mZwk25sw/RyYCh9JuIAI/AAAAAAAAAAM/6XfzQH23eUM/s1600-h/IMGP0895.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SK3mZwk25sw/RyYCh9JuIAI/AAAAAAAAAAM/6XfzQH23eUM/s320/IMGP0895.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126788008182161410" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">On October 19-21, we launched a brand new of</span><span style="font-size:100%;">fering to add to </span><span style="font-size:100%;">our instructio</span><span style="font-size:100%;">n p</span><span style="font-size:100%;">rograms, the first ever Surf </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Kayak camp at the Outer Banks</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> in <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">North Carolina</st1:place></st1:state>.<span style=""> </span>Th</span><span style="font-size:100%;">ere is always apprehension when running a prog</span><span style="font-size:100%;">r</span><span style="font-size:100%;">am for the first time, e</span><span style="font-size:100%;">specially when depending on the environmen</span><span style="font-size:100%;">t t</span><span style="font-size:100%;">o work in our favor; </span><span style="font-size:100%;">such as no hurricanes, good weather and of course good</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> s</span><span style="font-size:100%;">urf, which is </span><span style="font-size:100%;">essential for a successful Surf Camp.<span style=""> </span>I am happy to say that our fir</span><span style="font-size:100%;">st Surf Camp was</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> a huge success tha</span><span style="font-size:100%;">nks to great weather, good s</span><span style="font-size:100%;">urf, and most of all a great g</span><span style="font-size:100%;">roup of gu</span><span style="font-size:100%;">ests.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">We started off </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Friday morning in the sound </span><span style="font-size:100%;">just paddling around and introducing s</span><span style="font-size:100%;">ome new skill sets.<span style=""> </span>After lunc</span><span style="font-size:100%;">h we were ready to head to the surf.<span style=""> </span>We fou</span><span style="font-size:100%;">n</span><span style="font-size:100%;">d ourselves standing on th</span><span style="font-size:100%;">e beach staring down some less than ideal s</span><span style="font-size:100%;">urf for </span><span style="font-size:100%;">learning, unless of course you’re th</span><span style="font-size:100%;">e type learner that likes to learn from negative reinf</span><span style="font-size:100%;">orcement.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""> </span>So we headed a little</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> further up the road to check out another b</span><span style="font-size:100%;">each where </span><span style="font-size:100%;">we found some ou</span><span style="font-size:100%;">tstanding waves. <span style=""> </span>The next morning we r</span><span style="font-size:100%;">eturned to t</span><span style="font-size:100%;">he same beach whe</span><span style="font-size:100%;">re we spent the day in surf kayak utopia.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1026" type="#_x0000_t75" style="'width:431.25pt;height:324pt'"> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\sonan\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\02\clip_image003.jpg" title="IMGP0910"> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SK3mZwk25sw/RyYDJdJuIBI/AAAAAAAAAAU/MGnAv4ltqBQ/s1600-h/IMGP0910.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SK3mZwk25sw/RyYDJdJuIBI/AAAAAAAAAAU/MGnAv4ltqBQ/s320/IMGP0910.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126788686786994194" border="0" /></a></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">By the end of the second day we were starting to see some serious skill i</span><span style="font-size:100%;">mprovement and some happy surfers.<span style=""> </span>We also got to see some excel</span><span style="font-size:100%;">le</span><span style="font-size:100%;">nt surfing compliments of our expert surf instructors Philip and Sp</span><span style="font-size:100%;">encer.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SK3mZwk25sw/RyYGzdJuICI/AAAAAAAAAAc/5QE_b5XoprA/s1600-h/IMGP0899.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SK3mZwk25sw/RyYGzdJuICI/AAAAAAAAAAc/5QE_b5XoprA/s320/IMGP0899.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126792706876383266" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">If you have never had the chance to try out a surf kayak, it’s a must. But be c</span><span style="font-size:100%;">areful though, you might just get hooked on these light, fast responsive boats that carve up waves like yesterdays Ginsu knifes.<span style=""> </span>The go</span><span style="font-size:100%;">od news is that once you do get the bug, be sure to check out our man Nigel down in Savana Georgia, he has a full lin</span><span style="font-size:100%;">e of Mega surf kayaks waiting for you.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""> </span><a href="http://www.savannahcanoeandkayak.com/">http://www.savannahcanoeandkayak.com/</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Next years Surf Camp is already in the pl</span><span style="font-size:100%;">anning process so be sure to check our website for updates.<span style=""> </span>Don’t wait too l</span><span style="font-size:100%;">ong to sign up, this program is going to be a hit.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SK3mZwk25sw/RyYGz9JuIDI/AAAAAAAAAAk/x7rujQxU4JM/s1600-h/IMGP0912.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SK3mZwk25sw/RyYGz9JuIDI/AAAAAAAAAAk/x7rujQxU4JM/s320/IMGP0912.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126792715466317874" border="0" /></a></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"> <!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1028" type="#_x0000_t75" style="'width:431.25pt;height:324pt'"> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\sonan\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\02\clip_image007.jpg" title="IMGP0912"> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><br /><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Here is a video Spencer put together enjoy!<o:p></o:p></span><br /><br /><a href=" http://effort.tv/noc_obxsurfcamp.mov "target="_blank"><img src=" http://effort.tv/WebSite/SpencersVideo_Graphics/2007/NOCSurfCampVideo102907.gif "> </a><br /><br /><br /><br />(All photos are property of J. McClure/NOC,<span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">all video is property of Spencer Cooke/Effort TV.)</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008998730996551799.post-74965436467399420762007-09-10T01:16:00.000-07:002008-05-13T08:16:33.373-07:00Getting though holes and moving on<div><div style="text-align: center;"> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109005251089473570" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/RubVNQrLICI/AAAAAAAAASM/3kdKR3v2U7A/s400/DSCF0083.JPG" border="0" /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Second Ledge</span>, Chattooga River<br />photo: Jon Clark</span><br /><br /></div><br /><div><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Holes suck</span> - both literally and figuratively. In the <span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><a href="http://nocpaddlingschool.blogspot.com/2007/09/bad-hydraulics-are-like-bad.html">last article</a></span> I discussed ways of increasing comfort (assuaging fear) with regards to holes. I remembered a story recently that demonstrates what it means to be comfortable in a hole. So if you don't mind the digression...<br />I found myself paddling Yellowcreek near the Cheoah five or six years ago with Eric Slover and Team D member Andrew Holcomb. I always really enjoy paddling with boaters that are better than myself and that I can learn from. Without going into too much detail though, Eric "forgot" about the seemingly innocuous looking rapid below us. To make a long story short, Eric peeled out and disappeared over the horizon line, then Andrew, and lastly me. When I reached the lip of the drop I saw that Eric was stuck against a rock and Andrew was below me in this nasty little hole. As I approached the lip Andrew looked up and saw me, our eyes met, and as I boofed he flipped intentionally. I landed on his hull and skirted into an eddy. Downstream of this hole was an unpleasant looking sieve/undercut. Andrew rolled up (after I had boofed onto him), looked at me calmly, and without a hint of panic in his voice asked politely, "Could you please get me a rope"? He was being worked in a hole, just had another boater land on him, faced a sieve immediately downstream, and still thought to use the word <em>please</em>. That's being comfortable in a hole.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/RuwFCLYbvgI/AAAAAAAABl8/i5yTaBKwppA/s1600-h/2007+07+26+021_edited-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/RuwFCLYbvgI/AAAAAAAABl8/i5yTaBKwppA/s320/2007+07+26+021_edited-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5110465212131819010" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Cascades, Low water<br />photo: Chris Port<br /></span></div><br /><div>Assuming most of us aren't pro paddlers though, and aren't that relaxed while a hydraulic is peeling our eyelids back, we should think carefully about our strategy for punching holes to avoid these unpleasant situations. </div><br /><div>Many beginner and intermediate paddlers believe that the most important key to success for punching a hole is the strokes you do when you hit the hole. Others conversely believe that its simply a matter of "paddling hard",and building up speed before you get to the hole. (For more on "paddling hard" click <a href="http://nocpaddlingschool.blogspot.com/2007/06/rethinking-our-thinking.html">here</a>.) While there are some elements of truth to these beliefs, they are not the most important keys to success. The primary key to success is boat angle.<br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/RuwFiLYbvhI/AAAAAAAABmE/Fl-eN2I6oLY/s1600-h/Pacuare+2006+069.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/RuwFiLYbvhI/AAAAAAAABmE/Fl-eN2I6oLY/s400/Pacuare+2006+069.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5110465761887632914" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Lower Wacas</span>, Rio Pacuare, Costa Rica</span><br /></div><br />I was taught, as I imagine many were taught, to hit holes perpendicular, or "dead-on" as the common phrase goes. This approach does often work, but usually only because the hole you were punching wasn't that sticky to begin with, or you executed a well-timed stroke to lift the bow onto the foam pile. The reason it often doesn't work is due to the factors which create a hole in the first place- namely a quick change in elevation and water recirculating upstream. Because you are travelling from a point of higher elevation to lower(the hole itself) your bow will naturally point downward, even if only a little bit. If you hit the hole perpendicular, your bow has no choice but to submerge, or partially submerge under water (or the biggest part of the foam pile) which kills your speed. You now are either stuck in the hole, about to get backendered, or paddling aggressively to exit it.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/RuwI7bYbviI/AAAAAAAABmM/2TyCCH5pbzo/s1600-h/3.bmp"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/RuwI7bYbviI/AAAAAAAABmM/2TyCCH5pbzo/s400/3.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5110469494214213154" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Rob Barham punching holes in Panama</span><br /></div><br /><div>A better approach is to hit the hole with slight angle. (<em>Slight</em> being the key word here - too much angle and you get to practice sidesurfing and windowshades) With a little angle, the brunt of the hole hits your boat around your knee bump (which unlike the bow is difficult to submerge), allowing the bow to clear the hole and not killing all your downstream momentum. </div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/RuwKU7YbvjI/AAAAAAAABmU/Q8Pd8ORulsQ/s1600-h/50.bmp"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/RuwKU7YbvjI/AAAAAAAABmU/Q8Pd8ORulsQ/s400/50.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5110471031812505138" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">About to get worked at the bottom of Oceana, Tallulah<br />photo: Rob Barham<br /></span></div><br /><div>As far as the strokes go, think about using only two strokes to punch a hole. The first stroke is a boof stroke, designed to lift the bow, and generate a little speed. (If you don't feel comfortable doing a boof stroke, do a forward stroke). When you hit the hole, your next stroke should be a reaching, SLOW, forward stroke somewhere around, and preferably past, the foam pile. If that stroke didn't work you're probably in trouble - more strokes, bracing, and sweet sidesurfing will be necessary.</div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwm7DU78rzzcaYqZarFcmzVwxrYxRj4kg6iI1PmxuyEP-3mcAUgqofngwPJKzVTp9rVAoiLlO68JMMY0NpVHg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;">Anne smoothing her way past some holes, <span style="font-style: italic;">Rio Reventazon</span>, Costa Rica</span><br /></div><div><br />For consistent success think about where you're hitting the hole as well. If possible hit the corner of the hole and not the center, as many holes are weakest at the corners. (There's also eddies many times on the corners of holes). The type of hole will dictate where you hit it. Sometimes you've got no choice but to hit the meat. In any case, think about boat angle the next time you see yourself facing down a hole. Good boat angle is guaranteed to cut down on the times you look at the boater in the nearest eddy and politely ask, "Could you please get me a rope?"<br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/RuwMxLYbvkI/AAAAAAAABmc/wtNShgOc2yw/s1600-h/DSCF1579.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/RuwMxLYbvkI/AAAAAAAABmc/wtNShgOc2yw/s400/DSCF1579.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5110473716167065154" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Facing down a big one on the <span style="font-style: italic;">Rio Futaleufu</span>, Chile<br />photo: Jon Clark<br /></span><br /></div><br />Herm<br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008998730996551799.post-28844666259630553372007-09-08T09:06:00.000-07:002008-05-13T08:23:43.814-07:00A Better Boat to Boat Rescue?<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/RuiygrYbveI/AAAAAAAABlw/oe7Z0ObXmYo/s1600-h/2007+09+07+088.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/RuiygrYbveI/AAAAAAAABlw/oe7Z0ObXmYo/s320/2007+09+07+088.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109530051722591714" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Thanks for the help!<br /><br /></span></div>A traditional <span style="font-style: italic;">bow rescue</span> calls for the paddler who is upside down to have their hands out of the water on either side of the kayak while also rubbing back and forth along the boat. This rubbing is advised for two reasons: first, so the rescuer who is paddling aggressively toward them will be less likely to hit his/her hand and second, as a means to search for the bow of the rescuers kayak that might have come in behind or in front of their hand.<br /><br />While professional kayak instructors have the experience to approach upside down kayakers slowly and the precision boat control to ensure that their bow makes contact with the kayak at the right angle, many kayakers who have taken it upon themselves to teach their friends and loved ones do not.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/RuLYfSzC7QI/AAAAAAAABlU/NGokRAa-s_8/s1600-h/Bow+rescue+blue.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/RuLYfSzC7QI/AAAAAAAABlU/NGokRAa-s_8/s320/Bow+rescue+blue.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107882959525047554" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Ouch!</span></div><br />I have seen it many times. . . someone in the group is upside down on the lake, hands rubbing patiently on the kayak while an intrepid rescuer accelerates toward him only to create an inadvertently painful kayak hand sandwich or to have the bow of their kayak veer off in the wrong direction at the last second, leaving the kayaker to pull his skirt and swim.<br /><br />The traditional bow rescue does have the advantage of keeping the rescuer at boats length from the upside down paddler but it comes with some risk of possible injury to the hand of the person you are trying to rescue. There is also a slightly lower success rate if the person grabs the bow incorectly as illustrated in the photograph bellow.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/RuixYLYbvdI/AAAAAAAABlo/GIi6GwYaoNc/s1600-h/2007+09+07+074.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/RuixYLYbvdI/AAAAAAAABlo/GIi6GwYaoNc/s320/2007+09+07+074.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109528806182075858" border="0" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;">Uhh....<br /><br /></span></div>There is another way to execute a boat to boat rescue that is friendlier, reliable and more controlled. It consists of paddling up along side the upside down kayaker and physically guiding their hand to your boat. This results in a much more controlled rescue and has two big advantages. The physical contact with the person generally has a calming affect and also allows for excellent communication when the kayaker's head is resting on your kayak.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/RuLSeSzC7PI/AAAAAAAABlM/MBPBJljkUUM/s1600-h/Better+bow+rescue.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nv782YxCxyw/RuLSeSzC7PI/AAAAAAAABlM/MBPBJljkUUM/s400/Better+bow+rescue.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107876345275411698" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='280' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxPzMbGhtPDWvjTsxKlctR5NV5fAYuaC8KXiTYAoHHi47FN5SG_aZODAAsPMvwZY7DRdLl6EfSRqIJtvqW-ng' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">While this type of boat to boat rescue has a high success rate, it does have one draw back in that it puts the rescuer at risk of being capsized by the person pushing with their arms, hence lifting their head and not hip snapping. This can be mitigated by leaning slightly away from the side of the kayak that is being used to help the person rolling up.<br /></div></div></div><br /><br />The technique for this rescue works as follows:<br /><ol><li>Paddle up along side of the kayaker.</li><li>Grab the <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">wrist</span> of the their closest hand <span style="font-style: italic;">(this is important)</span><br /></li><li>Guide their hand to the side of your kayak.</li><li>Have the kayaker proceed with placing the other hand on the boat laying their head on the boat than a hip snap as usual with a bow rescue.</li></ol><div style="text-align: justify;">Grabbing the wrist and not the hand allows you to take control of their hand as you guide it to your boat. It is important to be aware that you are exposing part of your body to someone who is upside down in the water. Generally paddlers who are calm enough underwater to be asking for a rescue are much less likely to be in a panic when they feel your hand. As a general rule though, if you are approaching an arm and hand that appears like some sort of possessed periscope, it is best to just let that hand reach for their grab loop.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='280' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwQ1a0dW9PbMOKEJLMFKdkPDqiSaPWqaFAVpamt47MK5HRR8cspM2g87yhZvUzStoLuTPrPy1jwQSVkQ7JnRQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /></div><br /><br />So next time you are on the lake and one of your friends is upside down asking for a rescue, this is just one more option to choose from. Which one will depend on your commfort level, ability, situation and understainding of the limitations of each type of rescue.<br /><br />Stay tuned for some tips on how to use this on the river.<br /><br /><br />Chris<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/Christopherneilport/BlogPictures/photo?authkey=tJIwQ33BPb0#5087530804363643106"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/Christopherneilport/RpqKT8nzyOI/AAAAAAAAA2c/4xHZfZ0uLNM/s144/Costa%20Rica%202006%20ort.JPG" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4008998730996551799.post-77883315255617176412007-09-02T08:28:00.000-07:002008-07-21T09:40:59.412-07:00Bad hydraulics are like bad relationships<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/RtrZkgrLH7I/AAAAAAAAARU/no1YoxYTyYA/s1600-h/scoutscadesholes.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5105632348847415218" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right;" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/RtrZkgrLH7I/AAAAAAAAARU/no1YoxYTyYA/s320/scoutscadesholes.jpg" border="0" /></a>Have you ever noticed that holes are never placed in a very fortuitous position in a rapid? Very rarely are they situated up against the bank on the opposite side of the river, safely isolated from where you’re trying to navigate and cordoned off with yellow police tape. No, most of the time they’re positioned somewhere in your direct line of travel, transforming a relatively easy line into some sort obstacle course, which by the time you’ve safely completed, leaves you with a feeling of vertigo as you’ve just utilized fourteen strokes to turn eight times in a rapid that’s only twenty yards long - all for the sake of avoiding holes.<br /><br />It is my contention that of all the hazards one may find on a river, it is a hole which gives the common paddler the greatest concern. In scouting a rapid we might see an undercut, a pin rock, a strainer, a hole, and al-Qaeda on the bank (scary rapid indeed) – yet it is the hole that we will focus on the most. The reason for this is that most paddlers have experience with the unpleasantries of holes, and very little experience with the other aforementioned hazards. We know exactly what will happen if we get stuck in that hole, because it has happened before – we flip, we struggle to roll, we get windowshaded again, we pop the skirt, get recirculated a bit, and end up swimming through the rest of the shallow, crummy rapid while everything inside of our boat becomes flotsam in the froth. It is our brain’s evolutionary duty to remind us of these past experiences, in hopes of persuading us to not make the same life-threatening mistake again. We are therefore victims of past experience.<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/Rtrc0QrLIAI/AAAAAAAAAR8/p7ypQNqRIH8/s1600-h/ketahole1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5105635917965238274" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right;" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/Rtrc0QrLIAI/AAAAAAAAAR8/p7ypQNqRIH8/s200/ketahole1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/RtrcrgrLH_I/AAAAAAAAAR0/JiSHr9Oi3nA/s1600-h/ketahole2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5105635767641382898" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left;" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/RtrcrgrLH_I/AAAAAAAAAR0/JiSHr9Oi3nA/s200/ketahole2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">In this aspect, bad kayaking experiences are similar to bad relationship experiences. Kayak carnage stories share all the same themes of relationship carnage stories – you didn’t see it coming, you were taking it all for granted, not paying attention, couldn’t find the surface, were fighting for your life, and left the encounter with fewer positions than you started with. In both kayaking and relationships, sometimes you just need to pull the skirt and swim for it. The problem is that after a bad experience in a hole or in a relationship we become gun-shy and don’t want to have anything to do with either for a long time. And while we may be able to avoid dating for a while, we certainly can’t avoid holes for any extended length of time, unless we want to give up boating all together.<br /><br />I could tell you to get back on the horse but that’s a dumb analogy. There’s a reason you just got your lunch handed to you in that hole – it was mean, it was tough, and it didn’t like you. Don’t go back in that same hole right away. Seek out smaller holes in safe areas of the river, preferably with some flat water behind them. Try sidesurfing. Try flipping. Try rolling very slowly and relaxed. Try only paddling on the downstream side. Try to fix your vision on a downstream point. Try leaning forward, engaging the abs and obliques to hold the boat on edge instead of your paddle (you need that to dig your way out). <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/RtraUwrLH-I/AAAAAAAAARs/0_L6fif8SHc/s1600-h/scoutjole3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5105633177776103394" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_03uNOTWx2aU/RtraUwrLH-I/AAAAAAAAARs/0_L6fif8SHc/s320/scoutjole3.jpg" border="0" height="222" width="311" /></a><br /><br />This last point is something you can practice without a hole. Put the boat on edge and lean all the way forward until your head touches the deck. Without using your paddle slowly sit up. Where does it feel like you have the most control of the edge? Where can you hold the boat on edge without it wobbling? (It’s probably half-way between all the way forward and sitting up straight. This is the position you should be in when in a hole. It’s also a position conducive to shoulder safety.)<br /><br />Why is it that we feel perfectly comfortable executing a forward stroke but not swimming out of holes? Is it because we practice one but not the other? Probably. Practice swimming out of mild holes. The Devil’s Dip is a popular play spot on the Tuck. On my last ride of the day I’ll always flip and swim intentionally in the hole to practice such things as tucking, “balling up”, holding on to my paddle, and swimming my gear to shore. We are quick to tell beginners the importance of learning to wet-exit and swim in whitewater, yet we often forget to apply that lesson to ourselves.<br /><br />The bottom line is that if you want to be more comfortable in holes you’ve got to spend more time in them – both in and out of your boat. Yes, this is scary. But it is also extremely rewarding as you come to the realization that the majority of holes (unlike my first girlfriend) aren’t man-eaters and you don’t need to fixate on them or always avoid them.<br /><br />Part 1 of 2. Next week: How to punch through holes. <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/Christopherneilport/BlogPictures/photo?authkey=tJIwQ33BPb0#5087530804363643106"></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2