JACKSON KAYAKS TIPS FOR RIVER RUNNING!!!!!!!!! by Billy Harris | Apr 17, 2011 | Whitewater | 6 comments Creeking Tips For First time HUCKSTERS!! Billy Harris Picture By Laura Finnegan…. Fish Hatchery-MACKFESTIVAL Ontario Canada Running a river can always get the heart rate up.… From the first time river trip to the class five “knarbuckle”.… There are some tips that you can use that will always put you in a good position to make good choices, as well as keep you on top of the proverbial food chain. TIP #1 When running a river never use more than 25% power.… Power very rarely works to your advantage.… When you set up without power you have more options.… It keeps you calm, rapids come up slower, and you will have sustained energy for the entire river.… “When should I use 100%”.… Someone asked me this.… My answer, “you will always know when you need 100%.… Your goal is to never need it!!! TIP #2 Float at an angle when running something new.… That angle should be set on a back ferry angle.… That way you have 2 options when you see something you don’t like.… Forward paddling or back ferrying away form the obstacle. TIP#3 NEVER Follow if you can help it.… Following always puts you at a disadvantage.… When you follow you don’t learn to read water and you just interpret the rapid from the persons rate of stroke or their angle.… You stop looking at what the river is doing, and you learn nothing but hard lessons. TIP#4 When learning to run rivers or running a river the first time there is a steadfast rule that not just makes sense but also makes you feel better about running something new.… EDDYS!!!… Your safe in an eddy for the most part.… Don’t you leave the eddy unless you have scouted the line or you see another eddy you would be safe in.… Pick the eddy out and decide if you can catch it safely.… If the answer is yes than go for it.… TIP#5 Float the inside of a corner.… Floating the inside of an un-known Turn is a best practice.… The water is slower there, and junk gets deposited on the outside of river bends.… Common sense is not all that common these days.… If you see a horizon line catch an eddy.… Natural selection in this world is a gift that keeps on giving.… Look understand and see what is ahead of you before you leap.… Its your responsibility to play and river run safe.… Do it as safe as you can, more often than not, the rapid will be there next time so walk if you don’t think you can pull it off. Read more from the original source JACKSON KAYAKS TIPS FOR RIVER RUNNING!!!!!!!!! 6 Comments John Mason on April 17, 2011 at 6:32 pm Really Nice Billy! A few additions and suggestions A probe is a valuable tool, but you’ve got to use that generosity wisely. You need to have the time and presence of mind to be able to adjust if something goes wrong in front of you. If you’re only staring at the back of the PFD in front of you, you’re going to miss something important. Just like driving a car you need long and short vision simultaneously. Long vsion to develop your line and short vision putting and keeping you on it. You need to constantly be upgrading your boat handling and water reading skills. Slalom gates are the best way to do it without the physical penalties of messing up in gnarlier rapids. Slalom is really just a skills test. I’m not talking about racing necessarily, but just using a course to force you to catch particular eddies high and strongly, make ferries, and place your paddle and boat accurately and consistently. The narrower you see and make your line the better, particularly as the difficulty and penalty level for failure increase. and once you’re on to that make a game of it. “Catch every eddy, surf every wave”, make every ferry and attainment. If that becomes fun, you’ll develop fast and it won’t even seem like work. Just another fun day boating. But Billy is dead on. Natural selection is a constant companion in whitewater and you mind and judgement are your most important tool and skill. Keep em sharp and shiny from plenty of use. Reply James McBeath on April 17, 2011 at 7:28 pm Awesome Billy. I echo #2… new and old… floating wave trains, running between drops… super easy to turn and charge, back off to either side and to communicate with others… great points, groovy article… Reply hilde on April 17, 2011 at 9:45 pm Billy~ You should write a book… Oh wait, you did and it is a great read filled with fun stories and real information. You can buy it in the Jackson Kayak store; even better! http://store.jacksonkayak.com/products/Life-After-Kayak-School%252d-Book.html Reply maddog on April 18, 2011 at 2:25 pm Great, steady no nonsense stuff. Nothing complicated because it shouldn’t be. Particularly like the bit about % power Reply whatafall on April 19, 2011 at 3:57 am Good tips Billy! Another suggestion: Practice using your 100% power in easier rapids often: challenge yourself to make moves you doubt possible because that’s the only way to find and push your current limits. Also, sprint practice makes you a much better sprinter, which lets you make more moves more often. Reply roger larson on April 23, 2011 at 2:35 am Deep breathing before you get into the real tough stuff, not only helps to relax you it oxygenates your blood to give you more energy and a clearer head. If your in constant tough stuff deep breathing is a must. Learning to control adrenaline is part of the battle. The better you get at a sport the less adrenaline you will be rushed with. Telling yourself to look near, far and side to side will keep you from getting tunnel vision. 🙂 Reply Submit a Comment Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ
John Mason on April 17, 2011 at 6:32 pm Really Nice Billy! A few additions and suggestions A probe is a valuable tool, but you’ve got to use that generosity wisely. You need to have the time and presence of mind to be able to adjust if something goes wrong in front of you. If you’re only staring at the back of the PFD in front of you, you’re going to miss something important. Just like driving a car you need long and short vision simultaneously. Long vsion to develop your line and short vision putting and keeping you on it. You need to constantly be upgrading your boat handling and water reading skills. Slalom gates are the best way to do it without the physical penalties of messing up in gnarlier rapids. Slalom is really just a skills test. I’m not talking about racing necessarily, but just using a course to force you to catch particular eddies high and strongly, make ferries, and place your paddle and boat accurately and consistently. The narrower you see and make your line the better, particularly as the difficulty and penalty level for failure increase. and once you’re on to that make a game of it. “Catch every eddy, surf every wave”, make every ferry and attainment. If that becomes fun, you’ll develop fast and it won’t even seem like work. Just another fun day boating. But Billy is dead on. Natural selection is a constant companion in whitewater and you mind and judgement are your most important tool and skill. Keep em sharp and shiny from plenty of use. Reply
James McBeath on April 17, 2011 at 7:28 pm Awesome Billy. I echo #2… new and old… floating wave trains, running between drops… super easy to turn and charge, back off to either side and to communicate with others… great points, groovy article… Reply
hilde on April 17, 2011 at 9:45 pm Billy~ You should write a book… Oh wait, you did and it is a great read filled with fun stories and real information. You can buy it in the Jackson Kayak store; even better! http://store.jacksonkayak.com/products/Life-After-Kayak-School%252d-Book.html Reply
maddog on April 18, 2011 at 2:25 pm Great, steady no nonsense stuff. Nothing complicated because it shouldn’t be. Particularly like the bit about % power Reply
whatafall on April 19, 2011 at 3:57 am Good tips Billy! Another suggestion: Practice using your 100% power in easier rapids often: challenge yourself to make moves you doubt possible because that’s the only way to find and push your current limits. Also, sprint practice makes you a much better sprinter, which lets you make more moves more often. Reply
roger larson on April 23, 2011 at 2:35 am Deep breathing before you get into the real tough stuff, not only helps to relax you it oxygenates your blood to give you more energy and a clearer head. If your in constant tough stuff deep breathing is a must. Learning to control adrenaline is part of the battle. The better you get at a sport the less adrenaline you will be rushed with. Telling yourself to look near, far and side to side will keep you from getting tunnel vision. 🙂 Reply
