One of my biggest problems when I first started paddling was figuring out WHERE to go to kayak that was not over my head, local, and lots of fun.
The first stop for this information should definitely be www.americanwhitewater.org. The site has an index of all rivers, categorized by state. You can see what class rapids each section has, what the current water level is, as well as directions for shuttling and any other notes and updates you may need.
That being said, there are a LOT of rivers in NC. What are the more popular ones, and what rivers are worth the drive? Let me run you through a basic list of good starting places for novices...
1) The Upper Haw: a tame class I-II run with a good bit of flat water. Great to calm your nerves about getting on running water. Good intro to some smaller rapids
2) The Middle Haw: One of the most fun runs in the area for novice paddlers! This run has some great features that will truly help you hone in your paddling techniques, without punishing you too much for mistakes. Very fun with not too much flat water to paddle through
3) The Lower Haw: More class III rapids. A shorter, more challenging run than the middle Haw. More limited water levels for this one. A great experienced novice run that is short with lots of good waves. Run it 2 or 3 times in a day for a full day of fun!
4) The Cape Fear: Good first river. Plenty of flat water and some fun class I-II rapids that rise in difficulty as you continue down the river. Long trip with a lot of flat water paddling, but great for a group of beginners to chat and practice skills.
5) The Tuckaseegee: A great beginner run in Western NC that has some good smaller rapids as well as a few bigger class II-III rapids (though they are easily avoidable if you don't feel up to it!). Good for groups of beginners to gain confidence and experience.
6) The Nantahala: Experienced novice to beginner level run. Non-stop fun with constant rapids all the way down. A great thrill. Water is released for a constant recreational run all summer, though the water is from the bottom of Fontana Lake so it is COOOLD all year. Some say that Nantahala is a Cherokee word for "Icy river of doom." Lots of fun with a challenging set of drops at the end called "Nantahala Falls." Plenty of safety around for when you eat it.
7) Falls Dam: When they release enough water from Falls Lake this can be a great little play spot in North Raleigh. Creates a nice wave to practice surfing and trying to learn some playboating tricks. Only downside is that it is not very consistent, and it smells like sulfur when they release.
And as I said, if you want to learn more about ALL the rivers NC has to offer, check out www.americanwhitewater.org. Also, the Carolina Canoe Club is a very valuable resource with a ton of great, helpful people. They organize trips across the state all the time. Be sure to hit their Week of Rivers in the summer where they camp for a week and paddle as many rivers in western North Carolina as they can!
Check back soon for some more updates including the DC rivers I ran this summer, as well as some tips on rolling!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Active.com likes Whitewater
Sorry for the long drought of posts. I have been on a couple of great trips including the Harpers Ferry Outdoor Festival and Tim Gavin Downriver Race in West Virginia. LOTS of fun!
BUT, if your in need of some good beginner whitewater help, check out active.com. On their frontpage today is an article titled Whitewater Kayaking for Beginners. Its a great read and will definitely get you pumped to learn to paddle!
Look for some new posts before the end of the summer for sure!
BUT, if your in need of some good beginner whitewater help, check out active.com. On their frontpage today is an article titled Whitewater Kayaking for Beginners. Its a great read and will definitely get you pumped to learn to paddle!
Look for some new posts before the end of the summer for sure!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
So I Have a Boat...Now What?
So, now that I look like I belong on the roster of the old-school Charlotte Hornets with my teal boat and purple PFD and paddle, where do I go?
As most beginning whitewater paddlers, once I had all of my gear, I thought I was ready to jump in the river and start busting through rapids and surfing some waves. Unfortunately, that is not the case.
I then thought, well if I'm not quite ready for a roaring river, then I should at least be able to master a roll first. Again, not the case. But that wasn't going to stop me from trying.
I first took my boat and gear down to White Lake, NC. A beautiful lake in the southeastern part of the state. It was the perfect lake to start playing around with my boat and learning how it reacts, as well as to begin practicing a roll. The clear, shallow water made for an ideal learning location.
First, I checked on youtube for videos on how to roll and paddle. I found some very useful information that made it look easy, so I was confidant and ready to go, thinking that I was going to be maneuvering and rolling like a pro in no time. Sadly, I was mistaken.
Kayaking takes patience to learn, as well as good instruction. And with my basic YouTube knowledge of the sport, I was unable to sufficiently learn everything that I had hoped to learn while at the lake. The good news is that it made me much more comfortable in the boat, and I had wet exiting down pat!
I think that a lake or a pool is the perfect place to start. This time of year, with the cold weather, a pool may be the place to go. Luckily for those of you local to the Piedmont area of NC, there are plenty of pool sessions every week in Raleigh at Pullen Park (Fridays, 6-9pm), as well as in Chapel Hill, Durham, and Burlington. Practicing and just paddling around a little bit will make you feel much more comfortable in your boat and help you learn how your boat will react to what you do.
The next step I took was to find some good instruction. There are a plethera of places in the southeast that offer kayaking clinics - both group and one on one sessions. The NOC offers some great packages with first class instruction. However, operating on a college student budget, I opted to partake in the Carolina Canoe Club beginner clinic. With a membership to the CCC, this 2-day, 16-hour clinic only costs $60 (plus your $15 CCC membership fee). I think that this gives the most bang for your buck, as similar clinics go for several hundred dollars at places like the NOC.
I was fortunate enough to be instructed by Larry Ausley, a veteran kayaker and a great teacher. He truly helped me to appreciate the sport and fall in love with the river. We spent the first day on Jordan Lake getting orientated with the boat and learning the basic paddling strokes. During one of our breaks, I was even lucky enough to receive a personal roll lesson and was performing a sweep roll within 10 minutes! That is a great feeling!
The second day we all had the opportunity to run the Cape Fear River in Lumberton, NC. This is a good run for beginners, as the rapids are small and manageable, and there is plenty of flat water between each feature. This enables you to learn the basic eddy turns, peel-outs, and even a little surfing, despite the long paddles between each set of waves.
By the end of the weekend, the whole group was sufficiently warn out, but extremely excited as well. Larry and Nancy had helped a handful of newbies become enthusiasts in the matter of two days, and I thank them for that! I recommend that if you are just starting to whitewater kayak, that you invest in a clinic to learn these fundamental skills and develop an appreciation for the sport as I did.
After the clinic, I was equipped to take on rapids up to class II without difficulty. Thus, I was on the phone the next day with my friend Brandie, who was a raft guide at the Nantahala Outdoor Center. NOW I was ready for my first challenge on a river! On to the Nasty Nanty!
As most beginning whitewater paddlers, once I had all of my gear, I thought I was ready to jump in the river and start busting through rapids and surfing some waves. Unfortunately, that is not the case.
I then thought, well if I'm not quite ready for a roaring river, then I should at least be able to master a roll first. Again, not the case. But that wasn't going to stop me from trying.
I first took my boat and gear down to White Lake, NC. A beautiful lake in the southeastern part of the state. It was the perfect lake to start playing around with my boat and learning how it reacts, as well as to begin practicing a roll. The clear, shallow water made for an ideal learning location.First, I checked on youtube for videos on how to roll and paddle. I found some very useful information that made it look easy, so I was confidant and ready to go, thinking that I was going to be maneuvering and rolling like a pro in no time. Sadly, I was mistaken.
Kayaking takes patience to learn, as well as good instruction. And with my basic YouTube knowledge of the sport, I was unable to sufficiently learn everything that I had hoped to learn while at the lake. The good news is that it made me much more comfortable in the boat, and I had wet exiting down pat!
I think that a lake or a pool is the perfect place to start. This time of year, with the cold weather, a pool may be the place to go. Luckily for those of you local to the Piedmont area of NC, there are plenty of pool sessions every week in Raleigh at Pullen Park (Fridays, 6-9pm), as well as in Chapel Hill, Durham, and Burlington. Practicing and just paddling around a little bit will make you feel much more comfortable in your boat and help you learn how your boat will react to what you do.The next step I took was to find some good instruction. There are a plethera of places in the southeast that offer kayaking clinics - both group and one on one sessions. The NOC offers some great packages with first class instruction. However, operating on a college student budget, I opted to partake in the Carolina Canoe Club beginner clinic. With a membership to the CCC, this 2-day, 16-hour clinic only costs $60 (plus your $15 CCC membership fee). I think that this gives the most bang for your buck, as similar clinics go for several hundred dollars at places like the NOC.
I was fortunate enough to be instructed by Larry Ausley, a veteran kayaker and a great teacher. He truly helped me to appreciate the sport and fall in love with the river. We spent the first day on Jordan Lake getting orientated with the boat and learning the basic paddling strokes. During one of our breaks, I was even lucky enough to receive a personal roll lesson and was performing a sweep roll within 10 minutes! That is a great feeling!The second day we all had the opportunity to run the Cape Fear River in Lumberton, NC. This is a good run for beginners, as the rapids are small and manageable, and there is plenty of flat water between each feature. This enables you to learn the basic eddy turns, peel-outs, and even a little surfing, despite the long paddles between each set of waves.
By the end of the weekend, the whole group was sufficiently warn out, but extremely excited as well. Larry and Nancy had helped a handful of newbies become enthusiasts in the matter of two days, and I thank them for that! I recommend that if you are just starting to whitewater kayak, that you invest in a clinic to learn these fundamental skills and develop an appreciation for the sport as I did.
After the clinic, I was equipped to take on rapids up to class II without difficulty. Thus, I was on the phone the next day with my friend Brandie, who was a raft guide at the Nantahala Outdoor Center. NOW I was ready for my first challenge on a river! On to the Nasty Nanty!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Step 1: The Basic Equpment
I'm going to be honest with you. I got lucky. When I decided that I wanted to start whitewater kayaking as a humble college kid, I thought there would be no way that I could afford to purchase the long list of necessary equipment. How was I ever going to afford a boat, a paddle, a spray skirt, a helmet, life jacket, float bags, etc. etc.?! BUT, luckily for me, my uncle used to dabble in whitewater about 15 years ago and no longer used any of his old equipment that was stashed under his house. Being the nice guy that he is, he offered any and all of it to me indefinitely so that I could get started in the sport that brought him so much joy and excitement.
Needless to say, the equipment was all at least as old as I am, so I did have to spring for a few
new pieces including the float bags since they were dry rotted and mildew-ridden. I also figured it would be a safe idea to invest in a new helmet that fit my head snugly. The good news is that John Hopkins did a study to find the best and safest helmet. They concluded that it was the WRSI helmet and it retails for only $87! My local shop didn't carry this particular helmet, so I settled for a less expensive, well-fitting WRSI helmet. You can find name-brand helmets like Shread Ready, Predator,WRSI and Protec for as little as $40 (and often on sale!!).
My uncle was also a good bit more...round than I am, so his XL spray skirt was letting a little more water into the boat than I was comfortable with. But again, I got lucky. A former coworker of mine was working the summer as a raft guide up at the Nantahala Outdoor Center, and she had a similar boat to my uncles, with an old skirt that she no longer used/needed, so she hooked me up. Thanks Brandie!
So here I am, for less than $100 (plus some racks to put on top of the car to transport the thing) I have everything I need to get started. Perfect for a college kid!
My list of gear now includes:
So I throw it all in a gear bag my uncle also sent my way, and I am ready to hit the river...or well, at least the lake or the pool. You gotta start somewhere!
A few tips for those of you who may not be as lucky as I was and have to find your own gear. Boatertalk.com has a gear swap page where there are ALWAYS boats and gear for sale at discounted prices. Great Outdoor Provision Co. also sells demo and used boats on their online site. I would recommend checking the classified ads of your local boat club as well, like the Carolina Canoe Club, but unfortunately, you have to be a member to access that section of their site. The good news is that it is only $15 for a full year-long membership! And it is well worth it, but I'll touch on the CCC in another article. Also, just use the internet to your advantage. There are lots of great deals out there!
My last tip would be to go to local events like Rollapoolooza in Raleigh or the Week of Rivers with the CCC up in West Virginia. There are always people swapping and selling gear at GREAT prices. My girlfriend just got a LiquidLogic Lil' Joe along with a paddle (both in excellent condition) for only $250 at Rollapoolooza this past weekend!
So don't let retail prices scare you. Look around, and you can be paddling on a college student budget in no time!
Needless to say, the equipment was all at least as old as I am, so I did have to spring for a few
new pieces including the float bags since they were dry rotted and mildew-ridden. I also figured it would be a safe idea to invest in a new helmet that fit my head snugly. The good news is that John Hopkins did a study to find the best and safest helmet. They concluded that it was the WRSI helmet and it retails for only $87! My local shop didn't carry this particular helmet, so I settled for a less expensive, well-fitting WRSI helmet. You can find name-brand helmets like Shread Ready, Predator,WRSI and Protec for as little as $40 (and often on sale!!).My uncle was also a good bit more...round than I am, so his XL spray skirt was letting a little more water into the boat than I was comfortable with. But again, I got lucky. A former coworker of mine was working the summer as a raft guide up at the Nantahala Outdoor Center, and she had a similar boat to my uncles, with an old skirt that she no longer used/needed, so she hooked me up. Thanks Brandie!
So here I am, for less than $100 (plus some racks to put on top of the car to transport the thing) I have everything I need to get started. Perfect for a college kid!
My list of gear now includes:
- Perception Corsica Boat (copyright 1988), Teal
- Perception carbon paddle (also as old as the boat), purple and white
- Perception skirt, teal-ish
- An old school, no brand name PDF, bright purple
- WRSI helmet, blue
- NRS float bags
- sponge (any large sponge will work)
- throw rope
- Speedo water shoes ($9 on sale at Dick's Sporting Goods!)
So I throw it all in a gear bag my uncle also sent my way, and I am ready to hit the river...or well, at least the lake or the pool. You gotta start somewhere!
A few tips for those of you who may not be as lucky as I was and have to find your own gear. Boatertalk.com has a gear swap page where there are ALWAYS boats and gear for sale at discounted prices. Great Outdoor Provision Co. also sells demo and used boats on their online site. I would recommend checking the classified ads of your local boat club as well, like the Carolina Canoe Club, but unfortunately, you have to be a member to access that section of their site. The good news is that it is only $15 for a full year-long membership! And it is well worth it, but I'll touch on the CCC in another article. Also, just use the internet to your advantage. There are lots of great deals out there!
My last tip would be to go to local events like Rollapoolooza in Raleigh or the Week of Rivers with the CCC up in West Virginia. There are always people swapping and selling gear at GREAT prices. My girlfriend just got a LiquidLogic Lil' Joe along with a paddle (both in excellent condition) for only $250 at Rollapoolooza this past weekend!
So don't let retail prices scare you. Look around, and you can be paddling on a college student budget in no time!
Who am I...and who are you?
Hi. And thanks for stumbling across my new blog. I'm Chris, and I am a beginning whitewater kayaker. I created this blog to help share my experiences and thoughts as I learn to conquer the river in my boat.
If you are also a novice boater, or if you are just thinking about what it would take to get started in the sport, my goal is to make it easier for you by sharing what I've been through. I hope that you can learn from what I've learned first hand. It should be a fun adventure and I am looking forward to sharing it all with you.
First, let me tell you a little bit about my background. I am a college student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I grew up on the water. I have been water skiing, kneeboarding, and wakeboarding since a young age, and I worked as a lifeguard for several summers. I also row for the UNC Men's Crew. So I guess kayaking just seemed like a natural step for me because I absolutely love spending time on the water, and I enjoy thrills and a good challenge. Thus far, I have had an excellent time and am really looking forward to growing my skills as a paddler over the coming years.
If you're reading this, stay tuned. I'll be posting some articles about equipment, NC rivers, the Carolina Canoe Club, instructional videos, learning to roll, and recaps of my first river runs shortly. By the time the warm weather returns, I'm sure we'll all be ready to get back out on the river!
If you are also a novice boater, or if you are just thinking about what it would take to get started in the sport, my goal is to make it easier for you by sharing what I've been through. I hope that you can learn from what I've learned first hand. It should be a fun adventure and I am looking forward to sharing it all with you.
First, let me tell you a little bit about my background. I am a college student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I grew up on the water. I have been water skiing, kneeboarding, and wakeboarding since a young age, and I worked as a lifeguard for several summers. I also row for the UNC Men's Crew. So I guess kayaking just seemed like a natural step for me because I absolutely love spending time on the water, and I enjoy thrills and a good challenge. Thus far, I have had an excellent time and am really looking forward to growing my skills as a paddler over the coming years.
If you're reading this, stay tuned. I'll be posting some articles about equipment, NC rivers, the Carolina Canoe Club, instructional videos, learning to roll, and recaps of my first river runs shortly. By the time the warm weather returns, I'm sure we'll all be ready to get back out on the river!
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