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!
