Closer To Home: Winter Whitewater

October-November 2006

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
To download a pdf copy of the magazine click here: > DOWNLOAD

by Don Barrie

If you hate the thought that next spring you’ll have to get your muscles, callouses and paddling technique back into shape after a long winter sabbatical, well, it doesn’t have to be that way. Of course you could fly south this winter, but here’s another option. Given the more than ample winter rainfall along the west coast, especially here on Vancouver Island, the off-season for ocean paddlers is actually the best season for whitewater.

Now I know that for some of you the concept of river paddling conjures up visions of numbingly cold water, sharp rocks and raging whitewater, but river paddling can in fact be slow-paced and easy. It’s simply a matter of starting with gentler rivers and wearing the appropriate thermal and protective gear.

A reasonably experienced sea kayaker can easily cross over to river kayaking because the two disciplines have many similarities. Propulsion strokes and braces are essentially the same, once you adapt to the shorter river paddles (184-196 cm) and blades that tend to be offset by 45 or 60 degrees. Unlike most sea kayak paddles, river paddles are almost exclusively one-piece, non-adjustable.

Expect to eventually learn the Duffek Stroke as a means of turning a river kayak, but don’t expect to use your Cross Bow Rudder at all since short river kayaks don’t require much coaxing to turn. In fact, half the trick is getting them to go straight!

Many of the popular designs paddled on our rivers today are less than half the size of a single sea kayak. The average length of a river ‘play boat’ is about 198 cm (6’6”). This type of kayak, however, is primarily intended for the intermediate and advanced kayaker wanting to perform tricks such as cartwheels, blunts and loops. But don’t be alarmed, these aren’t the kinds of moves you’ll perform in the early stages of your river kayaking career!

Beginner and intermediate river paddlers are generally much happier in the slightly longer and more forgiving ‘river runner’ kayaks that are mostly 210 cm (7’) and more in length. These are roomier and designed for comfortable river cruising, more likely to act like their sea kayak cousins than the radical play boats with squashed-in decks, hard chines and flat hulls that look and act a lot like boxy surfboards. I suggest you try out a river running design, at least for your first couple of river outings.

There once was a time when river kayaks were much longer and not as maneuverable as today’s designs. During this era, paddlers would often talk of ‘shooting the rapids’. Those days are now essentially gone. Instead, river kayakers usually plan to hop from eddy to eddy as they make their way down rivers. In doing so, paddlers can slow their pace and completely control their descent of a river by seeking out back eddies or counter-currents that enable paddling parties to rest, regroup and scout ahead for hazards.

A party of beginners or intermediates should have at least one paddler with them who is familiar with the river they’re on. If not, some advance research is necessary and members of the group should scout all rapids that don’t appear straightforward.

The rewards can be incredible. The vistas are often amazing because the landforms, trees, animals, sky tend to be above as well as around you. And the levels of the mostly rain-fed rivers of the West coast are forever going up and down from one week to the next, so you never feel like you’re paddling the same river twice.

As with all paddling outings, do lots of stretching before going down a river and plan on getting out of your kayak every 20-30 minutes for a rest and stretch break. The various hydraulic features found on many rivers may intimidate those with little ‘river reading’ experience. You’ll soon see, however, that combinations of volume, gradient and constriction can result in features such as boils, tongues, steep waves and pour-overs or holes. These may appear daunting at first, but getting into the habit of scouting rapids from the river bank usually allows you to see the best route or ‘line’ through a set of rapids. When you don’t think your stroking and bracing abilities will allow you to successfully navigate a rapid, then it’s time to shoulder your 20 kg river kayak and portage.

As many seasoned river paddlers will tell you, never run rapids that you aren’t prepared to swim! Swimming as a result of a capsize and subsequent failed roll attempt is not uncommon early on. With the proper clothing and protective gear (wetsuit, paddling jacket, booties, PFD, and helmet), combined with defensive swimming techniques, it can be akin to taking a fall while downhill skiing. Simply reunite yourself with your kayak and your paddle, get back into your kayak once rested, and continue your river trip.

To effectively and efficiently navigate a kayak down a moving river doesn’t actually have to involve much effort. It’s best to let the energy of the river current move you along while you focus your own energies on steering and bracing as needed. On longer river runs, you learn to save some strength for paddling the flatter sections that you will invariably encounter between rapids. A burst of forward strokes is often needed to take you into and out of the many eddies along the way. Missing eddies as you paddle along can mean missing out on a brief rest break or on scouting what lies ahead. Eventually, you will learn to execute ‘ferries’ while facing upstream, meaning that not only can you temporarily counter and nullify the energy of the current, but you can steer yourself from one side of the river to the other with great accuracy and very little effort. Experienced river paddlers use ferrying techniques to make their way onto standing waves that can then be surfed—which is lots of fun! Unlike ocean waves, these river waves are stationery, so you can surf them for as long as your technique allows and your friends don’t get upset waiting for their turns.

The ultimate way to keep the learning curve from being too steep is to take a lesson or two so that you can learn the important tips and tricks that will make your river paddling easier and more enjoyable.

So, just because the leaves are falling and the days are getting shorter and cooler, don’t think that your paddling season has to be over. Once you sink your teeth into river kayaking, not only will it serve to improve your sea kayaking skills, but you’ll also learn to love venturing out in the rain. After all, the more it rains, the higher and more exciting our west coast rivers are!

© Don Barrie and his partner Rose Sirois operate the Warm Rapids Inn near the Cowichan River. Both are ocean kayak guides and river kayak instructors who love paddling in the ocean, the river and the surf. Photos are courtesy of Warm Rapids Inn. 250-709-5543, www.warmrapidsinn.com.