Basic River Strategy

Photos: Top Ten U.S. Rivers for Rafting

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Momentum Conversion

Have you ever been converted? I was baptized in Tokyo a while back, complete with white robes and total immersion. I even spoke in tongues, but I was not converted. I just sort of went through the motions because a very attractive young woman asked me to come with her and I got caught up in the momentum. How does this relate to kayaking? Momentum is important in kayaking, but if it isn't momentum headed where you want to go, you could end up in a very bizarre situation wishing we were somewhere else. So you have to be a momentum converter.

The key is to determine where the momentum of the current is going and decide if that is where you want to go. If it is then no sweat; you just go with it. However, if the momentum is leading you under a tree or into a rock, then you have to become a momentum converter. That boils down to three things: Targeting, Turning and Acceleration

Targeting, Turning and Acceleration

It's really pretty simple. First use your vision to determine where you want to go; in other words, target your goal. Once you see where you want to go, turn your bow and point it at your target. Then accelerate, keeping your vision on your target. You have to have all three components to successfully put your boat where you want.

If you want to catch an eddy on river left and you have your bow pointed downstream as you're paddling forward, you're not doing yourself any favors because your building up a lot of momentum in the wrong direction. You'll realize that as you go whizzing by the eddy. By then it's too late to convert your momentum in the right direction.

What gives more experienced paddlers an edge is their ability to look downstream and plan two or three moves in advance. As they are aiming for target number one they have in mind target number two and are already changing direction to get their momentum headed in the right direction for move number two while they are still in the middle of move number one.

River Reading

If you haven't heard of this term before, it refers to being able to look at the different features on a river such as waves, surface water characteristics, river bends, rocks, and current direction and be able to tell where to put your boat to have fun and be safe. It requires two types of vision. First you want to open up your vision and take in the whole picture. Look downstream and upstream and get a feel for the river. Is it moving fast or slow? Are there bends in the river and if so which way? Are there any major hazards or obstructions like trees in the river, big rocks, bridges with pilings in the water? Develop a general plan of how you want to go downstream with these first observations and where you are going to end up at the furthest point you can see.

Second, you want to narrow your vision down and get more specific. Can you find eddies to stop in that will break the section of river into a series of smaller sections? Now check out the first section; what specific features can you see in between your first two eddies and so on down to the last eddy.

We are used to driving cars all our lives. When you get in your car, it's easy to know where to point it. You just follow the pavement. Someone has already filled taken care of all the obstacles. On a river you have to do that job. You have to use your vision to figure out where your water highway should go and how to avoid all the obstacles. If you just paddle downstream without having a plan, it would be like driving out of your garage blind folded.

It's really pretty simple. First use your vision to determine where you want to go. Once you see where you want to go, turn your bow and point it at your target. Then accelerate it at your target keeping your vision on where you want to go.

And if at any time you are unsure of what's downstream, heed the popular saying, "When in doubt, scout." Get out of your boat and walk downstream to scout for possible dangers or obstructions.