“Jerry McAward!  Mark Aprile… it’s Saturday night, I’m in Ohiopyle, and I was calling to tell you, and tell Mike Mather, and you… THANK YOU, you saved me today (relieved laughter).  Got stuck in a vertical pin, and I had water flowing over me and, uh… I had flashbacks to Mr. Mather.  Kept my head, got out of it alright, and, uh, all is well.  Thought of you… wanted to call and say hey.  Hope you’re doing well, buddy… take care.” Click here to hear the message!

Mark Aprile is one of my favorite people on the face of this Earth, and one of our early kayak instructors.  He is an accomplished creek boater and playboater.  He is one of the most unflappable people I’ve met.

Participation in scenario training gave Mark the skills he needed to get himself out of trouble.   He was part of a Mike Mather Swiftwater Rescue Class several years ago.

How well are you prepared for a similar incident, one that might happen to you, or happen to one of your paddling buddies?

There is still room next weekend in Mike Mather’s Swiftwater Rescue Class – July 23-24.  Make the time to get better prepared for paddling.

The Jersey Paddler’s Paddlesport 2011 Show is the mecca for paddlesports fans and manufacturers held every year on or about the last weekend of March in Somerset, NJ. In that Garden State Exhibit Center there was every conceivable human powered watercraft available there – from the shortest playboat to the longest ocean-going sea kayak.

The staff of Northeast PA Kayak School was there, and we had SO many great conversations with new people and old friends. It seems that attendance was up, hopefully an indication of new interest in people to do something outdoors. The hours were long but the energy was tangible – people want to fight off this winter, or fight off Nature Deficit Disorder (Google it… I’m not makin’ this stuff up!).

In any case, boats were being sold, and a giant smile was affixed on the faces of almost everyone. Almost every company had a great weekend, indicating, maybe, that this healthy, outdoor sport is still growing in interest.

So slip into an outfitter store near you and get your fix. Get ready to go. Thousands of people and hundreds of former kayak students showed up to say hello and tell their river stories. Next year’s Paddlesport 2012 show is only 362 days away…;-)

Every one of us has some level of apprehension to the most basic skill in whitewater kayaking – the Wet Exit. As such, it is given relatively little attention. Most people in a beginner class would boot the whole Wet Exit thing if given the opportunity. It is, by its nature, an unpleasant experience for many.

The value of an easy introduction to whitewater extends beyond the obvious. New kayakers are the bread and butter of our industry. Without them we would fast stagnate as a recreational pastime. How many boats and how much equipment will a kayaker buy during his or her career? Surely there are numbers to be found, but simply put, the more people there are, safely and happily kayaking, the more our cool sport flourishes.

In an era of increasing expertise in playboating moves, advances in boat outfitting, etc., we mustn’t forget that beginner. Preserving their enthusiasm, addiction, and safety is critical to me as an instructor and instructor trainer. So let’s get back to basics, shall we?

How many brain stems among us relish the thought of being trapped in something, inverted, submerged, and robbed of air? Not a whole lot – try this method of Wet Exit training on all of your students – not just the fearful ones, and you’ll see a major difference in their awareness and recuperative powers after an accidental flip.

We call it Hand to Hand Downtime, and every single one of our students goes through it. The goal? They hang inverted, and relaxed, for 10-15 seconds, all the while holding the hands of their trusted instructor standing next to them.

In this tightly-controlled setting, your new kayaker can learn to manage that innate fear we all have. A step-by-step approach, rather than the convenient “OK – everybody flip” approach, builds confidence as fast as it reduces anxiety. And almost everyone has fun doing it.

A great benefit is that instructors now have felt, through their hands, the level of calm that each student has within them. As we all know, most people can learn to manage their innate fears, if trained by an empathetic instructor. We find that we can really tune in to the worries of each new student.

We provide noseclips, attached to every helmet, and strongly encourage everyone to wear them. Water entering inverted sinuses makes anyone hurry more. Put noseclips on, and the cool become cooler, and the panic-prone panic a lot less.

• Hold the hands of your student, explain that you’ll shake their hands or tickle their palms if you feel tension in their hands. A relaxed student is one that can comfortably absorb information.
• Explain that they will flip over, all the while holding hands with their instructor. When they are ready to come up, three even squeezes on the count of “one one thousand, two one thousand, etc.” will get them lifted upright after the third squeeze. The idea of three methodical squeezes starts them thinking sequentially, teaching themselves how to manage that innate fear inside of every brain. This way of thinking helps later during Eskimo Roll practice!
• Try to get them to the point of 12-15 seconds of downtime – triple the duration of a casual Wet Exit – again building confidence in their ability to calmly exit their boat after an accidental crash.
• After we establish a certain level of cool (evident because you are holding the hands of your student) move on to the Wet Exit itself, which is much easier for the student to perform correctly after the investment they made in their comfort underwater.

So give Hand to Hand Downtime a try. We’ve found that it takes a little more time, but that it virtually eliminates those moments when an accidental flip causes panic.

First, remember that your boat has rocker; the bow to stern curvature of the hull. Stand the boat a little on edge, and you can see that it is possible to use this shape to accentuate your turns. The more edge you give it, the snappier your turn.

Second, you have to practice in order to get more comfortable on edge. Remember the “C to C” position common in the Eskimo Roll of the same name? Your body is bent in what is supposed to be a “C” shape. The same “C” will be used to center your weight over the boat.

A quick little physics lesson… you have three things to think about 1) your Center of Gravity, 2) your Base of Support, and 3) your Line of Gravity.

1) Center of Gravity is fairly well known, and moves around as you move around. It is the very center of your body weight. Stand on your feet, both feet on the ground, and lean as far as you can to one side. What does your body want to do? Instinctively, you will throw out an arm or a leg to counterbalance – unconsciously shifting your center of gravity. In a kayak, if you start to lean the boat, your body will arc so that your head is away from the low edge of the boat, making that “C”.
2) Consider Base of Support to be your footprint, whether you are standing on a floor in shoes or sitting in a kayak. If you now stand on just one foot, what do you do? You’ve minimized your Base of Support, so you shift your weight slightly OVER the foot that remains on the ground. It is similar in a kayak – except we have only one foot. If our boat offers X amount of square feet of Base of Support when flat, it will offer less than X when on edge. If you tilt your boat left or right, the angle causes you to lose some of your Base of Support.

3) The Line of Gravity is the lesser known of the three. A string with a weight on it is called a plumb line, meaning that it always points straight down. Think of it like an arrow pointing straight down through the middle of your Center of Gravity. Got it? Now – when you can stand without falling, or can sit in a kayak without tipping over, your Line of Gravity is pointing within your Base of Support – your “footprint.” If you tilt over, and your Line of Gravity moves so that it points to a place outside your Base of Support, you tip over. It works in bare feet, on skis, in a canoe, kayak, tractor-trailer, whatever – its the physics of balance in its most basic form.

Now to practice paddling in a circle! Pick out a nice piece of flat water or a pool, and paddle with both blades. Push the boat into a turn, and lean like you were riding a bicycle in that turn – turn left – lean left, turn right – lean right. Concentrate on looking into your turn – look AWAY from the boat, far into your turn. If you look at your boat, your brain is trying to verify how far it is from a disaster and will make your life more interesting than it should be! Looking away allows your natural instincts to take hold. Try zooming around a turn on your bicycle and looking directly at your front wheel – things get shaky, eh? Same thing happens when you look at your boat in a turn. Teach yourself to look away and trust your instincts.

So for this drill, constantly re-orient your look into the very center of the circle you are paddling. Now tilt the boat. Sink your lower butt-bone into the boat – shift your weight onto that lower butt-bone. You will feel a little more stable. Lock the higher knee into the thighbrace, and lock that lean. Now, while looking into the center of your circle, maintain the lean on the boat. Don’t lean too much – if you’re shaky, back off a bit. This isn’t about tempting a flip; it’s about the maintenance of that lean.

Practice going in circles with two blades, then work your way to only paddling on the INSIDE of the turn. Your paddle stroke should be very close to the boat, held as vertically as possible, should go in quietly at your toenails and come out by your belly – no further. Pretend you’re tiptoeing through the water! Practice this and you will be surprised how comfortable you can be on edge! Once you can paddle on the inside of your turns, you will be able to maintain The Carve, conserve momentum, and balance your way into your favorite eddy!

Jerry McAward, ACA Instructor Trainer for Whitewater Kayaking

ASYMMETRIC
This is a type of paddle on which the top side of the blade is longer than the bottom side.

BACKPADDLE
This term refers to paddling backward as a means of slowing or reversing the forward motion of a kayak.

BAIL
This term is used to empty water from a kayak by scooping it out with a pail or pumping it out with a bilge pump.

BEAM
The beam is the widest part of the kayak.

BILGE PUMP
This refers to a hand or foot pump used to remove water that collects in the bilge.

BOOF
This refers to a technique for landing a freefalling boat flat on its hull.

BOW
The bow is the front end of the kayak.

BRACING
This is a stroke used to provide support and prevent the kayak from capsizing.

BROACHING
This is a point when the kayak is oriented to waves, currents or an obstacle.

BULKHEAD
This is the vertical partition inside the kayak designed to create separate chambers inside the boat. Bulkheads create watertight areas where gear can be safely stored.

CANOE
A canoe is a small craft propelled with one or more single-bladed paddle(s) while sitting or kneeling and facing the direction of travel.

CHANNEL
This refers to a section of passable water through reefs, shoals and other obstructions.

CHUTE
This is a section of river that flows between two large obstructions, compressing the water and causing a swift current.

CLEAT
It is a fitting used for tying lines to. Often attached to the deck of a kayak, they have two protruding horns that make it easy to tie a line or bungee cord to.

COAMING
This is the rim of a kayak’s cockpit. It has a lip or flange that a kayaker’s spray skirt fits on to keep the kayaker dry.

COCKPIT
This is the area where the kayaker sits while in the boat.

CUSHIONS
This is a type of pressure wave that tends to deflect boats and swimmers from the rocks that generated it.

DECK
This is the top of the kayak.

DRAG
Any resistance to a kayak or other boat’s forward motion is called a Drag.

DROPPING IN
It refers to an attempt to surf a wave or hole that another person is already using.

DRY BAG
A Dry Bag is a waterproof bag kayakers use to protect the items they bring with them.

DRY-TOP
It is a special type of cagoule designed for paddling which has efficient seals to keep the water out.

DUFFEK TURN
A Duffek Turn is a compound stroke used for entering an eddy.

EBB
This term refers to a receding current.

EDDY
An eddy is a current which is usually behind a large rock or other obstruction in a stream or river which is at variance with the main current.

ENDER
This is a playboating maneuver where the kayaker allows the bow of his boat to be sucked into a hole, standing the kayak up on end, until the buoyancy of the boat sends it shooting back up in the air.

FACE
This is the side of a paddle blade that is pushing against the water.

FERRY
This term means to move a kayak or other watercraft laterally across a current.

FIBERGLASS
A fiberglass is a lightweight composite material used in the construction of kayak hulls.

FLATWATER
This refers to a calm river, lake, ocean water without rapids or high waves.

FOOT BRACE
A foot brace is a peddle-like footrest, normally found in sea kayaks, that provides greater maneuvering control through a skeg or rudder.

FREE BLADE
This refers to any paddle or propulsion device that is held in the hands and not attached to the boat.

FREEBOARD
This is the distance between the waterline and the lowest point of the deck of the vessel.

HATCH
A Hatch is waterproof holder inside the kayak where you can store items you’re taking with you.

HATCH COVER
The removable cover on top is called a hatch cover.

HULL
This refers to the bottom side of the kayak (below the seam).

KAYAK
It is a small craft propelled with one or more two-bladed paddles while sitting and facing the direction of travel.

LINE
This refers to a rope used to tie the kayak to a point on the shore.

MELTDOWN
This is to deliberately put your boat underneath a wave or hydraulic.

POCKET/POWER POCKET
This refers to the steepest green part of the wave, usually right next to the shoulder.

PORT
A port is a directional term meaning to the left of the kayak or the left side of any boat.

PORTAGE
This refers to the carrying of a boat or its contents over land from one body of water to another.

PRYS
These are strokes that are performed by levering the paddle shaft against the side of the boat.

RAPID
This is an area of turbulent water.

ROCKER
This term refers to the curve on the bottom of the vessel along the center line from the bow to the stern.

RUDDER
This is the vertical blade in the rear of the kayak, used to steer the boat.

SCULLING DRAW
This is a technique that propels the boat continuously sideways towards the paddle.

SEAL LAUNCH
This is to slide or drop into the water while seated in the boat and holding the paddle.

SEAM
This refers to the one-inch wide line around the middle of the kayak where the deck and hull are joined together, usually a different color than the deck or hull.

SHUTTLE
This refers to the vehicle used for, or the practice of transporting paddlers or equipment by road to the opposite end of a paddling trip.

SPRAYDECK/SPRAY SKIRT
This is a device that is worn around the waist to keep water out of the cockpit.

STERN
This term refers to the back end of the kayak.

TANDEM PADDLING
This refers to two paddlers paddling the same boat.

TRACKING
This is the term used to describe how well a boat tracks (keeps its direction) under the influence of currents and winds.

VOLUME
This is the amount of air trapped inside a boat. It also refers to the volume of water moving down a rapid.

WAKE
This refers to the disturbed water following a moving vessel.

WATERLINE
This is the line on the hull of a vessel to which the surface of perfectly calm water rises when the vessel is motionless.

WHIRLPOOLS
This refers to whirling vertical vortices with a core of air that carry anything that falls into them down to the bed of the river, lake or sea.

 Running rivers in a kayak is like dancing with Mother Nature.  Whether it’s a slow dance, the Tango, or the Cha-Cha – you pick the tempo.   AND… your local river is the Dance Floor.

Some of us get pretty good at one particular style of kayaking.  While practicing hard at one style is good, cross-training in different disciplines is a spectacular approach to getting better and getting better faster.  You can improve your kayaking if you try whitewater kayaking!

Most “flatwater kayaks” – recreational kayaks, sit-on-tops, and coastal kayaks – are designed to travel well in a straight line.  The bow-to-stern curvature of the bottom of the kayak is called “rocker”, and most flatwater designs have little rocker, meaning that there isn’t much of a curve.  This allows them to “track” well – a fine attribute in a boat designed to travel in a straighter line. 

Whitewater kayaks are “Dancing Shoes”.  They have lots of “rocker”.  This allows them to spin very readily – a necessary attribute when running rapids.  These kayaks turn on a dime – it’s a cool feeling to perform a really snappy turn on a river.

 If you have paddled a recreational kayak for a couple of years, time in a whitewater kayak will really build your confidence. These kayaks are less stable, and much more maneuverable.  After a couple of days in a whitewater boat, you’ll think life is easy in your flatwater boat!  You’ll be able to keep your boat going exactly where you want it to go – with a much-improved sense of balance.  It’s all about how you move.  In a class, you learn about proper posture, safe shoulder position, and the simple physics of balance.  Necessary strokes and maneuvers give you the tools to put that kayak where you want it.

One of the things we spend a lot of time on in whitewater kayaking is building our composure.  The first thing people learn in a well-designed kayaking class is how to maintain composure when underwater.   If you’re fearful, no worries – instructors can help you learn to stay cool.  Once anyone is relaxed in a kayak – the learning just takes off!  The first part of any good kayak class is filled with methods to build confidence.  Ask your instructor to literally hold your hands through this process.  Once relaxed a bit, you’ll start hearing the music.

Next is the Wet Exit – that means getting out of a flipped kayak.  It is quite easy after you spend time on composure.  We all have to know how to get out of the boat, and this Wet Exit thingie is easier than you think!  This is always taught in the controlled setting of a pool or lake.

The fabled Eskimo Roll has a mystique about it.  It is simpler than it seems!  A good kayak instructor will “demystify” the Eskimo Roll for sure.  There is an undeniable feeling of personal achievement when you do your first roll and that satisfaction never goes away.  It is truly one of the cooler maneuvers in all of sports.  You CAN learn to do it and do it well.

Check out paddlesport shows throughout the country. They give you the opportunity to sit in many different kayak designs as you search for your new dance partner.  Kayaking can be enjoyed by anyone because YOU pick the place, and the pace, of where you paddle.  Whether you’re a little bit country, or a little bit rocker, you’ll learn faster by cross-training between kayak disciplines. 

So get out there, mix up your training and learn to dance on rivers –they’re playing your song…

The dam releases water 24/7/365 – so there is always water in the river.  Aquatic life depends on it.  Since 2005, the first year of the new water release program, we’ve seen the improvements in water quality.  The fishing is great, for humans as well as Ospreys, Herons, and even Bald Eagles!  You know a river is healthy when these fine birds show up.

Early each spring the Army Corps starts storing water – this year, 70 vertical feet will be stored behind the dam.    This is a huge amount of water.  This temporary storage allows the Army Corps to “augment” the natural flow every minute of every day from mid-May through Labor Day Weekend.  On weekends, the release is timed so that rafters, kayakers, and canoeists can enjoy the thrill of real whitewater.  For 2010, 12 weekends are scheduled to be “Dam Release” weekends –so get ready for the thrills and beauty of running whitewater in the summertime!

One might think that there isn’t any paddling available on the “non-release weekends” – but this isn’t true!  There is ALWAYS enough water in the river to enjoy a summer float trip, with easy rapids and lots of relaxing fun.  

So remember, the FE Walter Dam releases water every minute of every day, 7 days a week.  They release EXTRA water on the “Dam Release” weekends, giving whitewater enthusiast enough water to run the rapids of the Lehigh Gorge, but the river is always a good place to paddle.