A Woman’s Thoughts on the Mather Swiftwater Rescue Course

Over the last 5 years, I’ve attended Mike Mather’s swiftwater rescue workshop in various formats. The first 2 years I took the full-on 2 day course offered by the Northeast PA Kayak School. The next 3 years, I accompanied the Jim Thorpe River Adventure...

Why take a Swiftwater Rescue Class?

Here’s one reason – the text of a message left on the voicemail of my personal phone – “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...

Kayaking Seems to Be Looking Up!

Are you getting sick of the grip that this winter has had on you? Most kayakers can’t wait to get back on the water, so you’re not alone. A visit to your local paddling shop could take care of some of the pain, but you may have just missed the best opportunity on the...

Hand to Hand Downtime

You’ve heard the story again and again – “my boyfriend taught me how to kayak and he just flipped me over and told me to get out! I got stuck and just freaked out! I thought I’d never ever try kayaking again.” Every one of us has some level of apprehension to the most...

Going in Circles Is a Good Thing???

Did you ever marvel at someone just nailing an eddy turn? You can do that, too! There are ways to practice such things, but one of the prerequisites is getting comfortable on edge. So here we’ll talk briefly about paddling in circles to improve our skills! Remember...

Terminology and Slang

AGROUND This is a point in which a kayak or other watercraft is stuck upon a sandbar or shoal. 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...

Build Your Repertoire of Paddling Skills with Whitewater Kayaking

You Wanna Dance? Build Your Repertoire of Paddling Skills with Whitewater Kayaking  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....

Lehigh River Dam Releases Explained

After many floods ravaged the area, the US Army Corps of Engineers built the Francis E. Walter Dam in White Haven, in the north of Carbon County.  Finished in 1961 as a flood control dam, the valley surrounding the river was allowed to prosper without fear of...