Fluid Do It Now Kayak | Feature Photo: Emma Drudge
If you’ve ever taken a first-time paddler out in a kayak you’ve probably heard this question: How do I get out if I flip? It’s a common fear for new paddlers and even if you work on wet exits some people just don’t like feeling confined. So what can you do to score some on water time with them? Our answer is the uniquely named Do It Now from Fluid Kayaks.
The first thing I noticed about this sit-on-top kayak is that the adjustable foot pegs and wide padded thigh straps give options for how securely I fasten myself in. Leaving the straps loose makes the boat a perfect platform for those fearful of ‘being stuck’—tip over and you’ll fall off. By tightening the outfitting, I can lock my legs against the raised knee area and feel in control for running rapids, edging and rolling.
Simplicity rules for the Do It Now
One of the biggest benefits of the sit-on-top is how easy it is to get in and go—no fussing with a sprayskirt or worrying about waves splashing into the cockpit. Not needing to buy or struggle with a skirt is a huge benefit to beginners, and the ease of hopping on and off shore will also appeal to those that get in and out of their boats frequently, like video boaters and some guides.
Getting to the water was a bit tricky as I couldn’t throw the Fluid Do It Now on my shoulder like a regular kayak—I found it easiest to transport with a canoe-style overhead carry.
The Do It Now’s design is based on Fluid’s Bazooka creek boat but with a wider hull, which means bomber primary stability—even absolute beginners will feel confident they’ll remain upright in most situations. The tradeoff is that it’s difficult to get an efficient, vertical paddle stroke—I have to reach out to get to the water and when I have the outfitting adjusted to an aggressive position, my knees sometimes get in the way of a strong stroke. Adjusting the outfitting and switching to a longer kayak paddle helped me work around this.
The Do It Now feels stable riding over waves and small holes. The planing hull makes it easy to catch smooth waves for relaxed soul surfing.
Fluid Do It Now Kayak | Feature Photo: Emma Drudge
Putting the boat on edge allows for gentle carving in and out of eddies or across the face of waves. Testing an aggressive edge caused the water to catch and pile on the deck. This means people used to closed cockpit boats may need to adjust their style, but it’s unlikely to trip up beginners since they won’t be inclined to edge aggressively.
With the outfitting tightened, the Fluid Do It Now rolls like any other kayak. For those that aren’t at the rolling stage, bow, stern and side handles make it easy to get back on board—no need to drag it to shore.
Experienced whitewater kayakers will find the Do It Now a fun, convenient downriver ride, but where Fluid really hit the mark is for people looking to get into the sport who aren’t comfortable in a closed cockpit—all their excuses have been thrown out the window. Time to Do It Now!
This article first appeared in the Spring 2015 issue of Rapid magazine.
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Check out all the features afforded by the high volume model of the Scorpio MKII. | Feature Photo: Gabriel Rivett-Carnac
Six years after the original Scorpio was introduced in 2009, P&H brought us a more innovative design: the Scorpio MK II. The first to arrive from the United Kingdom was the LV or low volume model. Then the MV in medium volume. Bigger paddlers and those of us going places with lots of gear had to wait the longest, but the wait for the large volume P&H Scorpio MKII HV is over.
Before we get into the specifics of this new larger version, let’s first look at the entire MK II family tree. If saying the Scorpios are plastic versions of the P&H’s Cetus composite cousins doesn’t create a picture in your mind, then let’s say they are Swede-form designs with shallow V hulls and rounded chines. The LV is 16-feet eight inches long, 21-inches wide—the HV Scorpio is just over 17-feet and proportionally 24 inches wide with the MV as the happy middle child.
On top, P&H has updated the rigging fore and aft to include contemporary perimeter lines and bungee systems for ample rescue points and above-board storage. Two innovative details added on the bow deck are the pre-moulded fittings for the P&H Code Zero Sail system and the grooved slots on either side of the recessed compass mount to cradle the shafts of your two-piece spare paddle.
The Scorpio “Skudder.” | Photo: Gabriel Rivett Carnac
A few years ago, P&H turned the whole rubber versus skeg debate upside down. The Skudder was first introduced on the Jura, a recreational light-touring kayak made by P&H’s sister brand Venture Kayaks. The Skudder is being integrated into more models as they come up for redesign. I had never seen one of these systems before this. The concept is so simple, I wonder what took so long—as effective as a rudder system, except it deploys from the keel like a skeg. The pinch-and-slide mechanism on the left side of the bow deck drops the skeg varying amounts until it is free of the hull completely. When fully deployed, the Skudder allows you to actively steer the kayak like a traditional rudder using your toes on the fixed SmartTrack foot pegs.
When you don’t need the Skudder, it’s tidy and out of the way of wind and re-entries. Like with any skeg, after dragging the Scorpio II HV through the early spring mud and snow from my truck to the water I had to clean out the box for the Skudder before I launched. And, perhaps, the debate continues. Except, what looks like a fifth hatch is access to the guts of the Skudder system where you can adjust the lines and, if necessary, completely remove the Skudder for cleaning.
Hands on with the new HV model
“The boat is wider, deeper and longer than the mid-range MV size, which gives it additional capacity and stability,” says head of operations for Pyranha USA, Brian Day. “We designed the HV to meet the demand of larger paddlers or those who are taking longer trips.”
These changes included a lowered stern deck, increased bow rocker in the nose, and the cockpit shifted slightly aft. Day says they did this to the larger version to make the boat more neutral in the wind and less prone to weathercocking.
The hatch fits tightly in warm weather, but can be a pain to open in cold weather. | Photo: Gabriel Rivett‑Carnac
I packed half the bed of my full-sized Nissan Titan pickup truck into the Scorpio MKII HV’s four hatches. With all the MKIIs, P&H improved drainage around the hatch covers. The hatch rims themselves are angled slightly to improve access combined with the accentuated openings and the standard snap-fit KajakSport hatch covers allowed the hiding of over 160 liters of awkwardly shaped gear, including my Greenland ice tools.
One thing I noticed during our early spring testing is the hatch cover is designed to fit tightly in warm weather when you are paddling the P&H Scorpio II HV in the colder seasons or closer to the poles you will find the plastic covers stiff and challenging to peel off and pound back on. That said, I’d rather have sore numb fingers than soggy gear. All four hatches proved 100 percent watertight after my dunk testing.
Extra volume has been added to the cockpit. | Photo: Gabriel Rivett-Carnac.
In the HV, extra volume has been added to the cockpit. This translates to a comfortably high knee position and copious amounts of legroom for my long pins. In fact, even with warm thick-soled booties there is still 11 inches between the backside of my foot pegs and the foam bulkhead. As with the hip pads, adding foam under the cover can easily customize the seat. The back band system is simple and effective, utilizing five different points of adjustment.
As a guide, I need to be nimble. Often I find myself quickly jumping out of my boat into surf landings or to assist guests in transitions in and out of their boats. The Scorpio MKII HV has a large keyhole cockpit. As I’m six-foot, two-inches tall, the large opening makes getting in and out a breeze. After performing a morning of scramble self-rescues I found access to the cockpit was seamless and the low back deck and adjustable back band did not interfere with re-entry in any way.
Check out all the features afforded by the high volume model of the Scorpio MKII. | Feature Photo: Gabriel Rivett‑Carnac
Try the P&H Scorpio MKII HV on for size
The Scorpio MKII HV is available in both polyethylene and P&H’s proprietary new Corelite X material. The Corelite X has all the benefits of the tri-layered CoreLite construction but with increased stiffness and greater durability. The Scorpio MKII HV in Corelite X is about six pounds lighter than the plastic model.
Sounds pretty good to me, I thought as I grabbed the bow toggle and dragged the 56-pound Scorpio down the gravely slope to the water and seal launched from an ice shelf.
This article originally appeared in Adventure Kayak Early Summer 2017 issue.
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Check out all the features afforded by the high volume model of the Scorpio MKII. | Feature Photo: Gabriel Rivett-Carnac
Just another day at the office. | Photo: Scott Martin
It’s doubtful a paddler could describe a piece of water in more intimate detail than registered Maine Guide Greg Caruso, speaking of the Kennebec River near his home in the small North Woods town of Caratunk. Caruso has ferried a canoe across the same 100-yard stretch of river dozens of times per day since 2016. As the only ferry service on the Appalachian Trail, the famous 2,190-mile footpath from Georgia to Maine, Caruso and his 17-foot Old Town Tripper serve as a lifeline for some 2,500 hikers per year, May through October.
Caruso’s service is paid for by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and free for backpackers. He’s the fourth ferryman to hold the position since 1987, when a drowning made the canoe crossing the only legal way for hikers to traverse the fluctuating, dam-controlled waters of the Kennebec. The 50-year-old Caruso started guiding rafts in 1992 and has since pieced together work as an outdoors professional—managing a rafting outfitter, guiding hunting and fishing trips, ski patrolling at Maine’s Sugarloaf Resort and maintaining snowmobile trails.
Just another day at the office. | Photo: Scott Martin
The Appalachian Trail opportunity came up in 2016. Caruso perked up when he realized the Kennebec crossing is only three miles from his house. Finally, he could spend more time with his family—and bring his golden retriever to work.
“I have to admit, my first thoughts were, ‘Do I really want to paddle a bunch of smelly hikers back and forth all day?’” he laughs. “After learning more about the job, and considering things with my wife, who knew I was ready for a change, we decided to give it a go. After all, they couldn’t smell much worse than a bunch of raft guides in August, could they?”
Caruso is busiest in the morning when hikers on either side of the river line up for the ferry service. He equips them with PFDs and requires they sign a waiver. Then, in twos, hikers, their packs and sometimes trail dogs pile into Caruso’s canoe, which has been modified with a center seat instead of the typical carrying thwart. A strip of white duct tape on the inside of the hull replicates the traditional blazes used to mark the footpath. “Many hikers like to see that blaze and take photos,” notes Caruso. “Some even touch it.”
The crossing takes barely a minute, with perhaps another 10 minutes for unloading and reloading on either end. “Usually, I paddle my rear end off back and forth for a good hour or so due to the rush hour traffic, then things mellow out a bit,” he says.
However brief his interaction with the hikers, it’s often enough time for the waterman to catch a glimpse of long-distance backpackers’ life on the trail.
“One of the first hikers I met had the trail name ‘Handmade,’” recalls Caruso. “The guy walks up with no shoes, some very worn and partially torn up clothes sort of like the Incredible Hulk would wear, carrying a huge exterior frame pack and a Bowie knife with a handmade handle tied to the pack. I asked him what happened to his shoes and he said he’d been hiking like that since his shoes wore out somewhere in Virginia. He was planning on hiking the rest of the way barefoot. It was a memorable first encounter.”
Another generous backpacker offered Caruso a curious snack, whipped up while he waited for a ride across the Kennebec: A breakfast sandwich consisting of bacon, cheese, bread, and fried Oreo cookies. “Food is a coveted item on the trail, and it was great he thought of me with his interesting concoction,” says Caruso.
As a lifelong Maine resident, Caruso places his role as Appalachian Trail ferryman in a historical context.
During idle moments on the riverbank, he recalls childhood memories exploring the North Woods with his grandfather. Often, he ponders the historical significance of the Kennebec—from the saga of Benedict Arnold, the American colonel who led a grueling military invasion of Quebec by way of the Maine wilderness in 1775, to the lyrical descriptions of Henry David Thoreau.
“I certainly never imagined I would be doing this line of work,” says Caruso. “I love the peace of paddling, watching the eagles, casting a line, and of course meeting the hikers from all over the world. Maine usually tops their list of favorite places, and I have to agree.”
This article was first published in Paddling Magazine Issue 62. Subscribe to Paddling Magazine’s print and digital editions here , or browse the archives here.
Just another day at the office. | Photo: Scott Martin
Choose your next kayak by running a river, not running to Google. | Photo: Daniel Stewart
A while back, I worked for a prominent international kayak company. I was fortunate to see the development process of a new whitewater kayak. Like others, our company was constantly innovating, improving existing designs and doing our best to compete in a challenging environment by bringing the best designs to market.
Over months of design and hundreds of hours of CAD work, tens of thousands of mouse clicks, hand-built plugs, prototype molds, field testing, plug revisions, more testing and more CAD, our design team inched closer and closer to the boat we hoped would breakthrough performance barriers and become a hit.
Once the boat launched, we went to the trade shows. We talked to paddlers and made the pitch. We answered questions. Questions like: “How many gallons is it?”
Really?
How big is this thing? Not, why is the bow shaped like that, or how is the rocker profile different from previous designs, or what does the edge do on a squirrely eddyline?
Nope.
It always seemed like a funny question to me. Why volume? In fact, why ask about specs at all?
We’re all looking for answers and trying to make good decisions. Deciding on a new whitewater kayak can be challenging. When it comes to plunking down our hard-earned cash on a new boat, we want to be confident we’re making the right choice.
There are many ways to create this sort of confidence. One of them is by comparing the specs of a new boat to one we already know. But does a simple list of specs give us a feel for how the boat will perform? I don’t think so.
For example, how much does length matter between two similar models? Length tends to vary more by boat category than model. River runners are longer. Playboats are shorter. Race boats are really long. Does an inch of difference between models tell you much about how the boats compare? All things being equal, a longer boat will be faster, but those other things rarely are equal.
It’s a similar story for width. We all know wider is more stable and narrower is less. But there are many other factors in stability—cross-section shape, volume and rocker, to name a few—so an inch of difference isn’t going to tell you much about how the boat will perform. This model is 24 inches wide and that one is 23—so what?
And how about weight? It counts when you’re putting a boat on the roof or hiking on the portage trail. As with length, boats of the same category are often similar weights. Creekers with beefy bulkheads and center pillars tend to weigh around the 45-pound mark, while playboats with foam foot blocks tend to come in around 30 pounds. Yes, bigger boats are heavier than smaller boats.
Within a category, do lighter boats outperform heavier ones? Not necessarily. If you put a 150-pound paddler in a 50-pound kayak, you’ve got 200 pounds on the water. Cut the boat weight down by five pounds and you’re down to a combined weight of 195. That’s less than a three percent difference. Likely, only a pro will notice a performance difference based on such a small variation.
Choose your next kayak by running a river, not running to Google. | Photo: Daniel Stewart
Which brings me back to volume. Can anyone make a good comparison between two boats based on volume? Say one creek boat is a couple of gallons bigger than another. How volume will affect performance depends on where the volume is added and how it changes the shape. There are just too many variables. A single number doesn’t tell you enough about the design of the boat to be useful.
On top of this, sometimes volume numbers from different manufacturers don’t line up. You can calculate volume off the CAD drawings, or you can measure volume by filling an empty hull with water and reading the volume off a flow meter. Depending on the method preferred by the manufacturer, you’ll likely end up with slightly different numbers.
Finally, take recommended paddler weight. Recommended paddler weight is almost entirely subjective. Some people like to paddle lower volume boats. Others want to have a little more boat around them. You can pad out a big boat to make it fit or cram your feet into a tiny boat for better squirts. This means recommended paddler weight has the potential to expand to an absurd range.
Often it seems like the recommended paddler weight range corresponds directly with how many sizes of a given design a company makes. For example, the Dagger Axiom is a popular river running playboat available in four sizes, with paddler weights for each Axiom size running in 60- to 80-pound increments. The Dagger Green Boat is arguably the bestselling model in the longboat category, available in one size, and its recommended paddler weight is 140 to 260 pounds—a range of 120 pounds encompassing much of the adult population.
I’m not singling out Dagger—most manufacturers, including Liquidlogic, Pyranha and Jackson, do the same. If you have four sizes, you can fine-tune the ranges. If you’ve only got one size, it has to be a one-size-fits-most model.
So, if specs don’t tell us the full story, how do you know if a kayak is right for you? You have to do the legwork.
Part of that legwork involves talking to people who’ve paddled the boat. When a design first comes out, those people are likely to work for the company. Later, once it’s been on the market for a while, it might be your paddling friends. You have to factor in that opinions are more subjective than recommended weight ranges. People are often loyal to a brand. Skill level varies wildly. No two people have the same combination of skill, size and preferences. On top of this, most folks will naturally want to say favorable things about a boat they already own. After all, none of us wants to think we’ve chosen unwisely.
Talking to people is a start, but it isn’t a solution. The only way to decide if a boat is right for you is to try it yourself.
Though purchasing boats online is increasingly popular, the best thing you can do is go to a shop and sit in the boat yourself. Don’t worry about the length, width or volume specs on the tag. Figure out if the outfitting is comfortable for your body shape. Is the cockpit deep enough for your thighs? Do you have enough foot room? Does it feel too big? Too small?
If it feels good, demo the boat. A flatwater demo is a good start. On flatwater you can tell how much effort it takes to hold the boat on edge, how well it tracks and turns and how easy it is to roll. It’s a start.
The proof is on the river. If you want to be confident about how a kayak is going to perform in whitewater, you need to paddle it in whitewater. Arrange a loaner, rental or demo on a stretch of the river well within your skill level. If you can, paddle the boat back-to-back on the same run with your current kayak. Try to hit the same lines. Get a feel for how the two designs are different.
And if you’re new to kayaking? Start by taking a class. The kayaks you’ll paddle in an introductory course are chosen to be forgiving to new paddlers. Once you’ve done a day or two of instruction, you’ll have a much better idea of which boat you want to surf on a wave than you would have received from surfing the web.
Specs can be a starting point for your kayak buying experience, but they’re not a shortcut. We can read the specs, check the charts and sift through the reviews, but that won’t tell us how a boat will feel to us. How you feel about a kayak is a unique combination of your size, skills, desires and destinations. We’re all different. No two people will connect with a boat or a stretch of river the same way.
To know what’s right for you, you have to experience it firsthand, for yourself, in all its messy, chaotic and glorious subjectivity. Take it to the river. And forget about the specs.
Contrarian Brian Day has been paddling kayaks and sharing unsolicited opinions about outdoor gear since the early ‘90s. Please direct your rebuttals to editor@paddlingmag.com.
This article was first published in Paddling Magazine Issue 62. Subscribe to Paddling Magazine’s print and digital editions here , or browse the archives here.
Choose your next kayak by running a river, not running to Google. | Photo: Daniel Stewart
Worlds collide on Myanmar's Inle Lake where Traditional fishermen still travel in small, wooden, motorless boats. | Photo: Jim Martinello
Certain moments stay with you forever. This one at sunset with the local Intha fishermen of Inle Lake in Myanmar is one.
A visit to Myanmar offers a unique glimpse into rich Buddhist tradition, ancient culture and stunning natural beauty. I spent two and a half weeks exploring the country by motorbike with an inflatable paddleboard strapped on the back. First, I traveled to the Mergui Archipelago in the south, to paddle amongst its 800 beautiful islands, and then motored to Bagan to take in the iconic sight of its 3,000 stunning temples. I was delighted to enjoy some chill time at Inle Lake after. This region is known for this serene lake—13 miles long and seven miles wide—and a popular tourist attraction. I had read much about its fringed marshes and floating gardens, where stilt-house villages and Buddhist temples rise above the water, but books can never really compare to how it is in real life.
Arriving in the late afternoon, I pumped up my board just before sunset. Setting out into the evening light felt like a dream. The water was glass, serenely calm, and every paddle stroke a moment of peace and release.
Worlds collide on Myanmar’s Inle Lake where Traditional fishermen still travel in small, wooden, motorless boats. | Photo: Jim Martinello
Soon after setting out, I came across some local fishermen and witnessed their unique technique of single-leg rowing and fishing. The Myanmar fishermen in this region are known for practicing a distinctive rowing style, which involves standing at the stern of their narrow, wooden fishing boats on one leg and wrapping the other leg around the oar for propulsion. This unique style evolved out of necessity. The lake is covered by reeds and floating plants, making it difficult to see above them while sitting. The one-legged technique provides the rower with a view beyond the plant life and reeds and allows them to keep one hand free to deploy their distinctive conical fishing nets.
It is a seriously delicate balancing act. I tried to mimic it a few times but ended up falling in the lake. The skills of the fishermen are taught starting in childhood and acquired over many years of practice. They make it look easy.
Though we shared little common language, the two men were keen to let me hop aboard and did their best to give me a lesson in using the nets to catch fish and in their unique rowing style. In exchange, I shared with them my inflatable paddleboard—a concept they couldn’t believe at first but loved it once they tried. In just a few short moments of instruction, they were paddling in such sweet style. Together we shared a laugh that will stay with me forever.
Jimmy Martinello is a photojournalist based in Squamish, British Columbia.
This article was first published inPaddling MagazineIssue 62. Subscribe toPaddling Magazine’s print and digital editions here , or browse the archives here.
Worlds collide on Myanmar’s Inle Lake where Traditional fishermen still travel in small, wooden, motorless boats. | Photo: Jim Martinello
Petr Civrny drops Dirty Sanchez. | Feature Photo: John Webster
Mexico may be the best-kept secret on the continent. For broke paddlers, it offers up a cornucopia of epic sights and thrills, and easy logistics for a discount price. In particular, the city of Tlapacoyan near the Gulf of Mexico is quickly becoming a whitewater kayaking mecca. Boasting multiple 60-foot tall drops, deep canyons and jungle scenery, it is without a doubt one of the cheapest yet memorable whitewater trips you can take in North America.
If you live on America’s West Coast like me, you’ll know how grueling November can be. Yes, the Pacific Northwest can flush due to winter rain. But, if you’re looking for any other action there is little. November can feel like a delayed hangover from the summer season—I’m left wondering why all of my friends are sick, and why I’m feeling like I can’t move off the couch. Usually, I spend much of the month daydreaming about escaping. But if you’ve got little cash to fly overseas and no option to take extended time off work, is it possible? No problemo.
Visiting Mexico in search of great whitewater kayaking
I made last-minute plans to head to Mexico for 10 days last November. After flying into Mexico City, friends and paddlers Alec Voorhees, Evan Moore and I jumped onto a local bus to travel to Tlapacoyan, a five-hour drive from the country’s capital.
[ Plan your next Mexico kayaking adventure with the Paddling Trip Guide ]
Seeing the expansiveness of Mexico City was impressive, even from a bus window. With a population of 8.8 million, Mexico City is one of the world’s largest cities. Safety in Mexico off the tourist resorts has a pretty terrible reputation in the American media. However, we were soon to witness the friendliness of the locals—and their curiosity thanks to our large plastic boats—which put us at ease.
When in Tlapacoyan
We arrived in Tlapacoyan in the middle of the night, boats on our shoulders. We found a cab driver brave enough to strap two large kayaks onto his tiny vehicle and soon arrived at our home base for the next week and a half: hostel and rafting outfit, Aventurec.
Enjoying the good life at Aventurec. | Photo: John Webster
Corn with mayo topped with cheese is a Mexican staple. | Photo: John Webster
The city of Tlapacoyan is located in the Eastern part of Mexico. It is a great home base for those wanting to experience the Alseseca, Filobobos and Jalacingo rivers. With a population of 100,000 it’s a sizable city, but has an unspoilt and friendly feel. Surrounded by forested hills and pre-Columbian ruins, it’s home to the massive but almost unknown sites of Filo Bobos, and also a center of citrus fruit production.
Aventurec lies on the outskirts of town, a friendly outpost to both newcomers and annual regulars. Nestled up against the jungle, this beautiful retreat makes for a relaxing place to come back to after a day on the river.
Waking up to foreign birds and insects heralding the morning, we filled up on plenty of carbs from the buffet. Alongside Alec and Evan, Czech friends Matej Holub and Petr Civrny joined in on the two weeks of fun. Our plan was to hit multiple sections of the Alseseca and Jalacingo, both classics in the area.
Isreal Celis Mesura is equipped with the necessities for jungle exploration. | Photo: John Webster
School children observe Alec Voorhees check his gear new the put-in to the big banana section. | Photo: John Webster
Our kayaking guide in Mexio
A couple weeks before we flew to Mexico we hired Israel Celis Mesura as a guide. Cousin to world-renowned boater Rafa Ortiz, Mesura was key in showing me to the lips of waterfalls and running shuttle for the rest of the crew. Mesura has shown plenty of crews around the Tlapacoyan area, including the film crew for Ortiz’s Chasing Niagara film project.
He’s the guy to know for local intel on all the best runs and how to get there in the Tlapacoyan area. From Aventurec to the put-in of the Big Banana section of the Alseseca it’s just 30 minutes via lush mountain roads. From here we saw the vast countryside around Tlapacoyan. Dense green banana tree foliage were punctuated by vividly colorful buildings—it felt like Mexico at its finest. At the portage path heading down into valley we came across a school yard.
The kids observed our brightly colored kayaks and group of gringos in silence. It was apparent this wasn’t new to them, but probably more interesting than math class.
Mexico’s best whitewater kayaking
Legendary Big Banana
Down the slippery jungle path, I followed the crew to the base of the notorious Big Banana Falls, also the put-in to the Big Banana section. Local paddler Rafa Ortiz and Spaniard Aniol Serrasolses were the first to drop 130-foot Big Banana Falls in 2010. Back then it was the second-highest waterfall descent, outmatched only by 189-foot Palouse Falls in Washington. Big Banana’s pool below the falls has to be one of the most beautiful put-ins in the world and just downstream is some healthy gradient.
Mexico granted us good weather—ironically, not such a great thing due to the rivers being rain dependent. November is not the greatest month for whitewater kayaking in the northern hemisphere, but it is typically great for Mexico. November is the start of the rainy season around Tlapacoyan and beyond. It’s hot and humid, and the rain brings the most important part of the equation for anyone wanting to have a good time.
World’s most beautiful put-in? Probably, but it’s fun to keep searching just in case. | Photo: John Webster
Walking back to the car after a couple laps on the Alsesca feels like luxury. | Photo: John Webster
The photogenic Truchas drop
Flows were perfect, the crew ambitious and Mesura was happy to help set up ropes. Truchas lies deep in the Alseseca canyon and requires whoever is willing to descend its 60-foot drop to rappel down to the river just upstream of it. It was 97 percent logistics, rappelling and climbing, to three percent kayaking all day, but none of the guys regretted spending a day in this majestic canyon looking up at Mexico’s prettiest waterfall.
Two weeks on two rivers might sound like a lot, but my mind was blown with how much gradient and sections the Alseseca alone has. Don’t be intimidated by big drops you see on many YouTube Mexico video edits. If you like your boating less hairy, the roadside section of the Alseseca provides creeky class IV. It’s a short section most kayakers run laps on. Other class IV runs include the neighboring Jalacingo, which offers excellent gradient with clean waterfalls but some treacherous caves if lines are botched, and the Rio Oro and Filobobos.
Alec Voorheen styles the roadside section of the Alseseca. | Photo: John Webster
According to an unscientific study by Paddling Magazine, 9 out of 10 kayakers agree Truchas is Mexico’s prettiest waterfall. | Photo: John Webster
Whitewater kayaking in Mexico is a trip to remember
Mexico is full of adventure. The locals are friendly. The tacos are delicious. And the whitewater kayaking in Mexico is otherworldly—there aren’t many places like Tlapacoyan where you can easily paddle several waterfalls in a day. Finally, November doesn’t look half bad after all.
This article was first published in Issue 55 of Paddling Magazine. Subscribe to Paddling Magazine’s print and digital editions, or browse the archives.
Petr Civrny drops Dirty Sanchez. | Feature Photo: John Webster
Dividing Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario, the Detroit River flows through the fifth largest urban area in North America. From Lake Huron down to Lake Erie, the water drops almost three metres, with an impressive flow of 120,000 cubic feet per second—more volume than the Niagara River at the other end of Lake Erie. For urban paddlers, kayaking the Detroit River is a classic big-city experience that ranks with New York City and Chicago.
Detroit River kayaking in three parts
Think of the Detroit River in three sections, each of which offers a different kayaking experience: the upper and most urban section from Lake St. Clair down to the Ambassador Bridge; the midsection of industrial Detroit; and the lower section chock full of islands and waterfowl habitat teeming with birds. Keeping to channels with the best flow, the entire 50-kilometre (30-mile) trip from Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie takes four to five hours.
[ Plan your next kayak day touring adventure with the Paddling Trip Guide ]
Upper Detroit River: Surf, zoo and parks galore
The upper river flows from east to west, and from the river’s edge standing in Windsor you look due north to Detroit. The prevailing westerly winds blow opposite the current and build impressively huge waves—surf kayakers can get their fix in comfortable water temperatures that reach 25 Celsius (80 Fahrenheit). There are some long sections of steel sea wall blocking the river exit, so it’s essential to plan exit points carefully.
Windsor, more so than Detroit, has embraced its river. The city motto—”The river and the land shall sustain us”—attests to its extensive public riverfront access and parklands. Kayak Cove, located just east of Lakeview Marina in Shanfield Shores Park, is the main put-in at the top of the Detroit River. The cove has been used as a free kayaking access point for well over 20 years and is the starting point for a number of great Detroit River day-paddling options.
For a short jaunt, explore the Peche Island nature park right across from Kayak Cove. This former provincial park is the hub for local paddlers, with beaches, canals and a Carolinian forest habitat hosting nesting great horned owls and a pair of bald eagles.
Downstream via the Peche Island channel is Belle Isle, a city park on the American side designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed New York’s Central Park. Among the attractions are the Dossin Great Lakes Maritime Museum, an aquarium, a zoo, the Detroit Yacht Club, a public beach and the old Detroit Boat Club—home to the oldest rowing club in North America. Many American paddlers access the river here.
Passing south of Belle Isle, keep near the channel markers in Fleming Channel and run with the three- to four-knot current downstream to the International Peace Fountain—a wonderful floating fountain off Coventry Gardens and Reaume Park that provides a refreshing shower on hot, humid days. There is a parking lot with washroom and refreshment facilities here and Goose Bay Park, less than 100 metres downstream, offers a break in the steel seawall for an easy pullout. You can take out here or paddle back to Kayak Cove—along the shore, out of the main flow—for a 10-kilometre round trip.
For the great urban downstream paddle between the cities, continue down to the Ambassador Bridge. If reflective waves and erratic conditions are not your forte, do this trip early in the day. At the foot of Lincoln Road just downstream from the Hiram Walker Distillery and the large white grain elevators, local paddlers have successfully lobbied for a safe river exit complete with a stone beach and washrooms. Beyond here on the Canadian side is five kilometers of premiere parkland all the way down to the University of Windsor campus and the Ambassador Bridge. You’ll paddle overtop of the Windsor–Detroit car tunnel and the 100-year-old twin railway tunnel and take out at Chewitt Beach parking lot at McKee Park, just past the Ambassador Bridge.
Middle Detroit River: Steel mills and Yankee troops
Kayakers normally only paddle the 10-kilometre middle section if they are kayaking the whole Detroit River. This is the old industrial and port section—Detroit’s steel mills and factories. The river here bends and flows south. Along the Canadian shore is the oldest permanent European settlement in Ontario. On the U.S. side sits old Fort Wayne where Yankee troops once gathered to fight the south during the Civil War. Much of this area was also the terminus of the Underground Railroad for slaves escaping to Canada.
Lower Detroit River: Land of floating pitas
The Lower River begins in the town of La Salle, a bedroom community below Windsor on the Canadian side. At the foot of Laurier Drive across from the top of Fighting Island is a put-in with parking. At Fighting Island, a one-time battleground between Canada and the U.S., you have a choice of several channels. The express run is the main seaway channel down the west side. There are also two eastern channels passing many private marinas, a sailing club and the Windsor Crew Rowing Club. Below Fighting Island and Turkey Island, the Detroit River opens to resemble a lake with natural wetlands. Waterfowl often flock so thick that they darken the sky, and thousands of tundra swans winter-over here. There’s a handy put-in just inside the Canard River at the public Walter K. Ranta Marina. On the American side is Grosse Ile, the river’s largest island and an affluent Detroit suburb, tethered to the American shore by two swing bridges.
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As you near the picturesque town of Amherstburg, Ontario, the seaway splits into the upstream-bound Amherstburg Channel and downstream-bound Livingstone Channel. This stretch has the fastest and most powerful current with the flow directed into the shipping lanes. From Livingstone Channel, swing through Hole-in-the-Wall and into the sheltered mooring pools at Hidden Lake and Crystal Bay. Here among the islands, between the channels, is one of a very few areas that the limestone bedrock rears to the surface in this part of Ontario. This is one of the most popular areas with recreational boaters, who come out by the thousands on hot summer days. It is so busy that food service boats float around offering everything from cheeseburgers to pita wraps.
Out of the main river flow at the tip of land on the east side of Hidden Lake, wait for a thousand-foot-long freighter to come upstream in Livingstone Channel. When these behemoths kick it up to overpower the current their displacement is incredible. The large whirlpools and boils will give you one wild ride. Fort Malden, on the Amherstburg shore, was a strategic post to control the mouth of this waterway for the British during the war of 1812. The Kings Navy Yard where much of the Lake Erie fleet was built is now a beautiful park. A Canadian Coast Guard station is just downstream.
There are many beaches along the road south of Amherstburg, but most are private. Your best bet for Amherstburg access is the town ramp at the foot of Gore Street at Duffy’s Motor Inn and Tavern. You must park on a side street. The island off Amherstburg is one of the most historic islands in all the Great Lakes. Bois Blanc, named by French explorers in 1670, is more commonly called Bob-lo Island. For almost 100 years, until the 1980s, the steamboats Columbia and St. Clair transported tourists from Detroit and Windsor to the island’s amusement park. Today, Bob-lo is being developed as an upscale community with multimillion-dollar homes.
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A long finger of land protruding from Bob-lo Island toward Lake Erie forms the White Sands Beach Conservation Area. From here, you are almost out of the Detroit River and have begun kayaking into the western basin of Lake Erie. You have paddled the crossroads at the centre of a continent, an adventurous and historic destination that should be on every paddler’s list of urban hot spots.
This article was first published in the Spring 2004 issue of Adventure Kayak Magazine. Subscribe to Paddling Magazine’s print and digital editions, or browse the archives.
Your kayak can take you places most people will never see. Going into unknown and less traveled locations and completing a trip you researched, planned and executed carries a great sense of accomplishment. It also gives you a deeper understanding of the unique waters and cultures you’re headed to enjoy, so follow our checklist and make your kayak expedition planning a breeze.
Every whitewater kayak expedition is different
There can be drawbacks to these endeavors, especially the exploratory type missions. Kayak expeditions can, and often do, require more suffering than enjoyment when water levels don’t work out, or the access trail you’re planning to use doesn’t exist. Know your group’s willingness to adapt, and plan your trip accordingly. If you are going somewhere remote, you might not want to push your limits as much as usual.
Here are the fundamentals to help budding explorers go out and plan their own adventure.
Step 1: Do your research. | Feature Photo: Mark Mulrain
Kayak expedition planning checklist
1. Do your expedition research
Hunt out guidebooks and search online for blogs, photos or videos. Don’t limit yourself to kayak specific searches; climbers, canyoneers, and hikers often travel to similar locations as kayakers. There is so much information out there and chances are your area has been explored and documented in some way. Google Earth can also be an amazing tool for scoping out the landscape you’re planning to visit on your kayak expedition.
Maybe you know someone who has already been where you want to go? Buy them a beer or give them a lift to a river and pick their brains.
You’ll want to know where exactly you want to go, what to expect of the rivers, when the rivers will be in good condition and have a rough idea of logistics. In some places like Nepal, you may need permits/permission to access certain areas.
Make an of estimate of how much this will all cost.
Step 2: Find your group. | Photo: Mark Mulrain
2. Find a good group
A group can make or break a trip. When you are going to spend an extended period of time in each other’s company, it’s important you get along well and trust one another.
Ideally, everyone will bring something different to the kayak expedition team. That might be leadership on the river, cooking skills, even a sense of humor can be an asset.
The group should ideally all be around the same ability level too, so you can all take care of each other.
Someone who has already paddled the river to lead the trip
Experienced kayak expedition members
Someone with emergency first aid training
Super keen and fit people willing to push the group to paddle/portage faster
Access to lots of camping/cooking/safety equipment
A good rapport between each and every group member
Everything you need and then some. | Photo: Mark Mulrain
3. Consider going with a guide
A few years ago, hiring a guide service would be something I would have never considered. Why pay more to do something I could do myself?
As I moved away from student life and got myself a real job, I found I had less free time and more money. I wanted to make the most of my free time, and a guide made this possible. You can spend less time gaffing and more time doing the fun stuff! It’s certainly something to consider if your time is valuable to you.
Even if you are managing the trip yourself, you may need to work with a travel agent to book private travel or organize permits. Your research will shed some light on this.
When planning a kayak expedition you should first ask, does everyone in the group have paddling and safety skills suitable for the grades of water you will be undertaking? If you are going to be wild camping you will need to know how to build a fire, set up your shelter, and how to load all your gear into the kayak. Packing a kayak with overnight gear is a skill in of itself, one that grows with practice.
Step 5: Make an equipment list. | Photo: Mark Mulrain
5. Pack the right equipment
You will need all your standard safety gear and first aid items, but you may also want to add some items to your collection, like a set of split paddles in the group.
Anything you don’t know how to use, make sure you take the time to learn. There are no user manuals or 4G signals in remote areas.
Ask yourself:
Do you need any special medication for the area you are going to?
Will you need climbing equipment for access issues?
Will you need cooking equipment?
Will you need camping equipment?
Will you need to carry water purification tablets or a filter?
Will you need a satellite phone or GPS beacon for emergencies?
For longer trips where you need to carry a lot of stuff in your boat, you might end up overloading your regular kayak. I switched from a 9R to a 9R L for a multi-day in Nepal, and it was a brilliant decision, the extra weight from my multiday equipment made the bigger 9R paddle a lot like a regular 9R for me. On another trip, I picked a Machno for its extra volume and carrying capacity.
When not traveling the world kayaking, Mark Mulrain calls Edinburgh, U.K. his home. He is a Pyranha team paddler and manages Immersion Research’s European division.
It looks like 2011 is shaping up to be Pyranha’s year of play. This season, two new designs are spawned into the family born with last year’s Molan. First up is the Pyranha Varun, a fun and friendly river play boat that’s already turning heads. Later this spring, the Loki will be a long, classically styled old school mover.
“There are two ways a kayak can take shape,” Pyranha designer Richard Taylor says. “We either know exactly where we want it to sit and what form it’s going to take, or it can be a very organic process with lots of conceptual work first. The Varun took the first route.”
Borrowing design features and ethos from the freestyle success of the Molan, the Pyranha Varun shares its center planing hull section and two-way rails concept, with numerous refinements and modifications to create a stable, easy carving, user-friendly ride.
“We’ve taken the concepts that worked really well for the Molan and applied them to a river running scenario,” continues Taylor. The Varun gains 11 inches but only 1.5 gallons of volume over its muse, resulting in slicey ends for squirts, stalls, cartwheels and other old school downriver moves.
The Varun has plenty of moves in store
Pyranha worked hard on the volume distribution, creating a boat that feels well balanced, with plenty of pop for more advanced playboating moves.
Feature Photo: Scott MacGregor
Lower volume behind the cockpit makes for easy rolling. Taylor says volume allocation—along with paddling position and overall bow and stern height—take cues from another success, 2005’s much-loved Pyranha Seven-O.
One of the challenges with the Molan were its slippery carving edges. The Varun’s shallower stern hull and sidewall angles make it easier for beginner and intermediate paddlers to transition edge to edge, and carve around on features and in and out of eddies. It’s still fast and loose on a wave like the Molan, with enough rocker to prevent pearling when surfing. Blasting downriver, we noted that the bow ramps up and over holes and reactionaries rather than diving in—perfect and predictable for all but the steepest holes, where we back endered knowing better.
Reliable Connect 30 outfitting
Outfitting is Pyranha’s tried and tested Connect 30. Secure, adjustable and proven to withstand abuse, it even includes a roll of peel and-stick foam for the knee area. With all its engineered outfitting, the Varun still uses prescored foot foam. While it offers carve-it-once and-be-done simplicity, it cannot be adjusted for different users or even a different pair of water shoes.
Ramp up your play with the Pyranha Varun
The versatile Pyranha Varun is a solid choice for fun, comfortable and forgiving play-as-you-go downriver paddling and adventurous big water runs. Funny, we said much the same of the InaZone 12 years ago. Pyranha remains committed to those who enjoy the whole river and…well, we still like to stern squirt.
The Whisky is a new design from famed sea kayaker Nigel Foster. Designed for a Swedish company by an Englishman who now makes his home in America, built in China and named after a drink from Scotland—the Point 65 Whisky 16 kayak is truly an international undertaking.
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Point 65’s Whisky 16 is a neat ride
Rather than producing yet another generic “me too” sea kayak, Foster continues his record of distinctive designs, boldly pushing the Point 65 Whisky 16 deeper into the playboat niche than most would be willing to go.
Clearly the hull was conceived with play and surfing in mind. It is highly rockered for manoeuvrability, with a very hard chine running the full length of its flat hull. Volume carries well into the ends and the bow in particular is very full, almost bulbous, and buoyant. The cockpit is quite far back.
There are large oval rubber hatches bow and stern, a smaller 20-centimetre round day hatch, and a 15-centimetre hatch on the fore deck within easy reach of the cockpit.
The Chinese build quality is reasonable but could use refinement. The boat felt solid, but multiple leaks into the cockpit were disappointing (one suspects the builder will have this resolved in short order). The Whisky 16 is also heavy for its size. And with the balance point of the kayak being forward of the cockpit, it’s an awkward solo carry.
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Track and maneuver with sober precision
The fit is excellent and suits a wide range of paddlers. The backband offers good support and the thigh braces create a nice knee pocket that makes edging and rolling easy.
Feature Photo: Alex Matthews
Afloat, the boxy cross-sectional shape and 22-inch beam yield solid primary stability and tons of secondary. It’s fun tossing the Whisky on edge, although due to its extreme rocker, it doesn’t require edging for tight turns; the boat virtually spins 180 degrees with one sweep!
Given the extremely high manoeuvrability, tracking was a pleasant surprise. The Point 65 Whisky 16 is easy to paddle in a straight line. Even in high winds where I expected the high-riding bow to deflect, the Whisky was easy to control. When the bow did wander, it was easy to bring back on course.
The Whisky goes wave surfing
Is is a warning sign to design a hatch specifically to carry your booze? How about naming your new boat after your favorite alcoholic beverage? We don’t think so. The Whisky hatch is useful for all sorts of things.
The flat hull and hard chines combine with the stern-weighted position of the cockpit for very good surfing characteristics. The full bow does a great job of staying on the surface too; the downside is its tendency to slam down hard on the backside of oncoming waves.
Even fully deployed, the Whisky 16’s distinctive clear plastic skeg doesn’t present much surface area, yet it provides good tracking and effectively counters the boat’s slight tendency to weathercock in wind.
The Whisky 16 from Point 65 is primarily a day-paddler that excels in play spots like rock gardens, tidal features and surf breaks. But it also works surprisingly well as a do-everything kayak. It has decent speed and, other than its tendency to “slam” in chop, it’s enjoyable to paddle in a wide variety of conditions and can carry enough gear for a few days. The Whisky 16 is a different and a very fun kayak.
This article was first published in the Summer 2009 issue of Adventure Kayak Magazine. Subscribe to Paddling Magazine’s print and digital editions, or browse the archives.
This article originally appeared in Adventure Kayak Early Summer 2017 issue.
