Too often, no matter whether on a big play wave in a spring creek, beginner and even quite seasoned paddlers run straight-ahead-Fred green runs down very uninteresting sections of river. Even if you’re not a super hot river runner, there is usually a smoother, dryer, cleaner and sometimes even safer line than blasting down the middle. Finding these lines makes paddling more fun and improves your skills.
5 expert tips to improve your river running
1 Scout for fun, not function
Standing above a set of rapids, you often hear paddlers talking about the line. Not a line, or their line, but the line, as if there is only one possible choice. In some extreme cases, this is true, but for rivers most often paddled, there are hundreds—maybe even thousands—of possible combinations. Start by identifying hazards, like wood or nasty holes. So long as you don’t paddle (or swim) into them, the rest is fair game. Pick out a few cool moves at the beginning and you can line them up from above. Make note of your exit strategy, which is the tongue line you would have paddled anyway.
2 Nail it and rail it
There’s nothing more satisfying than nailing a tiny eddy up against a canyon wall—and an eddy just small enough to snap your boat into and feed you back into the current, railing a jet ferry across to the other side. Practicing tiny eddy moves and ferries on class II adds value to an otherwise cruisy run and builds real river-running skills.
3 Boofs
Boofing the first eddy of the run is one of the most fun moves on the river, not to mention an incredibly valuable skill. This is almost certainly a smooth and dry line—whether you launch off the edge of the rock or just cut across the very top of the eddyline—with an eddy waiting below. Angle, momentum and timing work together; if one is off, just compensate with the others. Practice hitting the same boof or eddy super high from different approaches until you can nail it from anywhere above.
4 Turn and surf
Not every perfect surf wave is eddy accessible at the bottom of a set. Look for them while scouting and work them into your run. Catching surfs on the fly is easier than it looks. While floating down to a wave, spin your boat around so you’re facing upstream and paddle forward to slow your approach. Look over your shoulder and hit the steepest part of the wave to let it catch your boat.
5 Work it, baby
I’m usually the first person down a set of rapids and the last to finish. Most think it’s because I’m in an open boat, but it’s usually because I’m picking my way down, working each little feature along the way. Don’t rush to the bottom unless you’re in it for the shuttle.
This article was published in Issue 73 of Paddling Magazine. Play the river. | Feature photo: Owen Roth
