LearningtoRowWhitewater

LevelsI-III

Simple,elegantandfun

Whitewaterrowingiselegantlysimple.Youneedtodotwothingswell—workapairofoarsandreadariver.

Everystageoflearningtorowisfun.Itisfuntolearnbeginningskillsandfunallthewaythroughthelearningprogression.Therearesomanygreatthingstolookforwardtoinlearningtorow.

Thegoalistotrainselfsufficient,independentrowers.

Webelieverowersshouldhavetheskillandknowledgetobesafeandselfsufficientinreadingandrunningwhitewater.Weteachatoolboxofskillsforyoutobuildconfidenceandmakesenseoftheriverforyourself.

Respecttheriver,bepositiveandskilledtobesafe

Wetakeapointpositiveapproachtobeingsafebasedonskill,knowledge,preparationandrespectfortheriver.

Whateveryouarereadytolearn.

Startatthepointinthelearningprogressionthatisrightforyou.Pickandchoosewhatishelpfultoyourindividualrowingneeds.

Italldependsonhowgoodyouwanttobe.

Withalltheskillandknowledgeintheworld,youstillhavetopayattention.Yourdegreeofcommitment,joyandpassionwilldeterminehowfaryouwanttogowithwhitewaterrowing.

Tobecomearower,youdon'tjustpassatestandgetadiploma.Rowingisaconstantcycleoflearningandapplyingwhatyou've

learned.Youhavetoshowupeveryday.

Level1:

PreparingtoSucceed

Theskillstobesafe

Forawhitewaterrower,thebestsafetytechniqueontheriverishavingtheskillsandknowledgetostayoutoftrouble.Thesecondbestsafetytechniqueishavingtheskillsandknowledgetorowyourwayoutofanytroubleyoufindyourselfin.

Withfundamental,soundrowingskillsandgoodunderstandingof“readingthewater,”youhavethebestchanceofavoidingtroubleinthefirstplace.

Whenoarspop,equipmentfails,attentionwandersoryoujustplainmakeamistake,andithappenstoallofus,therearetimesyoumustbepreparedforthreateningsituations.Ifyoucan’tfixthemontheoars,youhavetobepreparedtofixthemanotherway.Thismeanshavingsafetyandrescuegearandknowinghowtousethem.Itmeanscommunicatingandbeingsafeasateamwiththeotherrowersinyourparty.Ifthereevercomesatimewhenanaccidenthappensandyouneedtoberescued,orrescuesomeoneelse,youneedtobeaspreparedasyoucanpossiblybe.

Thisguideisfocusedonlearningtorow.Fordetailedsafetytrainingwehighlyrecommendyoutakeaswiftwaterrescueclass.

Thesearethethingsthatgiveyouasafefoundationasrowers.Youhoneyourskills,trainandprepareforthingstogowrong,whileyoufocusyourattentiononthesafeline,thecleanrun,thepositiveoutcome.

Wewanttobeconfident,butnotcocky.Whichbringsusbacktothemostimportantpartofasafefoundation;alwaystreattheriverwithrespect.Itisvastlymorepowerfulthanweareanditremindsusofthisfactoften.

Stylesofrowing

Therearemanystylesofrowing.Thereisnoonrightwaytorow.

Riversandraftsarenotallcreatedequal.OurgoalmaybetodevelopastyleappropriatetorowthebigwateroftheGrandCanyon,domulti-daytripsontheRogue,orrowsteeprockyCherryCreek.Wemayrowalightcataraft,afamilyraft,oraheavilyloadedgearboat.Wemayhavethedesiretochallengeourselvesortojustrelaxandhavefun.Everyrowergetstodiscovertheirowncomfortlevel.Learningwhatisrightforeachofusispartoftheprocess.Therearemanyrightpaths,allequallyenjoyable.

Ifwestartwithrespectandasafefoundation,everyriverandraftandeverylevelofrowingpresentsopportunitiestofindsolutionsandbecreativeontheoars.Withexperienceandagoodfoundationeveryonecandevelopastyleofrowingappropriatetothem.

Thetoolboxofskills

Rowingislearnedthroughexperience.Theideaspresentedheremakenoattempttoexhausteverydetailofrowing.Theyprovidesomefundamentaltoolstostartbuildingyourownrowingtoolbox.Thegoalisforyoutohavethetoolsandknowledgetosolveproblemsontheriverforyourself.

Thegreatpartisthatitisallfun.Fromtheverybeginningtothehighestlevelsofskill,rowingisnutritious,satisfyingfun.

Thebasiclearningprogression

Tobeawhitewaterroweryouwillneedtodotwothingswell—rowandreadariver.

Steponeislearningtorow.Untilyougettherowingpartdown,ithelpstokeepthewaterreadingassimpleandbarebonesaspossible.

Sowestartbylearningtoidentifybasicobstaclesandthecleanlinesthroughrapids.ThisprovidesenoughtogetyoustartedrowingClassIIandsomeClassIIIrapids.

Initiallythefocusisonthestrongeststroke,pullingtechniquesforferryingandcatchingeddies.Nomatterwhatstyleofrowingyoueventuallyadopt,theseskillswillnaildownthecrucialabilitytocatcheddiesandpulloutoftroublesituations.

Assoonasthebasichandlingoftheoarsanddrivingoftheboatstarttoclick,moredetailedreadingofthewaterwillcomeintoplay.Startingtounderstandhowthecurrentmoveswillimmediatelymakeferryingtechniquesmoreeffectiveandeconomical.

Wewanttheskillsofcatchingeddiesandferryingtobecomerocksolidhabitsforwhenyouneedthem.Oncetheyfeelreallysolid,thenyouarereadytojumpintoawholedifferentwayofrunningrapidsusingpushing.

Thepushstrokeisnotasstrongaspulling,yetpushingisaverypowerfultoolforrunningrapids.Pushingrequiresknowledgeofusingthewatertohelpusrow.Itdependsonit.

Weteachpushingafteryouhavereachedacomfortlevelontheoars,whenyoudon’thavetothinkaboutthemverymuch,andcanputyourattentiononreadingthewater.

Aswestarttopush,wequicklyfillupourrowingtoolboxwithawholecollectionofnewthings.Weareopeninguptheknowledgeofhowrapidsreallyworkandallthewayswatercanhelpyourowaboatdowntheriver.

ThestrokesThereisanimportantquestiontoaskbeforeheadingdownintoyourfirstrapid.Canyoucontrolaraftwiththebasicoarstrokes?

Beforecanunderstandwhitewater,itisimperativetobeabletodrivetheboatforward,backwardandspinineitherdirection.Torowwhitewater,youcan’tbethinkingaboutwhichoargoesinthewater,yourattentionneedstobeontheriver.

Practicesessionsinflatwatercanmakeyourfirsttimeontherivermuchbetter.

Hereisagoodtesttoseeifyouareready.Ontheriver,ifyourboatstartstospin,canyoutellifit’syourrowingthathasmadethishappen,oriftheriverhasmadeitspin?

BuildingMuscleMemory

Practicingthestrokesinflatwaterbuildsthecoordinationthatgetsthemintoyourmusclememory.Rowingbecomesanaturalextensionsofthedecisionsyoumakeonthewater.

SafetytrainingAgoodswiftwaterrescueclassishighlyrecommended.Tobewellpreparedforemergenciesyouneedknowledgeofsafetygear,crucialknots,properrigging,throwbagtechnique,upstreamanddownstreamsafety,rescueprocedures,ropesafety,swiftwaterswimming,andhandlingemergencieslikeawrappedorflippedboat.

CataraftsvconventionalraftsThisisalongconversation.Acataraft,ifnotheavilyloaded,islightandnimbleandcandosomethingsaconventionalraftcannot.Itcandeveloporhaltmomentumveryquicklyandspinonadime.

Arafthandlesdifferentlythanalightmaneuverablecat.Themomentumofaraftmustbemanaged.Momentumisausefultoolbutittakeslongertoacceleratearaftorslowitbackdown.

Dobothtypesofboatsbenefitthesamefoundationofskills?Definitely.

Oarlocks,OarRights,PinsandClips

Whatisthebestwaytorigoars?Thatdependsontheriverandhowyoulearntorow.Forbeginners,startingwithapositiveoarposition(OarRightsorpinsandclips)eliminatesalayerofcomplicationduringtheinitiallearningprocess.Onceyouunderstandthefoundationskills,tryopenoarlocksiftheyappealtoyou.Freemovingoarsareextremelyversatileespeciallyifyougetusedtothemasearlyaspossible.Ontheotherhand,manyrowerspreferapositiveoarpositionwhentheyrowincriticalsituations.Thisstylecanandhasbeenusedtobrillianteffectformanyyears.Thereisnoonerightanswer.Thisisanopenandongoingdebateintherowingcommunity.

Downstreamoarsafety

Takingcareofyourdownstreamoarislikecheckingtoseeifyourflyiszipped.Itneedstobeahabit.

Whenyourboatisturnedsidewayswithoneoardownstream,youarevulnerabletojabbingitintoasubmergedrock.Partofyoumustalwayswatchwheretheoarbladegoesintothewater.Youdon’twantthatoartobecomeadangerousmissile.Foraskilledroweritissecondnaturetotakesafestrokeseveninshalloworrockywater.

Learningtopullfirst?

Pullingisbyfarthestrongeststroke.Advancedrowerswhocanreadwaterhaveawidevarietyoftechniquesavailabletothem.Theyknowhowtolettheriverhelpthem,sotheydon’talwaysneedstrengthtomakegreatmoves.

Whenyouarelearning,youdon’thaveasmuchknowledgeoftheriver.Tobesafe,firstlearntocatcheddiesandmakemoveswithyourstrongeststroke.Itworkswithabasicunderstandingofreadingwater.Evenwhenyougaingreaterunderstanding;therearetimeswhenyouneedtobeyourstrongest.Whentheshithitsthefanyouwillappreciateknowinghowtopull.

Level2:

BuildingaSafeFoundation

MeettheEddyLine

Canyourecognizethedifferencebetweenupstreammovingwateranddownstreammovingwater?WheretheymeetiswhereyouwillmaketheacquaintanceoftheEddyLine.

Crossingtosafety

Catchingeddiesishowyoupauseyourmovementdowntheriver.Forordinarysituationsandemergencies,youneedtobeabletostoponeorallofyourboats.Scoutingarapid,communicatingaplan,makingcampororganizingarescueareafewofthereasonswhyitisimperativetocatcheddies.Asateamandonyourown,catchingeddiesisthemostfundamentalskillofasaferower.

Howtocatcheddies

TheEddyLineisanotapushover.Youhavetobustacrosstogetintoaneddy.

Youwantthistobeareliablemove.Turntheraftsidewaysandpullbackwardsusingyourstrongeststroke.Thisistheeasiestwaytocreatethemomentumtobustintoaneddy.

Asyouapproachtheeddy,pullhardtogettheraftmovinglaterallyacrossthewater.Whenyouhittheeddyline,youwillcrossfromdownstreammovingwaterintoupstreammovingwater.Theboathastodrivestraightacrossto“stick”theeddy.Buttheopposingdirectionsofwaterwillwanttomakeitspin.Counteractwithquickerstrongerstrokesontheupstreamoar.

Recognizetheeddyearly.Catchingeddiesisatimingmoveandoftenyou’llwanttostickthetoporupstreamendofone.

Evenafteryouareinaneddy,youhavetopayattentiontostayinginit.Everyeddyisdifferent.Youhavetoreallylookatthem.Sometimesittakestyinguptoshoretobereallysecure.

Practicingafundamentalsequenceofstrokes

Incalmstretchesofcurrent,practiceaimingtheboatstraightdownstream,thenpivotsidewaysintoa“ferryangle,”andtakeacoupleofstrokestocreatealittlemomentum,pivotbacktofacingdownstream,andrepeatintheoppositedirection.

Pivotfromstraighttosidewaysandtakeastroke.Pivotfromsidewaysbacktostraight.

Thisisafundamentalsequenceofstrokesyouwillneedtoknowandgetgoodat.

Agroupofboatscanpracticebyplayingfollow-theleader.

Teamboating

Awholeraftingpartycatchingeddiestogetherisessentialtoteamboating.Onahandsignal,alltheboatsshouldbeabletohaltprogressdownstream.

Ateamofboatsisorganizedintoaboatorder.Theleadboatwatchesoutinfrontofthewholegroupandasweepboatpayingattentionintheback.Theywillbeinchargeofdownstreamandupstreamsafety.Eachrowershouldknowhandandwhistlesignals,andstayawareoftheboatsdirectlyupstreamanddownstream.

Asstudentsandinstructorsbreakintogroups,thesesmallerpartiescanworkonteamcommunicationandkeepingtheirownboatorder.

ScoutingSafeLinesandObstaclesFromShore

Westartlearningtoreadthefeaturesofarapidfromasafeplaceonshore,wherewecantakeourtime.Asidecreekcanalsobeaplacetoscavengerhuntriverfeatures.Askalotofquestions.

Lookdownintoarapidandidentifytheboulders,islands,shoreline,hydraulics,etc.thatimpedethewaythrougharapid.Wheretheriverflowspasttheobstaclestherearesafelineswewantourboatstotravel.Theobstaclesdefinethesafelines.

.

ReadingtheObstacles

Whenyoulearnedtorecognizeaneddyline,youbegantoreadwater.

Ifyouhaveneverdoneitbefore,it’slikemeetingastrangerforthefirsttime.Youcanpickouttheobviousfeatures,brownhair,blueeyes,athleticbuild,butyoucannotreadallthesubtlecluesofbodylanguageandfacialexpression.Thoseonlycomewhenyouknowsomeonebetter.Thesamegoesfortheriver.

Wewanttogetyourowingrapidsassoonaspossible.Theobstaclesaretheobviousfeatures.Rightnowwewanttokeepthingsassimpleaspossibletogetyouintothewhitewater.

Ifyoucanreadtheobstaclesandthesafelines,youarereadytolearnthebasicsofhowtorowtherapid.

Howtheriverhelpsus,technicalrowing

Inariverrunningatamoderate2,500cubicfeetpersecond,156,000poundsofwaterpassdownrivereverysecond.Thatistheequivalentof11.14largeAfricanelephantseverysecond.

Theriverismuchstrongerthanyouare!Thesecretofwhitewaterrowingistouseeverybitofhelpyoucangetfromit.Therivercanmakeyouverystrong,saveyoualotofworkandhelpyoumakemoves.

Technicalrowing,thekindofrowingneededforcomplextechnicalrapids,isbasedonlettingthewater(theelephants)doasmuchoftheworkaspossible.

Inrapids,theweightofallthatwater,the“elephants”perpetuallymarchesdownstream.Thatisthemovementofthewaterflowing,thecurrent.Itisveryreliable.

Tomissobstaclesandstayinsafelineswesimplyturnandpullsidewaysacrosstherivertowherethesafechannelswillcarryuspasttheobstacles.Welettheriverdotherest.

Imagineariverasagiantconveyorbelt,likethemovingsidewalksinanairport.Ofcourseariverismuchmorecomplexanddoesnotfollowastraightline,butlikeaconveyorbeltitneverstopsmovingforwardevenasitsnakesbetweenrocksandbendsaroundturns,anditcarrieswithitalltheweightofthosethousandsofpoundsofwater.

Theriver(elephants)willdoalltheworkofconveyingusinaforwarddirection.

Thisseemspainfullyobvious,butissoimportanttograspallthatthisimplies.Wewanttoharnessthepoweroftheelephants;wedonotneedtoduplicatetheirwork.

Inarapid,noeffortonourpartisneededtomaketheboatgodownstream.

Allwehavetodoisrowacrossandselectthecleanlinesofcurrent.

“Pullingawayfromdanger”

Thisisaslightlyominoussounding,buteasyphrasetorememberforsomethingthatisalotoffuntodo.Itmeansfloatingdownintoarapidandidentifyingthefirstmostdangerousobstacle.Tostayinthesafeline,weturntheboatsidewaysandpull“away”tomoveacrosstherivertocontinuechoosingasafelinepasttheobstacle.

Whysideways?

Thereareonly2waysyoucandevelopmomentuminaraft.Youcaneitherrowforwardorbackwardandofthetwo,pullingbackwardisthestrongerstroke.

Itmaysoundstrangetobefloatingsideways,itiscounterintuitive,butthisisthewayyousidestepobstacles.Rememberyouaregoingtogethelpfromtheriver;youdon’thavetodoanyoftheworkofmovingdownstream.Movesidewaysandallowtherivertocarryyoupasttheobstacles.

Stickwiththiscounterintuitivestuffforawhilelonger.Otherideasarecoming.Thisisimportanttobeingsafe.

Sidewaystocurrentnottheriverbank

Veryimportant!

Donotjudge“sideways”bylookingatthebanksoftheriver.Theshoredoesnottellusthedirectioncurrentisrunning.Rivercurrentrunsindiagonals,curvesandisdeflectedbyobstacles.Itdoesnotfollowthebanks.

Whenwetalkaboutbeingsidewayswemeansidewaystothecurrent,nottheshoreline.

Inriverrunningwecallbeingsidewaystothecurrenta“ferryangle.”

Theferryangle

Theferryangleisthewayaboatisangledsidewaystocurrentformovingacrosstheriver.Forrightnowletsjusttalkaboutaferryangleinrelationtousingthepullstroke.

Strictlyspeakingaferryangleis45°tothecurrent.PictureanoldfashionedferryboatcrossingariversidewaysfrompointAtopointBwithoutbeingcarrieddownstream.Acableanchoredonthebanksholdstheraftinplaceandthecurrentpushesitacross.Thisiswheretheterm“ferryangle”comesfrom.

Inrafting,theword“ferryangle”referstoalotofdifferentangles,notjuststrictly45°.

Findingandholdinganyangleontherivercanbeachallengeinthebeginningandwewantyououttheredoingitassafelyaspossible.Thatmeanspayingattentiontodownstreamoarsafety.

Thatsaid,byfarthemostefficientwaytorowacrosscurrentissideways,ata90°angle.

Feelingangleswithyouroars

Testthisforyourselfinaplacewithcurrentandnorapids.Startbyfacingyourboatstraightdownstream,androwdirectlyupstreamintothecurrent.

Feelthepressureagainsttheoars.Whatdoesitfeelliketorowthisway?

Youareputtingallyourrowingenergyintoslowingdowninrelationtothecurrent.Slowingyourboatinrelationtocurrentisafundamentalrowingtechnique.Butinthe

contextofferryingacrosstheriveryouarefightingdirectlyagainstthecurrent.Youcanfeelthisbyhowhardyouhavetoworkattheoarsrowingdirectlyupstream.

Nextturntheboattoa45°upstreamangletocurrentandagainrowupstream.Feelwhatthisanglefeelsliketotheoarsinyourhands.

Youarerowingwithhalfyourenergyslowingtheraft,andhalfmovingitacrosstheriver,againanimportanttechnique.Yougainsomebenefitfromtheferryeffect,butstillareputtingalotofenergyintoslowingdown.

Feelthis,itisimportanttoknowwhatthisfeelsliketoslowdowntocurrent.butasanangleforferrying,youarewastingalotofenergyfightingthecurrentratherthanmovingacrossit.

Tryitanddecideforyourself.

Now,turntheboatfullysideways,90°tothecurrentandrow.

Allofyourenergywillgointomovingacrosscurrent.Thepressureagainstyouroarswillfeelentirelydifferent.Theybiteintothewaterandmovetheboatwithease.Noneofyourenergyiswastedfightingtheriver.Rememberwhatthisfeelslike.

Withexperiencerowingatthesedifferentangles,youwillknowyourangletocurrentjustbyfeelingthepressureagainstyouroars,ahugebenefit.Eventuallyyouwillchooseyouranglebyfeelalone.

Rowingtherapidbypulling

Youwillusethefundamentalsequencetopullthroughtherapid.

Oncemore,hereishowitgoes.

Whentherearenoobstaclesinyourpathyouwanttherafttobefacingdownstream.Youseebetterthisway,youareinpositiontorunthroughwavesandyoucanquicklyturnintoaferryangleineitherdirection.

Identifythefirstobstacleyouwillneedtomissandwithinplentyoftime,pivottheboatsidewaysintoa“ferryangle”and“pullaway”goingbackwardstomoveacrossintoasafelineofcurrentthatwillmissit.Assoonasyouaresurethatyouhaveclearedthefirstobstacle,pivottheboatbacktostraight,feedingitintothecurrentthatwillcarryyoudownstreamthroughthesafeline.

Immediatelystartscanningforthenextobstacle.

Thisprocesscanhappenmanytimesduringarapidandthesafelineisnotalwaysastraight.

Keepidentifyingthenextmostdangerousobstacleandpullingaway.Thenidentifythenextmostdangerousobstacle.Wemayhavetopullawayeitherrightorleftdependingwhattheriverthrowsatus.

Pivotinghastobequick

Youwantthesequencetobecomeautomatic—facestraight,pivotquicklytoyourferryangle,pullaway,andthenquicklystraightenbackout.

Pivotingquicklyiskey.

Stoppingyourpivotsatthecorrectangleisalsoveryimportant.

Inwhitewaterrowing,themoveyouaremakinghastohappenontime.

Ineasyrapidsthisisnotsoimportant.Butevenineasyrapidsamovecanbeperfectonesecondandallwrongthenext.Assoonasyoudecidetoturntheboat,youwanttospinitverypromptly.Whenyougetintoharderwater,thiswillbecrucial.

Alwaysfacedownstreamwhenyoucantomakeyourpivots.Avoidpivotingwithyourbacktowhatisahead.Youcan’treadarapidifyoucan’tseeit.

Remembertobeawareofthatdownstreamoar.

Whentopointstraightdownstream

Facestraightaheadunlessyouarepullingawayfromobstacles.Thisgivesyouthebestviewoftherapid,thecleanlinesandobstacles.

OftenyouenterarapidfacingforwarddownthemiddleofaVshapedtonguewherethewaterentersthedrop.Lookingforthischaracteristicshapehelpsyouidentifythemainflow.

Itiscomplicatedtoexplainhowtokeeptheboatstraight.Itrequiresalotofpayingattentionandmakingsmalladjustments.Currents,waves,eddiesanddrivererrorscanknockaraftoffastraightcourse.Youuseacombinationofpushing,pulling,rudderingandpivotingtokeepitfacingdownstream.

Punchingwavesandholes

InClassIIIwaterandhigher,thesafelinesmaybepunchy.Theycanhaverunnable“hydraulics”—wavesandholeswhenyouwillwanttobefacingforward,downstream.Youdonotwanttobesideways!

Whenyouidentifyawaveorhole…

Hititstraight.

Hititwithmomentum.

Startearly.

Whenyouidentifyaholeorholestartbydiggingtheoarsintotheriverandpushinghardforward.Theearlieryoustartthemoremomentumyouwillgenerate.Asyoulinetheboatupstraight,punchthewaveorholewithbothoarsbracedaswideaspossible.Timeitsoyouhitinmidstroke,hittingthehydraulicatthestrongestpointofyourforwardpush.

Thebiggerthehydraulic,themoreimportantitbecomestohitstraight,withmomentumandpunch.

Hittingawavestraightcanbecalled“Teeingitup.”

Lineuptoeachwave

Wavesdonotalwayslineupnicelyperpendiculartothecurrent.Eveninatrainofwaves,theycancomefromdifferentangles.Youmustadjusttomeeteachwavestraighton.

Pullingaroundturns

Whencurrentformsacurve,youhavetokeepadjustingyourferryangle.

Missingasingleobstacleinarapidmeanschoosingonegoodferryangletopullaway.Whentheriverbends,aferryanglehastoadjustallthewaythroughthearcoftheturn.

Ifyouwatchonespokeofaslowlyturningbicyclewheel,thatspokewillalwaysstayatthesameangletothecurveofthewheel.Thisisthewayyouwantyourrafttostayataconsistentferryangletoacurveintheriver.

CuttingtheC

Thereisalwaysslowwaterontheinsideofturnsandaneddyalongthefarinsidebank.Bypullinginsideofabendintheriver,youcanplaceyourraftinslowerwatertogoaroundtheturnandavoidwavesandholesthatformalongtheoutsideedgeofaturn.

Cuttingtotheinsideofaturn,acrosstheCshapeofthebend,iscalledCuttingtheC.

Justfilethisnextthoughtawayinthebackofyourmind.Itwillmakemoresenselater.

Takingadownstreamangle

Takingaslightdownstreamangletothecurrent(turningtheferryanglepast90°)andcuttingtheCbypullingtotheinside,willmakeCuttingtheCaneasiermove.Itwillkeepthemomentumoftheraftundercontrolandslicetowardtheinsideofthecurve.

OarManagement

Oarsarelongobjectsstickingoutfromtheboat.Howdoyoufitthroughnarroworrockyplacesandstillrow?Thisneedstobecomeaninstinctivepartofyourtechnique.

Swingingthebladesforwardwhenyougetclosetoawallorrunatightslotisacarefullytimeddance.Observeexperiencedrowersandpractice.Itshouldbeonefluidmovement.Youdonotwanttojoustanoarintoaboulder,ontheotherhand,missingbyaninchisasgoodasmissingbyamile.

Whenthingssuddenlygettightandthereisnotimetoswingtheoarbladeforward,throwthehandlesforward,lettingthebladestrailbehindinthewater.Thiseliminatesthedangerofjoustingtheoarsandyoucanleanforwardandgrabthehandleswhenthedangerispast.

Playing

Playingisnotanafterthought.Theriverisafluidflowingmedium.Beingplayfulhelpsyourelaxandgetthefeelforit.

Playingisawayforgoodrowerstostaysharpandimprovetheirskills.Gettingaboatdownarivercanbeasdelightfulasadance.Playwiththewater,letithelpyoulearnhowitfeelsandmoves.

Starttoplaywiththewater

Thesecrettomakingeffortlessmovesisreadingthewater.Itistimetolookmorecloselyatthedetailsinarapid,thewater.

Wehavesofartalkedaboutobstaclesandcleanlines.Nowlookmorecloselyatthewaysthewatermovescomingdownintoarapid.Currentisnotjustoneblockofmovingwater.Itcanbecomprisedofmanysmallcurrentsanglingindifferentdirectionsabove,aroundandthroughrocks.

Currentdoesnotalignwiththebanksoftheriver!

Rememberwearenotsettingferryanglestothebanksoftheriverbuttothecurrent,orcurrents!

Asearlyasyoucanseethem,studythecurrentsaheadofyourraftastheyflowdownintorapidsorabovemoves.

Seethecurrents

Figureouthowandwheretheyaremoving

Setyourferryanglestohowthewaterisreallymoving

Playingbymakingmoves

Everyrockintheriverisanobstacleyoucanpracticemissingbypullingawayandferrying.Thereareoftentightgapsbetweenrocksoralternatelinesthatrequireyoutomakemoves.DiscoveringtrickyroutesthroughClassIIrapidsisagreatwaytolearnharderrowingskills.

Practiceseeingthecurrentsandjudgingthetiming,distancesandspeedofthewater.Howearlydoyouneedtostartferrying?

Youcangoofaroundusingdifferentangles,judgehowmanystrokestotake,howhardtopull,pivotingandstoppingtheboatatapreciseangle.

Amovingraftwillcontinuetoglideafteryoustoptakingstrokes.Playwithbeingabletojudgethemomentwhenyouhavetakenjustenoughstrokestomisstheobstacle.Itcanbeasbigaproblemtotaketoomanystrokesastotaketoofew.

Takeintoaccountthecurrents.

Playatcallingyourshots

“I’mgoingtosinkthesevenballinthecornerpocket!”

Figureouttheexactmoveyouwanttomakebeforeyoutryit.Likeplayingpool,callyour“shot”beforeyouattemptit.

Justsloppingdownintorapidsisarecipeforgettingintotrouble.Youwanttobeintentionalwithyourmoves.Learntobringtheboatthroughwhitewaterundercontrol.

Readthecurrentsabovethemovescorrectlyandgettherightanglesandyouwillsuddenlyfindyourselfincontrolofyourraftandtherapid.

Playingwithmid-streameddies

Behindeveryrockintheriver,watermovesbackupstream.Eddiesdon’tjustexistalongtheshore.Theyarealloverrapidsandyouwilllearntomakethemyourfriends.

Upstreammovingeddywaterisalsocalled“backwater”or“slackwater.”Becauseitmovesintheoppositedirectiontodownstreamcurrentitcanhaveapowerfulimpactonaraft.

Togobacktotheelephantanalogy.Ifthewaterweightof11elephantsismovingdownstreamat2500CFS,imagineoneofthemturningbackupstream.Evenababyelephantmovingintheoppositedirectionwouldbeapowerfulweightofwatertoruninto.

Theimpactofaraftslidingontoamid-streameddyisaprofoundtoolthatwecanstarttoplaywithineasywater.

Startingtomaneuverusingmid-streameddies

Whenpartofarafttubeslidesontoeddywater,itabruptlyslowsdownwhiletherestoftheraftisstillindownstreammovingwater.Theresultisthattheraftturnsinthedirectionoftheeddy.Whetheritturnsalittlebitorstartstocompletelyspindependsonthestrengthoftheeddyandhowmuchrafthitsit.

Draggingalittlebitoftubeintoaneddycanbeasubtletoolforslightlyalteringcourse,somethingwewillsoonexploreindetail.

Ifyouferrybackwardsintoamid-streameddy,thebackoftheraftwillabruptlyslowandthefront,stillincurrent,willswingaroundandslingshottheraft’smomentuminanewdirection,sidewaysacrosstheriver.

Thisisatrickytimingmove.Youhavetogettheraftmovingearly(developmomentum)andtimesomehardpullstojustmissthemidstreamrockanddrivetheraftacrosstheeddylineashighaspossible,ascloseaspossibletotherock.

Thesensationofabigheavyraftsuddenlybeingwhirledaroundbyariverisexhilaratingandaddicting.Itisalsoagreattoolforchangingdirectionquicklyinmovingcurrent,withtheriverdoingthehardworkforus.

Movesthatmightbeverydifficultwithjustpullingontheoars,becomeelegantandeasy.

Thisisourfirstintroductiontousingeddiesasmaneuveringtools.Eventuallywewillbeseekingouteddiestohelpusallthetime.

Assoonasyouarecomfortablewiththesethings,wewillbeencouragingyou,pushingyou,beggingyoutomoveontothenextsteps.

Level3:

LearningtoUsetheWater

Theriverisnolongeracompletestranger.Youhaverunrapids,keptyourraftstraight,caughteddies,bustedwavesandfeltthecurrentcarryingyoudownstream.Youhavegainedtheexperiencetonoticemorethantheobviousfeaturesofwhitewater.

Whenyoulookatarapid,youhavepracticedseeingitlikeamapofobstaclesandcleanlines.Thereisanothermapthatoverlaysthisone.Itisthedetailedmapofcurrent.

Readingcurrentholdsthekeytothenextlevelsofrowingtechnique.Inanygiven“line,”currentcanflowstraight,diagonally,orsideways.Itcanpillowuponrocks,speedup,orfeedintootherflows.Itcandividearoundobstacles,curve,ordeadend.Whenyoustarttorecognizeallthesethings,youcanworkwiththem.Ifyouletthemhelpyou,anddefinitelyavoidfightingagainstthem,adoorisabouttoopenforyou.

Understandinghowtoreadwater

Understandingthewateristhebestwaytobesafeontheriver.Understanditandyoucanpredicthowitwillaffectyourboatbeforeyougetthere.Youwillturnriverrowingintosomethingenjoyableandsatisfyingnotrandomandfrightening.Youestablishabaselineofbeingincontrol.Theriverstopsbeingchaoticandstartstomakesense.Youwillreadthewaterlikeyoureadhighwaysigns.Youwillhavecrackedthecode.

TheABC’sofreadingcurrent

Wearegoingbackonshoretoourscoutrockandlookingmorecloselyatthewaterrunningpasttheobstacles.Let’sbreakdownhowtoreadcurrent.

Startlookingattheverybeginningoftherapidandstudywhatthewaterdoes.Withinthelinesofcurrentlookforthedetailsofhowitmoves.Trytofollowaflowofwaterallthewaythroughtherapidwithyoureyes.Itmighttakeafewtriestomakeitalltheway.Ifyouthrewastickintothetopoftherapidwherewoulditgo?

Thenextstepistoimagineyourraftfloatingintotherapid.Whatwouldhappen?Ifitfloatedonitsown,wherewoulditgo?Whatwoulditruninto?Woulditrunintoanythingatall?

Thenfinallyimaginerowingyourboatthroughtherapid.Firstjusttrytofindanywaythatwouldbesuccessful.Then,focusingonthecurrent,findawaythatletsthenaturalflowofthewaterhelpyou.

Doyouseetherapiddifferentlynow?Fromyourboatthisshouldgiveyouawholenewperspective.

Thesetup—enteringarapid

Agoodsetupcanmakeawholerun.

Choosingthelocationtoenterarapidiswhereyouhavethemostcontrol.Thekeyistoseeandunderstandthewaterflowingdownintotherapidwhereitisitisstillgreen,beforeitbecomeswhite.

Usethiswatertoentertherapidwhereitcanbesthelpyoumakeyourfirstmoves.

Starttoseethecurrentorcurrentsabovearapidandyoucanstarttakingeffectiveanglestothem.Starttakingeffectiveanglesandyoucanmakegoodmovesinplentyoftime.Thewaterabovetherapidstartstomakesenseandyoustarttobeincontrolofhowyouenter.

Readingwaterfromtheraft

Whenindoubt,scout.Ifyouhaveanyconcerns,ifyoudon’tknowarapid,orifyoucan’tseeitfromtheriver,catchaneddyandtakealook.

Manyrapidscanbereadfromtheslowerwaterabovethem.Youwon’thavetimetogothroughallthestepswepracticedonshore,butyoucanlearntodetermineagoodsetupandseriesofmoves.

Onceyouentertherapid,readingwaterbecomesacompletelydifferentanimal.

Suddenlyallthethingswehavebeentalkingaboutarecomingatyouatonce.Readingwaterisnolongeraleisurelyactivity.Thingsarehappeningfast.

Focusonthefirstmove,thefirstobstacleyouneedtomiss.Readthemoveasearlyasyoucanandstartearly.Watchthedownstreamoar,andifyouhavetime,payattentiontothedetailsofthecurrent.

Lookatthewaternottheobstacles.

Putyourattentiononwhereyouwanttogo,thepositiveoutcomeandbedecisive.

Cycleyourvision

Readingwaterinarapidyouhavetoseeeverythingatonce.Youmustconstantlysplityourattentionbetweenwhatyouseeclosetotheboat,whatisinthemiddledistanceandwhatisfarahead.

Cycleyourvisionfromclose,tomiddletofar.

Keeptakingmentalsnapshotsofallthreedistances.Ifitiseasieratfirst,justtrytoreadtheobstacles;forexample,asmallrock10feetaheadandaboulder20yardsaheadandthetailwavesattheendoftherapid.Alwaystrytobesketchingoutthewholelineinyourmind.

Makethefirstdecision

Choosewhichwaytogoaroundthesmallrock.Keepcyclingyourvisionandremainopenminded.Asyoumakethefirstmovebepreparedtoimprovise.Runningarapiddoesnotalwaysgothewayyouplanitinyourhead.

Keepcyclingyourvisionfromthetimeyouentertherapiduntilyouarethroughintocalmwaterbelow.Eventuallyitwillbenaturalandeasiertoobservethecurrentaswellastheobstacles.

Youwillmakebetterdecisionswhenyourecognizehowcurrentpushesstraightontothesmallrock,veersdiagonallyacrossinfrontofthebigboulder,andcurvesbeforeitflowsintothetailwaves.

Youarerowingtomissobstaclesandyouaretakingintoaccountthecurrent.

Whenyoustartreallyseeingit,thewayyourowwilltransform.

Interactingwithcurrent

Rapidsarebynaturedynamicplaces.Thingschangefromoneinstanttothenext.Whatwastherightthingtodoonesecondmightbecompletelywrongthenext.

Rowingandreadingwaterwhileinarapidisaninteraction.Youreadthewater,makeadecisionandinitiateamove.Thenyouseehowtheriverreactstowhatyoudidandyoumakeanotherdecision,anothermove.Youanticipatewhatyouthinkisgoingtohappen,trysomethingandcruciallyimportant,leavebehindwhatyouthoughtwouldhappenandreadwhatreallyishappening.

Thenyouread,decideandmoveagain,onandoninaflowingsetofactionsandreactions.

It’slikeadancewiththeriverasyourpartner.Themusicstartsandyoukeepdancingtogetheruntiltherapidisover.

Theriverisstrongerthanyou.Youcaninitiatewonderfulmoves.Youcanbecreativeandplayful.Youcanpushyourlimits.Berespectfulandyouwon’tfindabetterpartner.

Knowingwhatwillhappenifyoudonothing

Asyouinteractwithcurrentandmakedecisions,onethingisalwayscrucialtoconsider.

Ifyoudidnothingwherewouldtherivertakeyou?

Learntoaccuratelyjudgethisonething,andthedecisionsyoumakewillbecomegoodones.

Ifyouknowwheretheriveristakingyouanditiswhereyouwanttogo.Great!Donothingandstartlookingaheadtothenextdecision.

Ifyouknowwheretheriveristakingyouanditisnotwhereyouwanttogo.Great!Usethetoolsyouhave.Readthewaterandmakeamove.

Pushingforwardthroughrapids

Pushingforwardthroughrapidsdependsonhelpfromthewater.

Pushingforwardthroughrapidsdependsonhelpfromthewater.

Pushingforwardthroughrapidsdependsonallthehelpyoucangetfromthewater!

Pushingrapidsisatechnicalrowingskill.Technicalrowingiswhereyouusehelpfromthewatertomakemoves,youarenotmusclingtheriver.

Wehavegoneoverwaystomaketechnicalmovesusingpullingtechniquesandferrying.Thebetteryourunderstandingofcurrentandyourtechnicalrowing,theeasierandmoreelegantyourpullingtechniquebecomes.

Butpullingisyourstrongeststrokeandsometimesyoucanandwillgetawaywithmusclingthroughmoves.

Pushingisstrongbecauseyoucanseetheriver!

Pushingdoesnotworklikepulling.Itdependsonhelpfromthewater.Someabsolutelyincrediblemasterrowersinsistthatpushingisactuallyastrongertechniquethanpulling,becauseitusesthewatersoeffectively.Oncertainriversthisisabsolutelytrue.Theyinsistitisstrongerbecause,facingforward,theycanseethewatersowellandutilizeeverynuance.

Pushingisanessentialwaytorowaswellasaveryefficientandeffortlesswaytorowbecauseyouarefacingforwardwhereyoucanseetousetheriversowell.

Pushingtogofasterthanthecurrent

Forpushingtechniquetowork,youneedtogettheraftmovingfasterthanthecurrent.

Whilefloatingincurrent,diptheoarsintothewaterandpushforwardhard.Thefirststrokeneedsahardshovetobreakthefrictionoftheboat’sweightinthewater.

Pushhardagain.Thesecondstrokeiseasierandbuildsonthemomentumfromthefirst.

Pushathirdtimeandusuallytheraftwillhavestartedmovingfasterthanthecurrent.Thereisaglideyoucanfeelatthispoint.Payattentiontowhatthisfeelslike.Youcanfeelitthroughthewholebody.Knowingthisglidewillhelpyougetthefeelforpushing.

MovingfasterthancurrentiscalledTracking

Whenyouhavetheboatgliding,movingfasterthanthecurrent,youcanstarttomaneuverbypushing.Thisfeelingofglidingandmaneuveringfasterthanwateriscalledtracking.Youcantrackaboatacrosscurrents,glidingitdowntheriver.

Pushingincataraftsvsrafts

Justaquicknote.Itismucheasiertoinitiatemomentuminacatthaninaraft.Thisisoneofthegreatadvantagesofacat.Itisquickandeasytogetitmovingfasterthanthewater.

Ontheotherhand,themomentumofaheavierraftgivesitadvantagesintrackingonceyoudogetitmoving.ItcanholdmomentumcrossingcurrentorcuttingtheCwhileacatismoresusceptibletothedifferentdirectionsofwater.

Keeptheglidegoing

Onceyouhavedonetheheavyliftingtogettheboattrackingfasterthancurrent,youwanttokeepitgoing.Dothiswithsteadyforwardstrokes.

Walkingtheoars

Youcaneitherkeeppushingwithbothhandsatthesametime,orby“walkingtheoars”,alternatingpushingoneoaratatime.

Itdoesnottakealotofworktokeeptherafttracking,keepfeelingforitandenjoythesensationofthecurrentbelowyouandtheboatglidingontop.Itdoesn’thavetomovealotfasterthancurrent,justasteadyglide.

Nowyoucanstarttomaneuvertheboatbypushing.Pullingtechniqueslowstheboatdown,orferriesitacrossthecurrent.Pushingwemovefaster,diagonallyatslightanglestothecurrent.

Pointtheboatwhereyouwanttogo

Youdeterminethediagonalangleofpushingbypointingtheboatwhereyouwantittogo—faraheaddownstream!

Bymovingtheboatfasterthanthewaterandtracking,youareactuallyeverysoslightlyfallingdowntheslopethatisinherenttoallrapids.Youarealittlelikeasledorapairorskisaimingdownslope.

Youarenotdrivingacar

Howmanycarshaveyoudrivenonaroadthatmovesandchangesdirectionsandspeeds?None.

Ascloseasthismightseemtodrivingforwardatthewheelofanautomobile,pushingaraftisnotdrivingacar!

Youhavealmostnohorsepowergoingforward.Youcan’tzoom.Thestrengthcomesfromguidingtheboatintocurrentthatwilltakeyouwhereyouwanttogo.Notfrompushingonanacceleratorpedal.

Puttheboatintocurrentthatisgoingwhereyouwanttogo

Pushingdependsonlookingahead,readingthecurrentasfaraheadaspossibleandselectingthewaterthatwilltakeyouwhereyouwanttogo.

Youarereadingthecurrentintherapidwithgreatattentionandcare,lookingtoseewhereyouwanttobeasfaraheadaspossible.

Theoverarchingideaisthis—tracktheboatintocurrentthatwilltakeyouwhereyouwanttogoandletitthecurrentdothework.

Slowingbackdownandridingincurrent

Whenyouhaveguidedtheraftintocurrenttakingyouwhereyouwanttogo,youmaychoosetostoppushingforward,lettheraftslowdowntothespeedofthecurrentandletitcarryyou.

Don’taddthepoweruntilyouhavetherightangle

Pushingissubtle.Trackingacrossthewaterisnotsuperpowerful.Choosethecurrentyouwanttobeinfaraheadandaimtheboatatthatplaceasfaraheadasyoucan.

Youarenotusingthepushtoferryacrosscurrent.Ifyoufindyourselfhavingtopushreallyhardatabigangletocurrent,youshouldprobablyspintheboataroundandpullbecauseyouareferrying.

Ifyouaregoingtorowtherapidbytracking,carefullyselectthepointyouareaimingat.

Startbuildingmomentumonlyafteryourangleisestablishedandaimedwhereyouwanttogo.

Pushingstartsmuchearlierthanferrying

Oftenapushmovecanbeinitiatedinthegreenwaterbeforearapid,beforetheturbulencebeginsandthedropgetssteeper.Establishingmomentumofmovingfasterthanthewaterisagreatwaytosetupforarapid.

Inarapid,itisimportanttoinitiateapushmovemuchearlierthanaferry

Readthecurrentearly!

Thisisveryimportant.

Asfaroutaheadoftheboatasyoucansee,recognizeobstaclesandreadcurrentasearlyasyoupossiblycan.Youarenotgoingtoturnsidewaysandpullawayusingyourbigstrongmuscles.Thecurrentwillbecarryingyouwhereyouwanttogo.

Abovetherapid,cycleyoureyesasfaraheadasyoucan.Seewhatthecurrentisdoingclosetoyou,inthemiddledistanceandfartherahead.Makeaquickmentalsketchofwhatyouthinkyourlinewillbe.Then,setuptoenterintheoptimalplaceforcurrenttohelp.

Withagoodeyeandskillfulencouragementfromtheoars,youwillkeepdrivingtheraftintocurrentsthatwillhelpyougetwhereyouwanttogo.Youwon’tneedyourstrongerstroke,becauseyouarelettingtheriverbestrongforyou.

Useonethreadofcurrenttotakeyoutothenext

Onethreadofcurrentmaynotalwaystakeyouallthewaythrougharapid.Sometimesyouneedtostartononelineofcurrentandtransitiontoanothertogetthroughastretchofwhitewater.Inacomplexrapid,thismayhappenmanytimes.

Whenyousetyourangleandbeginmovingfasterthancurrent,youcanchangethreadsofcurrentbyaimingatthepointwhereyouwanttojointhenextcurrent.Youkeeppushing,maintainmomentumandtracktheraftacrossfromonepieceofcurrentontothenext.

Youwillbegoingfasterthanthecurrentandtrackinginlongdiagonals.

PushingtocuttheC

Thereisatontolearnfrompushingaraftacrosstheslowerwaterinsideaturn.

CuttingtheCwithpushingisparticularlyeffectivewhenthewaterisnottoobigorsteep.

Howmuchoftherafthitstheslowwaterwilldeterminehowmuchyoueitherholdyourline(goodglide,justapieceofslowwater),bendyourline(alittlemoreoftheslowwater),orslowdownandspin(byaimingallthewayintotheeddy).

Wecanusemid-streameddiesthesameway.Takingvaryingamountsofthemwillmaketheraftdodifferentthings.CuttingtheCteachesusalotaboutmakingeddiesintousefultoolswhereveryoufindthemontheriver.

Dependingonhowmuchofaraftcutsacrosstheinsideofaturn,youmayneedtomakeadjustmentswiththeoarstoholdthelineyouwant.

Byaimingatcurrentpastaturn,throughtheturnanddownstreamofit,youcanpushaboatthroughaturnwithoutlosingyourtracking.Thisappliesinallkindsofsituationsinrapidswhereaboatcanbedrivenwithouttakingferryangles.

Eddiesbecomefriends

Thesameeddiesthatwereknockingyourboatoffcourseandpullingyououtoftailwaves,thatyouwerealwaystryingtoavoid,nowbecomesoughtaftertoolsforguidingyourraft.

Interactivelyreadingthewater

AimfaraheadacrosstheC.Uselongdiagonalsandtheslowwatertosteer.Buildmomentum.Movefasterthanthewaterandpointwhereyouwanttoendup.Recognizecurrentthatwilltakeyouwhereyouwanttogo.Startearlyandaimforwhereyouwillbechangingthreadsofcurrent.Startabovetherapidinthegreenwaterbeforethewhitewaterbegins.

Thisistrulyinteractiverowing;youmakedecisionstodoallthesethingsinsplitseconds.Travelingfasterthanthewaterandbuildingmomentum,youarespeedingupyourwaterreading,makingithappenearlierandearlier,assessingadaptingandmakingdecisionstokeeptracking,keepgettingthemosthelpfromthecurrent.

Theperpetualsetup

Ineffectwhatyouaredoingthroughoutarapidisexactlythesameassettingupatthetopofarapid.Bylookingahead,yougiveyourselftimetosetupforeachconsecutivesectionoftherapid.Yousetupasectionandthenrowyourselfintothemostadvantageouspositiontobe“setup”forwhatcomesnextandnextandnext,throughthewholerapid.

Youarecallingyourshots,oryourseriesofshotsbyreadingthewaterbetterandbetter,fartherandfartherinadvance,anticipatingthemoves,makingthemlookeasyandelegant.

Seeingandfeeling

Youhavefocusedyourattentiononseeingtheriver.Whilemeanwhile,youhavefeltalotofthingsgoingonintheraftandwiththeoars.Wetalkedaboutfeelingthepressureagainsttheoarsatdifferentferryangles.

Pushingandpullingbegintochange.Whenyoutakeastrokeyouarenotjustpushingevenlylikeliftingweights,eachstrokefeelsthewaterallthewaythroughfrom

beginningtoend.Thehandssensewhatthewaterisdoing,iftheboatisturningorrunningstraight,ifthereareeddiesordifferentdirectionsofcurrentandtheyreactinstantaneouslywiththerightamountsofpressure.Eachhandpushesitsoarthroughthewaterwithfeelandtouch.

Youdonotsitintherowingseatofaraftlikealumpofclay.Yousitwithagood“seat”likearidersitsonahorse—balancedandalert.

Whenyouarebalanced,youcanfeeltheboatgliding,slidingsideways,tiltingorfalling,movingfasterorslowerthanthecurrent,spinning,stopping,catchingbitsofeddies.Your“seat”letsyouphysicallyconnectwithallthesemovementsoftheraftandthereforetheriverbeneathit.Youcanfeeltheinteractionbetweenriverandboat.

Likewise,yourhandsgrippingtheoarhandlesconnectyoudirectlytocurrent.Youroarbladesextendthehands’sensitivetouchdowninsidetheriveritself.Thereactionsbythemusclesofyourarms,hands,shoulders,back,andlegsbecomeinstantandinstinctive.

Thehandsareyourmeansofhavingaconversationwiththeriver.Youusethemtoimparttouchtoyourstrokes.Feelingthewater,youcanreactwithtouchontheoarsfasterthanyoucanthink.Thehandscommunicateyourdecisionsandideastotheriver,andfeelthecurrentcommunicatingbacktoyou.Thehandsarewherethedancebegins.

Theangleiseverything

Eventually,rowingreachesapointwherethisstatementhasagreatdealoftruthtoit.

Withtherightangleatexactlytherighttime,youcanbepreciseinaraft.Withasloppyangleyoucannot.Youwasteyourownenergyandsquanderhelpfromtheriver.

Eventuallythesubtlechangesinanglewillbecomeinstinctive.Yousimplyfeeltheglideoftheboatandtheresistanceagainsttheoarsthatcomewithslightchangesofangle.

Pullingata45°ferryangleorotherupstreamangle,rowingfeelsbriskandstrenuousasyouworktokeeptheoarsgrippingcurrentandtheraftfrommovingdownstream.Youcanfeelthiswithoutevenhavingtolookatthecurrenttheboatisin.

Pullingata90°angleyourstrokesfeeleffortlessbecause100%ofyourenergyisgoingintocrossingtheriverandzerotoslowingdown.Youcanfeelthedistinctivebiteandglideofstrokingat90°.

Pullingatdownstreamanglefeelspowerfulandpilesonthespeedandmomentum.Thefirststrokesgripwithleverageinthemovingwater,springingtheboatintomotion.Thenquicklythesensationcomesofslidingfasterthancurrent.

Pushingdownstreamtakeseffortandbringsthesubtleglidingsensation.Pushingtoferryandmoveupstreamarehardworkandusefulinspecialcircumstances.

Thedownstreamferryangle

Whenyouneedtoacceleratetochangelanesormergeonthehighway,thisisthestroketouse.Whenyoupulldownstreamyoubraceyouroarsagainstthecurrentandgettremendousleverage.Theresultistoacceleratearaftquicklyandpowerfullytobemovingfasterthanthewater.

Thisisthepowermove.

Itisthemostpowerfulwaytobustintoaneddyeitheralongshoreorinthemiddleofthestreambecauseitcreatesthemostmomentumandaslicingangle.

Practicethedownstreamangleforcatchingeddies

Playwiththetimingofdrivingintoeddieswithadownstreamferryangle.Theraftwhirlsaround,powerfullychangingdirectionandfeelingsogood.Playwiththisalot.Itissuperusefulwhenyouneeditandworksinpowerfulbigwaterorinanygoodmid-streameddy.

Downstreameddiesinbigpowerfulwater

CuttingtheCinbigwaterisanotherplacewherethedownstreamferryangleworkslikenothingelse.Whenwateristoostrongtopullagainst,fliptoadownstreamangleforthemomentumtosliceinsideabigpowerfulbend.

OrwatchaGrandCanyonguidemaketheentrancetoCrystalRapid.Adownstreamferryanglecutsacrosspowerfulcurrentandsetsupaperfectangleforpenetratingbiglateralwaves.

Nailingpreciseangles

Whenyoupivot,stoptheboat’smotionatexactlytheangleyouwant.Findaplacetoplaywiththisinanyflatwaterwithourwithoutcurrent.

Lookattheboatandwateratfirsttojudgeyouraccuracy.Eventually,youwillbebusylookingattheriverwhenyouchangeanglesinwhitewater.Sopracticenailingtheanglejustbyfeelingitwiththeoarsandtheboat’smovementunderyourseat.

Focusandconcentration

Evenwithgreattechniqueandwaterreadingskill,youcanhaveterriblerunsifyouloseconcentration.

Theultimategoalistolockinontheriverandrowwithperfectfocusandconcentration;theharderthewhitewater,thegreatertheneedtoconcentrate.

Beonewiththerivergrasshopper.

Playing

Onceagainplayingisnotjustanafterthought.Playingisthepractice.Itisthejourneythatgetsyoutothedestinationofgreatrowingandwaterreading.

Alwaystreattheriverwithrespect,andrecognizeitsplayfulnature.Ariverisfluid,flowing,andmuchlikealivingthing.Fluidrowing,andflowingconcentrationhavealotincommonwithplay.

Lotsofplaytogetgoodatjudgingspeedanddistances.

PracticereadingwaterforClassIIIsituationsinClassIIrapidswhereyoucangoofaround,makemistakes,andgainexperience.Playwithreading,seeing,andfeelingwaterfromtheraftanditwillbecomesecondnature.

Thesamegoesforlearningtoconcentrateandrowinteractively.Treattheeasypartsoftheriverasyourplaygroundandyouwilllearntorow.

Expandingteamboating

-Safetyfirst-Agreeonsafetyandrescueproceduresbeforegettingonthewater.-Agreeonhandandwhistlesignalsandusethem.-TripLeaderisinchargeontheriver,communicatesdestinationsandplans-Eddyasateamontripleaderssignal,orinsafetysituations.-Wheneverpossible,tripleaderorleadboatchooseaneddyoreddiesthateveryoneinthepartycancatch.-Firstboattoeddymakesroomforthenextboat.Eachsuccessiveboatmakessurethenextboathasaclearpathtocrosstheeddylineandsticktheeddy.Thewholeteamworkstogethertogetalltheboatsintosmallortrickyeddies.-Leadboatisdownstreamsafety.Leadrowersnevertieuporleavetheirraftsunlessallboatsareaccountedforandsafe,oranotherboatcoversdownstreamsafety.-Leadboatsetspaceandmakessurethegroupstaystogether.Leadrowersknowtheriver,leadthroughcleanlines,andcanreadandrun.

-Whentheleadboatsignalstoeddyout,theotherboatsshouldeddyout.

-Sweepboatgoeslast,watchesoutforthewholeparty,carriesrescuegear,andisreadytocatcheddiesquicklyasneeded.Sweeprowersareusuallyqualifiedatrescueandfirstaid.-Eachboatshouldstayinvisualcontactwiththeboatsintheirpartyimmediatelyupanddownstream.-Ifyoulosetouchupstream,signaldownstreamandeddyout.-Ifyoulosetouchdownstream,signalupstreamandrowtocatchup.-Incontinuouswhitewater,stayclose.Becloseenoughtorescue,butnotineachother’sway.-Takeintoaccountdifferentkindsofcrafts.Paddleboatsgenerallymovefasterinrapidsthanoarboats.Inflatablekayaksarewildcards.-Designateaduckyrafttokeeptrackoftheinflatablekayaks,coordinatewithotherraftsandinsuredownstreamsafetyisinplace.-Inseriouswhitewaterconditions,neverletaboatgoalone.Iftheleadboateddiesbutanotherboatmissestheeddy,itbecomesthenewleadboatandtheotherboatspealoutandfollow.

Don’tthrowoutthebabywiththebathwater

Justbecausereadingcurrentopensthedoortonewtechniques,itdoesn’tmeanthatthefoundationtechniquesarenotgreat.Differentriversandboatsrequiredifferenttechniquesindifferentcircumstances.Someriversrequirepullingandslowingdown.Otherscallforpushingandspeedingup.

Readingcurrentallowsforsmart,beautifulrowingwithawidevarietyoftechniques.

Thereisnoonesinglebestwaytorow.