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Fending off Kayaking Fear
By Mark Miller
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Four years ago, I decided to pursue my dream of learning how to kayak. The river was at flood level and a handful of friends had encouraged me to come along on a mild float, mild for them anyway. After gathering up all the necessary gear, I found myself on the side of a raging river. It was relaxing at first: the sound of the river rushing by, birds singing and the leaves quivering in the wind on a near by cottonwood. Then I realized what I was about to do: lock my self inside a plastic boat and push off into a raging torrent. My basic instincts took over, telling me to run like hell, head for the mountains and don't look back.
Somehow I overcame these flight impulses and re-focused on the job that lay ahead. Drowning with dignity. As I entered my coffin, ohm, I mean kayak, there were waves of suggestions thrown at me: 'Remember to always lean downstream, except when you catch an eddy, then lean upstream,' and 'If you flip over pull your spray skirt and tumble out of the kayak, get into the whitewater swim position (feet downriver), if you hit a rock, lean into it.' The advice kept coming. It's unclear if my buddies read into the blank look on my face, which said comprehension was nil. The last thing they said to me was watch out for that strainer (a fallen tree in the river current) about 40-feet downstream.
I paddled out of the small eddy (calm spots in the river) and turned into the main current. I was stiff with fear. The main current was stronger then I anticipated and pushed me on my side. I let go of my paddle with one hand, trying to keep from flipping over, and with the other hand, waved my paddle wildly over my head. Miraculously, I kept my balance and came back to an upright position. I was bearing down on the strainer fast and could hear people yelling for me to paddle. I dug in a few desperate strokes and pulled away just in time. For the next hour my adrenaline flowed as freely as the raging river.
At the take-out I was elated with my survival and swore off kayaking for good. But after a 4- hour nap that afternoon, I couldn't stop talking about our experience on the river and began planning my next run. That summer I swam countless times, got worked in big holes and never enjoyed the river once, until I got off of it. Only then would I be ecstatic. It wasn't until the following summer when I learned to roll that I started feeling comfortable in my kayak.
Literally throwing yourself into kayaking, like I did, isn't for everyone. If I had it all to do over again, I'd start out at a slower pace and ease into overcoming the natural fear of being upside down in the water while "locked" in a boat. Here are some tips I've learned over the years that help conquer this fear.
Tricks of the Trade
Start off in a pool, either with a friend who knows how to roll, or an instructor. Note: a friend that knows how to roll may not be able to teach you, but an instructor will have most people rolling in a day.
The first thing to do is get comfortable in your boat. Paddle around the pool for a while. Feel how the boat responds to you paddling. Next, flip upside down and eject out of your kayak. This will give you confidence that you can get out of you're boat in an emergency. Now, you're ready to learn a roll.
A nose plug will keep unwanted water out of you're head, and goggles allow you to see what you're doing. Mental images will also make rolling easier. Watch other people and then picture yourself flipping over and rolling back up. I spent many hours sitting on my floor, paddle in hand, working out the moves to a roll.
After you have a roll down, flip upside down and stay there as long as you can and then roll back up—about 15 to 30 seconds. Now, you're ready to hit the river, but don't get in over your head. I have many friends you don't kayak today because of one frightening experience they had on the river. So start on a mellow section of river, with friends of course. Never paddle alone. Use these calm sections of the river to learn how to read the water.
In the deep currents, practice your roll, practice staying under for a while and remaining calm. Picture yourself relaxed underwater. Panic will drive you out of your boat and cause you to make irrational decisions.
You'll notice behind rocks, there are calm spots. These are called eddies, which are crosscurrents in the river. The water actually moves back upstream in an eddy. They can be found throughout the river, next to shore or in the middle, and are essential to kayaking. They enable the boater to stop in the river and take a rest, wait on friends or bail out. If you know how to get in and out of eddies, your confidence will rise and your fear will diminish.
Sit up straight in your boat. Remember, it's not a Lazy Boy. And besides you can't get good purchase through the water from the back seat.
Fit yourself snug in your boat allowing for more responsive paddling. Just like a ski boot, a good tight fit will provide a more responsive touch.
Stay loose, especially in the hips. When you stiffen up, you become top-heavy a.k.a., unable to absorb the waves and more likely to tip over.
Last but not least, buy William Nealy's book Kayaking. Although it doesn't cover modern playboating techniques, it is the best book I have seen for learning river dynamics and paddling skills.
But most of all stay calm and have fun.
Last Updated: Feb 24th, 2006 - 14:18:11
© Copyright 1999-2006 by Hooked on the Outdoors
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