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First Paddle

© Cameron Walker

So I have this friend who would receive urgent phone calls on April mornings at work. "What?" she would shout into the phone. "The Truckee is running that high? OK, I'll call you right back" Next question: "Can I get off early today?" Yup, she was a paddler. And she started to draw me in to her world of cfcs and put-ins.

My first entrance into the world of paddling was at the local pool. Two nights a week, the pool was open for kayakers to learn, practice, and fine-tune their rolls. My friend let me borrow her gear, which consisted of a boat, a skirt, and a paddle. The skirt seals the cockpit, so that when you do roll, your boat won't fill up with water. When on the river, additional essentials are a PFD (the high-falutin' life jacket) and a helmet.

The pool provided an excellent setting for learning the roll. Without the challenges of fast-moving water and submerged obstacles, I could concentrate on technique and begin to feel comfortable in the boat and in the water. I found one website that provides an excellent description of the roll: its history, variations, and exercises to build up to a full pool roll (http://www.digitalbristol.org/org/sports... This site includes roll visuals and helpful hints for the beginning paddler.

After working on my roll for several weeks, I took a course on the American River. California Canoe and Kayak (http://www.calkayak.com/) runs two-day courses for entry level paddlers. In addition, CCK offers a range of courses for more experienced boaters, including a rescue skills course, week-long clinics on the Trinity, and trips to rivers in other countries. No experience is required for the introductory RK1.

The first day on the river, we worked on basic strokes and learning how to carve turns. The three basic strokes are the forward stroke, the sweep stroke, and the draw stroke; there are many other strokes which are combinations and modifications of these three. I also learned that the river kayak has edges, or chines, similar to a snowboard which can be used in the same way to carve through a turn. This turning method offers greater stability and precision. We then took these skills down the river and practiced entering and peeling out of eddies, which are calmer nooks on the river where the current does not flow rapidly downstream.

The second day involved refining these skills. We practiced paddling in and out of stronger currents, and watched other boaters as they played in a small rapid. Our instructor also showed us how to look ahead on the river so that we could be prepared for upcoming obstacles and rapids. Throughout the course, I was so happy to be learning from an experienced boater, rather than trying to figure out how to get down the river on my own. I highly recommend taking a course before jumping in: I feel very confident in my abilities to get down an easy run, but I wouldn't feel that way without taking this class.

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