tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2960739132230774024.post6303880856515684176..comments2021-08-16T00:57:29.680-04:00paddlingOTAKUhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12215628711923335166noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2960739132230774024.post-76658760885551232462010-05-21T21:05:18.909-04:002010-05-21T21:05:18.909-04:00Agreed, I definitely had problems with eddys (eddies?) I was told that at this man made park they are particularly unforgiving. I am going to do a post at some point on the experience, which I why I didn&#39;t link to the video. But it&#39;s on vimeo for anyone interested. <br /><br />POpaddlingOTAKUhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12215628711923335166noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2960739132230774024.post-40038050973844682432010-05-21T10:36:54.859-04:002010-05-21T10:36:54.859-04:00Welcome to whitewater kayaking! I hope you had a good time, despite all the time underwater. Looking at your video, it looks like your biggest challenge was getting in and out of eddies. Eddy turns are probably the hardest part of whitewater kayaking. I&#39;d recommend focusing on eddy turn technique next time you&#39;re on the river. You want to paddle hard out of the eddy, with an upstream angle of about 45 degrees. That way you carry enough momentum to fully cross the eddy line. Then once your boat is fully in the current, you want to edge your boat downstream and do a bow draw or a low brace on on your downstream side. Don&#39;t bring your boat back up off that edge until you&#39;re moving with the current, or you&#39;ll catch your upstream edge and get wet.<br /><br />Also, don&#39;t worry too much about being upside down in rapids. I have a weak roll, and on Sunday spent about half of a class IV rapid upside down before I hit my roll on my 5th try. It&#39;s worth it to hang in there and keep attempting rolls, especially in a whitewater park where a T-rescue from a friend is possible (something else to practice!).Andrew Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09486716058377059434noreply@blogger.com