This one talks about boofing in general:

Here’s one that talks about how to boof into an eddy:

There’s more on their Vimeo page, here’s a link to all of the Whitewater Instruction videos on Vimeo.

I can’t say someone like me can pick a whole lot of actual how-tos out of here, but there are some pretty amazing moves that are worth watching, (plus, not to mention, of the type that can keep you alive when you’re creeking) - and, of course, the obligatory decent song.

Classes start you out on friendly Class II whitewater.

(Don’t be like me and then do a total of three river runs over the next eight years before you actually get into it – oh, the time I’ve squandered!)

There are four courses coming up, in April, June, July, and August 2010 – here’s the link to their course calendar page.  It’s an easy-to-take class, with four evening classes and a total of two river days on separate weekends.

One thing I love about how Herbie, one of the NWOC owners, teaches this class is that I think they do a really good job of teaching the Eskimo roll.  I got mine during the class, and years later when I hadn’t gotten into a boat for a few years and suddenly realized I had lost my roll (trying it alone in my friend’s pool – in hindsight, not too smart ) I went back for a roll class at NWOC and Herbie fixed it.   Notably, this was right after an instructor at another company’s roll session had told me I needed a different boat (even though I had learned to roll in that boat!) and then even one of Herbie’s own instructors was having trouble fixing it during their roll class.  Herbie waded over, said “Oh, you need to adjust your elbow angle by like 12 degrees”, and bam, I was rolling again.

So if you’re working on the roll, just remember you might get mixed advice, and it’s not a strength move at all.  I highly recommend Eric Jackson’s Rolling and Bracing DVD, which shows beginner moves and then advanced moves that help you transition into rolling up in any kind of water.  I’ve obsessed on the roll for the past year and a half and have a really strong one now, but even just watching that video a couple of months ago taught me some stuff that has helped me transition into not having to do a traditional setup for every roll.

Anyway, I wanted to also mention that the Washington Kayak Club also has whitewater kayaking classes, I don’t think they have as many as NWOC and the difference is that you’ll need to come up with your own gear, but I know that Charles at AquaSports in Redmond has some kind of special deal for you if you’re taking the WKC class.  I couldn’t find a link to the class on their site, but you can contact them through their website, www.washingtonkayakclub.org.

After the class... look at you, you rock star!

Update:  I checked my WKC newsletter and their class is halfway through already, so go ahead and check with Northwest Outdoor Center about their classes.  (Tell Herbie I said ‘Hi’ – just be warned that he may have no idea who you’re talking about.)

Here’s the link to the Nantahala water boof blog post and video.

Update:  After I posted this Claire told me that not only is this the video that taught her the boof, but when she does this boof now the song from the video actually plays in her head.  Too funny.

Here’s what JP had to say about going from Class IV to Class V:

“I would find the hardest class IV run you’ve done that is closest to where you live, preferably within 2hrs, but the closer the better. Hopefully it runs frequently throughout the year. Get out and paddle that run religiously until you know it like the back of your hand, at the widest range of flows.”

“You should know it so intimately that you are comfortable paddling it at the higher end of its flow range. Paddle it all other water levels. Then paddle it some more. If you get bored you aren’t using your imagination, so find all of the out of the way routes. Don’t just paddle all the normal lines, paddle this run really hard. I said paddle. Don’t float it. There should be moves you can hit to make the run harder for yourself: difficult boofs, pillow moves, slots between rocks ect. You want to be able to link moves together in a flowing way. Paddle smooth. You’ll need a richly diverse repertoire to be comfortable in class V. Comfort is what you’re after. You want to be able to go in and enjoy the experience, not just survive it.”

“In the meantime, frequently paddle new class IV+ runs (you should be seeking out every class IV run in the guidebook).”

“Occasionally go run an easier class V- run, but only with people you trust who are familiar with the run. If these will be challenging for you, make sure you do your homework on the run beforehand so you know what you’re getting into. There are lots of available resources; This site, AW, the Bennett Book, etc.”

“Also, from time to time, lead some trips on class III+/VI- runs that you’ve never done before with paddlers of equal or lesser abilities than your own. But generally if you’re leading trips this way, I emphasize that you should be leading runs easier than your skill level.”

“Keep in mind that leading whitewater trips will greatly advance your skill, but you also have to undertake the responsibility of looking out for the people following you. If you can’t do this you shouldn’t progress to class V. This may sound boring, but it shouldn’t be. It’s more challenging than it seems on the face of it, if you are paying attention. Not only do you need skills before you go hog-wild on class V, but you need experience as well. Lots of people these days have good boating skills but prematurely venture into class V without experience. Skill and experience are two entirely different things, and they go hand in hand.”

“Anytime you paddle through class II to get to the take out, you should be PADDLING if you want to run class V.”

“Encourage your friends to do the same.Too many people float instead. A refined forward stroke is the most important skill to have in your toolbox, but because it isn’t as glamorous as a boof stroke or a double pump, people generally don’t master it. That’s why 80% of the paddlers out there have sh*tty stroke technique. The forward stroke is where all kayaking begins and ends. It should be a form of moving meditation. The prevailing trend is to float. Remember: Logs float, sh*t floats, but YOU are a WHITEWATER PADDLER.”

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Words of wisdom from JP, who I should mention is (obviously) a really good paddler, and also famous for swimming Boulder Drop on the Skykomish River at 60,000 cfs, flood level, after his paddle got ripped out of his hands in a hole.  I would quote his full name, but I don’t know it!  Which is ridiculous, because I’ve paddled with him a bunch of times.  Anyway, I hope this helps someone out down the line.

(Also, if you haven’t been on Professor Paddle I encourage you to check it out, there’s lots of good advice on there – along with what I can only describe as the usual allotment of man-fluff – plus it’s a great way to connect with good boaters paddling Northwest rivers.)

Brett Barton on Eagle Falls, Skykomish River - Photo by Abraham Herrera

I’ve been thinking about what I’d tell someone who was starting out whitewater kayaking and wanted to learn fast.  One of the most useful things that I’ve been fortunate enough to do has been to paddle with people who love kayaking, are really good at it, and who are really generous with their knowledge.

I learn much faster when I’m with people who encourage me into into stuff that is a bit over my head, even if it means messing up and swimming.  It just makes you choose your line more carefully next time, or work on a stroke that will steer you away from trouble someday, or learn to roll up in squirrelly water when you’re scared.  Or, on special occasions, all of the above, all at once.  

(I’m not talking about people who put you in unreasonably dangerous situations, obviously, just good paddlers who help you stretch your limits.)

Anyway, I don’t have pictures of many of the kayakers who have helped me out with advice, but here are some cool shots of a few, starting out with Brett Barton, above (actually messing up on the line on Eagle Falls in that photo - but it makes for a great shot.)  Brett is a great playboater who has shown me a ton of lines on Boulder Drop.  I actually was the safety throw bag person on the Eagle Falls run, but seeing as I have an unfortunate habit of getting nervous and throwing the safety throw bag sideways into the tree tops it’s a pretty good thing he nailed the run both times.

Brian Pernick on the Skykomish River

Brian Pernick, above, is my unofficial attainment coach.  (This may be news to him, I realize.)  Up until a few weeks ago I didn’t know what an attainment was, but it’s when you find ways to move your kayak upstream, sometimes finding your way through rapids.  Brian is really good at it, and I end up trying some of the same moves he’s doing.  Practicing attainments is not just good for the physical aspect of kayaking, it also puts you in a more proactive mindset where you’re more likely to think what you can do with the water rather than what it’s going to do with you.

Chipper Maney on the Cheakamus River, BC - Photo by Preston Brown

Chipper Maney, demonstrating a nice boof stroke above, is another really good boater who notably picked a really fun line through Boulder Drop yesterday, finishing up with a fun little auto-boof at the end that I actually got a good boof stroke on the first time down (possibly my first actual boof stroke ever.)  I’m not sure what river he’s on here, but I love this shot.

There are a ton of other good boaters who have helped me learn, including Charles from AquaSports – who is super encouraging, but who was also nice enough to let me know that I need some work in the eddy-catching department (so true!)

Overall, I feel incredibly fortunate to paddle with the people I kayak with – they give great advice without being bossy, test your limits without making you feel like they’re trying to kill you, and no one ever makes you feel bad if you decide to not do something.  And, they love to be on the river – what could be better?

Which you have to admit is pretty darned cute.

Anyway, it occurred to me that she was demonstrating the proper moderately aggressive forward kayaking posture recommended by Ken Whiting of Paddling.net.  Seeing as I have a copy of his book lying around my house, I’m sure this was no coincidence.

Here she is, attempting a spin.

When you spin and the boat doesn’t there’s a problem.  Here Libby wisely checks out the outfitting:

And here she purposely demonstrates incorrect technique, with paw clearly extended beyond the kayaking power position, putting her at risk of a shoulder injury.

Not bad for a dog who sat in her first kayak just a couple of weeks ago.  (Although I must say, she’s had stern squirts mastered for a long time.)

But a back deck roll seems pretty handy, and even though I know it leaves your face more exposed I think Ken Whiting makes a lot of sense when he says you’re in the water for far less time so overall you can be better off.  Dave Bowman sent me a few good video links, and Samson was nice enough to try to do one in slow motion at the pool.

Here’s the homegrown version:

And here’s a really nice instructional video by Ken Whiting of Paddling.net:

And here’s another really good video, helpful because it shows how you can guide someone through it without a paddle so they get the feel for the move (which is totally strange if you’ve only done regular rolls – I couldn’t even get close to what I was supposed to be doing.)

Paddling.net also has this nice article on the back deck roll.  Let me just say again (as I sit here with a sore shoulder) that Ken Whiting makes a good point about how most kayakers hurt themselves with forward arm movements because paddling tends to build up strength in the back of the arms, not the front – so practicing paddling backwards to offset that is a really good idea.

Recently I got some video there of two really good kayakers, Brad and Samson, practicing their playboating moves.

Here’s Brad, with paddle:

And here’s Brad doing tricks just hand-paddling – this involves putting some extra flotation in his boat.

And here’s Samson, tearing it up:

Both of these guys make it look so easy it’s ridiculous, don’t you think?