As the winter’s snow melts the rivers fill and rush with the melt water. The rapids froth and rage, and the brave dive in. This spring paddlers will delight in the rush and adventure of navigating the water’s tumult, and Zoar Outdoor’s Janet Comie offers some advice to get you paddling on your way.
Janet, Director of Instruction Programs for Zoar Outdoor, manages the education programs for the Charlemont-based adventure resort. As Janet explains, the first step to getting out on the water is identifying the type of kayaking in which you wish to partake. Sea kayaking – also known as kayak touring or coastal kayaking – involves cruising along shore lines or in lakes. “With sea kayaking there are a couple different levels,” states Janet. “You have big ocean – more extreme touring – and then you have inlet waters close to the shore or calm lakes.”
Recreational kayaking involves anyone seeking to go out on flat waters, such as small lakes and ponds. From simple paddling to bird watching or fishing, recreational kayaking offers a way for paddlers to explore local waterways. For the more extreme paddler, whitewater kayaking offers a thrilling activity with different levels of challenges. River running involves going down stream with some light maneuvers and surfing while creeking brings paddlers to steeper terrain and rivers. Freestyle paddling requires more skill and athleticism from the paddler and invite kayakers to do moves like cartwheels and other more advanced surfing moves. As Janet recommends, finding your particular style of kayaking is crucial to selecting your gear. “The boats are shaped differently because of the type of river you’re going on,” she affirms. “There’s a lot of range in the different whitewater boats as well as the paddles.”
So, what boat do you select? For sea kayaking you’ll need to look for a longer boat to cover distance. “The longer hull is going to track better,” states Janet. Recreational kayaks are typically a bit wider and shorter than sea kayaks but not as short as whitewater kayaks. Whitewater kayaks feature much shorter bodies with a turned up nose. “The shorter the hull and the more turned up the hull design is,” details Janet, “the more it turns and maneuvers quickly.” Along with different sizes and lengths, kayaks also differ in material depending on the activity. Sea kayaks, used without the danger of running into rocks, can use fiberglass or Kevlar to cut through the water. Recreational and whitewater crafts, however, opt for the durability and flex of plastics.
Once you’ve determined your style of boat, it’s time to find one that fits. “What that means is you’re not too tight in it and feeling cramped,” advises Janet, “and not too big that you’re floating around in it.” To appropriately size your boat, you must feel “connected” to the boat. “The big thing about a kayak is it needs to fit you like a glove,” says Janet. “Not too tight so that you can’t move, but so that any movement you make with your lower body transfers right to the boat.”
After selecting a boat, there are several other important pieces of gear you’ll need to acquire. You’ll need a spray skirt to fit tightly over the boat’s cockpit to keep out water, a personal flotation device (PFD) or lifejacket, a helmet, and a paddle. “Beyond that folks need some sort of clothing to keep you warm,” says Janet, “and that would depend on the time of year you’re paddling and the temperature of the water and the air.” Zoar Outdoor classes offer wetsuits for all students, but Janet affirms that foot protection is vital for all paddlers. “It’s good to have foot protection because you do have to get to and from the river,” she explains. “If you have to do a wet exit and end up swimming with your boat, you need good footwear to then swim to shore and stand up on a rocky or sandy shore.”
For those just starting out with kayaking, Zoar Outdoor offers a number of clinics from the start of April through October 15. With one-, two-, three- and five-day clinics, Zoar Outdoor can meet the needs of any paddler looking to pick up the sport. “A three day is really the best to get a good, sound foundation,” advises Janet. “The third day gives you a little extra time with a coach to really sharpen your skills.”
On the day of your clinic, the program starts with a meet and greet to introduce each student and instructor. After getting to know your instructors and fellow paddlers, each student is issued a full set of gear including paddle, boat, spray skirt, PFD and helmet along with a wetsuit, boots and paddling jacket before heading off to the still-water reservoir. “We go to the pond and we learn the basics: how to wet exit, how to get in and out of your craft,” says Janet. “Then we move on to do some paddle skills: how to propel your kayak, how to turn it, how to put it on edge.”
For new kayakers, Janet recommends the acronym SAVE. “Those are the essential skills you need to have before you move on the river,” she explains. “Speed, Angle Management, Vision, and Edge Control. If you have those four basic concepts down, maneuvering on the river is much easier.” As Janet explains, speed is how to propel, angel management is where to point your kayak down the river, vision is where to look, and edge control is tilting the boat to carve an edge. After working on these skills, the team breaks for lunch provided by Zoar Outdoor. After lunch the crew packs up from the flat water site and heads to the river where it’s time to learn three essential maneuvers: eddy turn, peel out and ferry. “That’s basically how we maneuver down the river,” states Janet, “by connecting those moves.”
Day two of the clinic starts with more skills and foundation work in the morning followed by more time on the river to build upon what was learned the previous day and add in some surfing. “We want to give people steps to have success along the way,” states Janet. “Our philosophy is ‘be the best boater you can,’ and if what we’re doing during class is what you want to do, we help you get there. If you want to move beyond that we’ll help propel you to get your skills up there, but it’s according to your comfort zone.” The third day of the program is more catered to the student’s skill and interest levels and can include additional river runs or some introduction of the rolling technique.
After completing your training, Zoar Outdoor offers guided river runs to help you continue to improve your skills. While not as structured as a clinic, these tours are led by an instructor and river guide to help you with logistics and give you tips along the way. But Janet recommends building relationships with fellow paddlers. “Part of being a paddler is developing a paddling community,” she says. “I got into paddling when I was in college and I met a really great group of people who have become my lifelong friends. We’ve shared some amazing experiences along the way.” With the lessons and guided runs from Zoar Outdoor, so can you!
