by Graham Averill and Jedd Ferris

Ask the Experts

I don’t know how to roll, so what if I flip?

Before you learn to roll, you can perform a self-rescue with what’s called a wet exit, which simply means you pop off your spray skirt from the easily accessible front handle and swim out of the boat. It might seem difficult when you first get into the tightly fit whitewater kayak, but gravity actually does most of the work, especially since you are wearing a personal floatation device that is pulling you to the surface.

Jeremy Garcia, Whitewater Adventures

Why can’t I keep my boat going straight?

Small whitewater boats don’t have as much surface area to push against the water, so they tend to spin and turn easily. Maintain even strokes on either side of the boat. Stay smooth and avoid making a splash with the paddle. Avoid trying to muscle through strokes by pulling hard; a gentle, smooth stroke is far more effective.

Josh Tracy, OWLS

What type of boat should I start with as a beginner?

A beginner should strongly consider a river runner type of kayak. These are good, general-use boats for beginners and those who enjoy just cruising the river and catching eddies. River runners usually have more volume than play boats and are a little longer, which increases stability. The popular river runners these days have flat hulls, which make controlling the direction of the kayak easier.

Be sure to try it before you buy it. Most kayak shops have demo kayaks that you can take out for a small fee. You should, if possible, paddle the boat on rivers that you will be paddling the most.

Heath Cowart, Pisgah Whitewater

ROLL RULES

You might compare learning to roll a kayak with learning to drive a car with a stick-shift. Getting down the process initially can be a frustrating and daunting task, but once you’ve got it down, you’ll never forget it. It’s also an essential move that aspiring paddlers need to master before moving into big water. Here are the basic steps:

Hip Snap: The hip snap is 80 percent of the roll. The majority of the work in the roll is done with a thrust of the hips. A common mistake people always make at first is using too much upper body. You’ll feel the strain in your abs as you pop the boat upright from your mid section.

Head Tuck: Keep your head down, so that it is the last part of your body to come out of the water. The biggest hang-up for most novices is lifting their head, because it is instinctive to want to lift your head out of the water right away for a quick breath. As soon as you lift your head, you kill your roll.

Paddle Practice: Where to put your paddle may when rolling can be confusing, but when done right, the paddle can be of great assistance. Keep your paddle parallel to the boat, and while incorporating the hip snap, stretch your arms to the surface and use a sweeping stroke to guide the motion.

Stay Calm: Get comfortable being in the boat upside down and be ready to wet exit. When you flip, take a second when you’re underwater to get your composure. If you miss the roll on your first attempt, you still have plenty of air to try it again.

BEGINNER PADDLING SPOTS

Rivanna River, Va.: With a put-in right near downtown Charlottesville the section from Woolen Mills to Milton is five miles with five ledges of class II rapids.

James River, Va.: Near Richmond, beginners can get a taste of whitewater on the Balcony Falls section from Glasgow to Snowden. This area is mostly class II until you reach Balcony Falls, where you can get an introduction to class III.

Nantahala River, N.C.: Paddle eight miles of predominantly class II whitewater through one of the most beautiful gorges on the east coast. The class III Nantahala Falls can be a bit of a shocker at the end of the run.

Tuckaseegee River, N.C.: You might have to contend with troops of rafters as you work out the kinks, but western North Carolina’s Tuckaseegee offers a range of practice with rapids that can range from class I-III.

Hiwassee River, Ga.: A six-mile stretch of the Hiwassee, which starts in the North Georgia Blue Ridge and runs through North Carolina into the Tennessee, is a perfect beginner spot to get a taste of class I-II, as well as some extended flat water stretches to practice your roll.

MY FIRST PADDLING TRIP

Whitewater kayaking often gets pegged as a sport exclusively for the rough and rugged. “We’re often seen as a group with a death wish,” says paddler Josh Tracy.

And while launching off a 15-foot, class V ledge might not be for everyone, whitewater paddling is still accessible to beginning boaters looking to get their feet wet.

Take the Ogdens, for example. Last month, Chris Ogden of Durham, N.C., brought his family, including his wife Leah, 15-year-old daughter Lesley, and 14-year-old nephew Matt, for a five-mile, class II guided beginner’s trip on the Rivanna River.

After being outfitted with the five essentials (boat, paddle, personal flotation device (PFD), spray skirt, and helmet), they practiced basic strokes in the calm water. At first, Leah was spinning around in circles.

Once the Ogdens felt comfortable, they headed for their first class II ledge. The key to running rapids is picking the right line through the maze of rocky drop-offs, which comes with practice and river-reading experience. After clearing the ledge, the group paddled into a calm water pool off to the side, a technique known as eddying out.

Later, Lesley practiced the technique of eskimo-rolling her kayak. The hardest part of the roll, she says, is keeping her head tucked, so that it’s the last body part to come out of the water. The eskimo roll is an essential safety move for any whitewater paddler, but something that comes with extended practice. Still, in a half-day, a family of four was able to learn the basics of whitewater paddling.

PADDLING GLOSSARY

Boat-Eater: A large hole in a rapid, big enough to swallow a boat.

Boof: Driving your boat for a mini-launch over a shallow ledge or rock.

Carnage: General term for a mishap, as in a boat flipping or someone falling out.

C.F.S.: Cubic Feet per Second. Measurement of velocity of water flow on a river.

Class I-VI: International rapid classification system. Class I is easiest; Class VI is hardest.

Drop: A short, well-defined rapid or section of a rapid.

Eddy: Area of usually calm water downstream of an obstruction in the main current.

Hair boating: Paddling in dangerous and difficult whitewater.

Hydraulic: A powerful circulating force at the base of a drop in the river.

Pin: Being stuck between the current and river bed or an obstruction such as a rock.

Put-in: The place where you put your boat on the river to begin a run or trip.

Surf: A playboating move in which a paddler uses counter balancing forces of down stream current and upstream hydraulic.

Train: A series of standing waves or runout of a rapid.