Just returned from a whitewater course in the TN mountains. Class 2+ river but no higher. No real danger with three instructors and 5 students. It was a great adventure. I learned just how weird water can get. I unintentionally rolled about a dozen times Sunday while trying to play in a few different small holes. I learned what happens when you brace in a whirlpool. You sink.....fast. I clearly learned why WW guys and gals have a good offside roll after the current pinned my paddle to the bottom while trying to onside roll. I missed the offside but it did free my paddle. I proudly say I never swam but came very close a few times when I missed coming up. River gods find beginners delicious rare delicacies and seem to want to swallow you whole. Doing a sweep roll would quickly incur the wrath of the instructor gods. Shallow, sharp rocks were an even more powerful motivator to do a C to C roll. I quickly became a face hugging the deck convert. . Face masks on helmets were worn by the most grizzled looking paddlers. Every veteran had a horror story. What a sport! I did amaze absolutely every boater on the river by bringing a stove in my WW boat to heat up my lunch. People were actually calling their friends over in disbelief. I would tell them I was a sea kayaker in disguise and they would nod their heads knowingly. They were a very fun, animated bunch. Jim et al *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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