Let me add some to this thread too. Well, ok... I'll do it whether you let me or not. :P Where I paddle a lot (Puget Sound) you are likely to find the same cold water and strong currents, eddies, boat wakes, and irregular wave action. While I agree that ocean surfing requires many of the same skills as some white water, they aren't *exactly* the same skills. For one thing, on the ocean the waves move and the water (mostly) stands still. On a river it's the water that moves and the waves stand still. This can be a bigger difference than you might think. A w/w class exposes the paddler to a lot of changing conditions in a short period of time. While a sea kayaker may only cross a strong eddyline a few times a year (or maybe never), a w/w kayaker eddies in and out dozens of times in one run. It becomes second nature. And while you guys have to wait for the perfect wave to show up to give you a great ride, I can just drive to one. It was there last season and the season before that. And you will be surprised at how small a standing wave you can effectively surf and how you will react to the sensation of feeling like you're moving but having the visual clues (the scenery around you, except for the water) standing still. I actually recommend that you take a raft ride down the river first so that the stress of not knowing what is around the next bend isn't so bad. Of course, the corollary to that is that *knowing* what is around the next bend can be even worse. But take comfort in knowing that you can always get out and walk over to see exactly where you will be paddling. A luxury you don't often get on the ocean. In the same vein, there are a lot of w/w paddlers who think that sea kayakers are a bunch of gutless wimps paddling around on flat water. So perhaps it would be good for some of them to get out with a few of us to learn (as I did) that you can get a nice adrenaline rush on salt water, too. And you don't have to pay for a ride back to your car. Craig Jungers Moses Lake, WA *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************Received on Tue Apr 22 2008 - 09:18:42 PDT
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