My two cents worth - I raced slalom for almost two decades, still paddle whitewater, and have sea kayaked since 1994, including expeditions to remote and wild places. There are tons of similarities between things that can happen in rough conditions on the sea and what can happen in real whitewater. But the differences can be enormous as well. I have surfed really big stuff on rivers in my highly rockered and relatively short (compared to a sea kayak. I'm old and don't paddle kayaks that are shorter than my paddle) WW boat. Surfing even moderate waves on the ocean or Lake Michigan is so different that it seems like a different sport. As has been said, the waves on river are stationary and the water moves. Open water waves move while the water doesn't. Those dynamics are very different to the boater. When a river wave collapses on you, you get pummeled (pummelled?) but there is no sensation of being dragged behind a truck like what a sea wave does. And if you have ever been windowshaded on a river or on the ocean, well, I'll take the river every time. Crossing eddylines, as has been said, is a very different experience in a WW boat than in a sea kayak. Ditto ferrying. In a WW boat the forward or rearward lean of the paddler makes all the difference in ferrying. I have no effect on my sea kayak with front or back leans. I have no doubt that WW paddling will make anyone a better sea kayaker. In big water things happen fast in many different planes. But the power of an ocean wave, which is never alone but part of a series of waves, is an order of magnitude or two harder than a river wave. So. . . . to be really great, paddle in as many different boats in as many different environments with as many different paddles as possible. Nothing to it! As long as we live to be hundred or so. Jim Tibensky *************************************************************************** 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 Wed Apr 23 2008 - 05:39:43 PDT
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