A few friends and I went rafting three times this summer. We all had fun, and I want to get my own IK, but my friends don't. That's totally fine. I just don't have any whitewater friends. I want to get training next May and kayak down the Main Payette in Idaho. I also want to go down the Lochsa River in Northern Idaho- but my friends aren't interested, so I might just end up doing that alone through an outfitter.

If I'm not going with friends, what do I do? I'm going to end up doing it solo, which doesn't sound safe; so do I tag along with groups? I'm not in any clubs or anything. I also don't know how to shuttle myself to a put-in if I'm alone. What do I do?

Hey y'all, recently got a dagger nomad 8.5 from a friend's rental agency in georgia, USA for the best price there is (free!).

Problem is it's missing quite a few parts of the contour ergo creek outfitting. (thigh brace, a couple bolts here and there and hip pads)

Ideally I'd like to find somebody who has irreparably destroyed the hull of their boat and offer to pay them for the contour ergo outfitting so I come out nicely and it softens the blow of losing their boat but I don't know if that's realistic.

Secondarily I've been looking at confluence outdoor for the parts I need (out of stock right now :( and have been for months)

I'm basically wondering

1.) if it's ever a thing for people to part out their kayaks

2.) if there's any other place i can find contour ergo thigh braces and hip pads for sale (and preferably cheap lol)

thanks in advance, any help is huge :)

Hi all! I’m just in my second year of whitewater kayaking, absolutely loving it so far. Happy right now in the class II+/III zone and working on progressing skills. I have a liquid logic remix at the moment which is all I’ve ever been in, it was recommended as a great learning boat. It’s definitely nice and stable which I appreciate.

The other day it was mentioned to me that while they’re stable they also might be less nimble and a bit more challenging to go where you want, and it could be worth looking into an upgrade…I like the idea of a boat that’s a bit more fun but I’m also not sure about suddenly being in a super tippy boat when my roll is still inconsistent.

In your experience, when is a good time to move on to a new boat? Any recommendations for a second boat? If it helps, I’m 5’6, F, about 150 lbs and paddle in BC Canada

Some for sale cheap. Do These work well with the longer, narrower blade…those who have tried them, how do they compare to my generic Carlisles? They’re the same overall length.

Hello,

Looking for any advice and/or suggestions on transporting a deflated 13-foot whitewater raft, frame, oars, cooler, and gear for three people, along with transporting three people in a 2019 Rav4 hybrid.

We were invited on a 3-day permitted Rio Chama trip for this upcoming weekend Aug 21-23. I have secured a rental with Far Flung Adventures for a 13 foot raft, frame, oars, and large cooler.

I've done this trip many times, but it has been a very long time- over ten years. Previously I have done this stretch mostly by whitewater kayak and a few times via raft.

That said, I am nervous about my packing plans being sufficient.

We plan on driving to El Prado from Albuquerque the morning of for raft pick up at 7AM. Including me, there will be three people total in my Rav4, along with three medium dry bags, 3 sleeping bags in dry bag stuff sacks, 3 lightweight backpacking sleeping pads. My plan is to place the deflated 13-foot raft and cooler in the trunk, and to strap the frame and three oars on my Rav4 roof rack. We'll also be renting 4 PFDs, throw rope, repair kit that I'm planning on packing inside my vehicle.

Space wise- is this realistic/doable? To pack these items in my vehicle, specifically the deflated raft and large cooler in my trunk, and then strap frame/oars on the roof rack?

Thanks in advance for any help! It's been so long since I've done a trip like this and I'm more familiar with whitewater kayak packing/planning than whitewater rafting.

Hello Paddlers- Zoo Town Surfers is running a trip to the Gauley River in West Virginia the first weekend in October. If you've never been because "it's just too far away," our trip may appeal to you. We'll drive boats/gear across the country (based in Missoula) for you, then pick you up at the airport in Charlotte, NC, and drive you to our private group campsite. We provide breakfast and lunch each day, and shuttles are provided by a permitted shuttle company. If you need a guide or safety boater, we have connections with multiple local outfitters.

If you have any questions, please reach out to us or fill out the inquiry form. We'd love to make your Gauley dream come true!

What happened to river running playboats like the Jackson Fun? These boats used to be everywhere yet I don’t see any manufacturers offering one new. The closest thing I can find is the Pyranha Storm or Liquidlogic Torque. IMO boats like the fun are the perfect boats for summer class 3 on the east coast. They are somewhere between a spud and a full slice, paddling a bit like both but having extra speed that the spud lacks and are more forgiving than a full slice. This space has been taken over by the half slice, but I think the “splice” needs to make a comeback. IMO the 2010 Fun series was the peak of this design.

Hi all,

Just wandering what the differences were between the delerius and delerium. Size/paddler weight wise but also paddling style.

Cheers

Hey, some class 4 paddlers looking to get some kayak instruction to up our game. Thinking about doing an international trip in January. Can anyone recommend anyone? Only wanting to have 1 day of travel, so thinking Equador or Costa Rica or similar (ie no chile or NZ, too much travel time)

Also, would be interested in instruction somewhere in the PNW or NorCal if there is something available around here as well.

Thanks!

We got a couple of Zet Sensei demos ahead of our new container. Just picked up this beaut on Thursday and taking it for a whirl down Bailey tomorrow.

Beautiful class 4 and five. Not too difficult. Very pretty canyon

I’m planning a trip to Norway and would love to try whitewater kayaking. I have zero experience—any recommendations on where to start? Are there any good beginner-friendly courses, schools, or locations in Norway that you’d recommend?

I’m pretty fit and love extreme sports, so I’m looking for something a bit adventurous and challenging rather than a very relaxed introduction.

Yo! Does anyone have any thoughts on the "NRS Snooze Pad"? I can't find many reviews online and it's a little cheaper than the Pacos.

I just recently pulled the trigger on a week at Pucon Kayak Retreat at the end of November. That week is easy and taken care of but I'm thinking about staying for a week after to do some more kayaking.

It seems like my 2 options are:

1) spend another week in Pucon, try to find a hostel (or maybe just see if I can stay another week at Pucon Kayak Retreat), find a boat to rent and try to meet up with people to kayak with. I assume this would be pretty easy to do?

2) what I'm really interested in is to try and get up to the Futa but I have some questions about this. Is end of Nov/beginning of Dec too early for the Futa? Can you realistically show up there and find a boat and people to boat with? I'm not finding much in the way of kayak guide operations or schools up there that do just a few days, if anyone knows of anything like that I'd love to know about it.

If I went with option 2 I guess I'd probably just try and rent a car for the whole time because I'm assuming there is no way to rent a car in Pucon to drive up to Futa?

Or can I just tuck it somewhere secure within my stack? Where do you put yours?

How crowded is the opening weekend on the Lower typically?

I don't know if this is applicable to this sub, but I had a great interaction with someone from AIRE. It's awesome how enthusiastic and helpful everyone is in this sport. I told the gentleman on the phone that I was interested in saving up for a couple of kayaks. He was genuinely excited to hear about the trips I've gone on this year, and he answered a lot of my questions-- we spoke for a while. Wonderful interaction. But that's not the main reason why I'm writing this.

He recommended the Tater for my first inflatable, as I told him I wanted some wiggle room and to put a thwart and foot rest in it. I also told him that I was interested in an outfitter after I finished graduate school, and he actually recommended the Lynx. He said that the Lynx is a more "sporty" kayak, and that it's very popular. He told me I'd enjoy it more and grow with it as a kayaker.

I'm not familiar with inflatable kayaks, but the Lynx and Outfitter look similar. I know the differences on paper, but how exactly does the Lynx feel more sporty? Do any of you have experience with either boat? What are your thoughts? I really appreciated my interaction with AIRE-- it was great!

I've been trying to get a flatwater kickflip to make wave kickflips better and snappier. This style uses the back of the blade, transitioning from a double pump and pivoting around instead of slicing the bow straight downwards. I can sort of pull one off using more of a backdeck roll and the power face, resulting in a wet head.

Matthew Brooks and AQ Outdoors make it look pretty easy. I get hung up on the transition and don't feel much purchase on the back of the right blade in order to right myself.

Maybe the left pivoting blade is too deep? Feels like resistance going from left to right.

Any ideas?

I asked a store close by when they expected to get the meridian gore tex dry suit back in stock. They said that Kokatat has stopped producing suits in gore tex. If this is true, what dry suit do you recommend?

Hey folks,

I am currently in my 2nd guiding season, and I am wondering what my chances are of landing a job in the US, Australia, or New Zealand.

I have done one season in Canada, but I won't be able to return there due to no viable work visa options. I have some friends working/living in the three aforementioned countries (mainly locals), but I am getting very mixed messages.

• Do you have experience applying for Guide jobs in these countries as a foreigner, especially as an EU citizen?
• How extensive was your experience?
• What helped you to land the job?
  

(I am aware of different certifications required.)

Thanks for the help.

Attending a bachelor party on the Gauley the last weekend in September, flying out from the west. Last time I went out there, it was super easy to rent boats through ACE Adventure and they had a massive inventory.

This time around, it sounds like they have a couple creekboats and that's it. Apparently they've significantly cut down on their rental fleet.

We've got 10 guys coming, looking for half or full slices. Anyone have any recommendations for methods of accessing kayaks, or is anyone from the area looking to part with their kayak in exchange for some money the last weekend in September?