1.  Angle = 45 degrees relative to the downstream current or current inside the eddy.  When we have the right angle we expose just the right amount of our kayak to the current which, in turn, does the work of turning our kayak for us so we don’t have to.

2.  Edge = Lifting our upstream edge when we’re peeling out and lifting our downstream edge when we’re performing an eddy turn.  Lifting the correct edge allows the water to hit the bottom or our boat so that we don’t flip while performing this skill and allows the current to turn out boat.

3.  Speed = Taking good, strong strokes to gain some momentum, but not paddling so hard that you blow your angle and edge…

4.  Look where you want to go.  Self explanatory!

As a kayak instructor I drill people on these skills on the water all the time.  Practicing them helps to create better reading water skills, balance, effortlessness and control.  Plus, good eddy turns and peel outs are a lot of fun!  Almost anyone can paddle straight down a class II and III river, but they’re missing out on a lot of fun and are not learning to paddle to their potential.  Beginners often resist eddy and ferry practice because it can feel unstable and challenging, but if they stick with it, the benefits are awesome.

Interestingly enough I’ve realized that the components of eddy turns and peels are just as relevant off the water as they are on the water.  Take the peel out for example…  We’ve all experienced times in our lives when we’ve felt stuck.  Perhaps we feel uninspired or maybe we’ve been repeating habits and patterns that make us unhappy.  In these times remembering the elements of a good peel out can help us get unstuck.

1.  Set your angle = Pay attention and set your intention.  Ask yourself:  “What do I want to look different in my life?”  Allow yourself some quiet time so that the answer bubbles up from inside of you.  You know what’s best for you so trust yourself and set the intention that you want for your life, or for this year or this month or just for today.  It can be as simple as:  “Today my intention is to find 3 things to be grateful for.”

2.  Find your Edge =  Find your balance.  Take time out in your day to find your center, your balance point.  Sit quietly or go for a walk or bike ride or paddle!  Instead of constantly sending your energy out to everyone else, save some for yourself.  You can only take care of others if you take care of yourself first.  Going a step further, you can find your balance on edge — don’t be afraid to challenge yourself, to push your limits just a little.  Step outside of your comfort zone and hang out there for a bit and you’ll find that what you were so afraid of isn’t so bad after all.

3.  Speed = Start moving and move in a different way, in a different direction.  If you’re on the river and you get stuck in an eddy you don’t say to yourself:  “Oh, I’m stuck, I guess I’ll just have to stay here all day.”  If you said that you would never get off the river!  Somehow you find the courage, strength and determination to paddle out of that eddy back into the current.  You may not be sure of how you’ll end up at the bottom of the rapid, but you take initiative and you go for it.  Same thing when you feel stuck in life.  Big projects start with one little baby step, and then another and then another….  You don’t have to paddle like crazy, just start taking some strokes and the momentum will build on itself.

4.  Look where you want to go = It’s important that  when you have a goal that you’re reaching for that you don’t sabotage yourself by telling yourself stories about how you can’t do it.  I love the quote that says something like:  “Whether you believe you can or you can’t you’re probably right.”  Keep your focus on where you want to go, on what you want to create in your life.  When you hear yourself starting to doubt, coming up with excuses or being negative you can simply say:  “That isn’t true for me anymore.”  This is a very powerful statement!  Just because something went one way in the past doesn’t mean that it has to repeat itself.  We all have the power to choose where our attention is focused.  Using affirmations can help with this.  Find an affirmation that is believable to you and say it over and over.  Stick it on the fridge or somewhere you can see it.  It can be as simple as:  “Everything I do I do with ease.”  Keep it simple and keep looking where you want to go.

Eddy turns can be important to.  Maybe you need to catch an eddy to take a break, rejuvenate and find your balance.  Stopping to take stock of what’s going on in your life is important.

As I mentioned, I drill my students on the water on this stuff and it take some practice to refine peel outs and eddy turns so that they feel effortless.  If I had given up on kayaking after my first trip down the river because I couldn’t eddy turn or peel out or stay upright I wouldn’t be where I am or who I am today.  On the river I’m sure that you get out there and practice as much as you can, even if you don’t feel like you’re getting it right all of the time.  The same thing goes when applying this stuff to life.  Don’t give up the first time that something doesn’t work out the way you want it to.  Keep going back to the basic steps mentioned above and recognize the lesson.   Being open to the learning will help you do it differently next time.  With practice peel outs and eddy turns become effortless both on and off the water.

It only costs $40 and that includes lunch and shuttle. All proceeds go to AW so that they can continue to work for the river access and conservation that we whitewater paddlers have the privilege of enjoying.  Meeting time is 8:30 a.m. at NARR on Friday the 17th of September.   Our team of female trip leaders and safety boaters will include accomplished paddler and women’s Green Race record holder, Adriene Levknecht, Girls at Play ambassador, Mary Frances Hansford and more!   Join us for an awesome day of girl power on one of the most beautiful and exciting rivers in the world — and give back to the community.   Call North American River Runners to book your spot and make a difference. 800.950.2585 www.narr.com

See you on the River!

The Girls at Play Staff

We want to thank our sponsors for providing the latest and greatest demo gear for the ladies:  Kokatat Watersports, Dagger Kayaks, Shred Ready Helmets and AT Paddles. This year there was added excitement thanks to the generous donation of an Eddy paddle from AT Paddles worth $329.00!  The paddle will be raffled off and one of the lucky women who participated in select Girls at Play Summer Tour events will win!  The raffle will take place August 31st, so stay tuned….

We also want to thank our hosts:  Green River Adventures, Riversport, Northeast PA Kayak School, Madawaska Kanu Center, Brown Ledge Camp, Appomattox River Co, Bearpaw Outdoors, The Outside World and River City Canoe and Kayak!  Below are some photos from the events.  Enjoy and see you tour!

We arrived a week before our first trip to spend some time paddling on our own and doing recon trips on all of the rivers.  Our friends Jason and Kara McClure also decided to check out the paddling around Jalco the same week.  And, once we were down there I got to catch up with some Canadian paddlers and friends whom I hadn’t seen in a few years and who work and live in Mexico.  It turned out to be a really fun week of paddling and hiking.

We paddled the Pescados, the Actopan, the Antigua and the Alseseca.  We also did one of my favorite canyon hikes.  The hike starts in the village and follows burro trails up to and past a natural swimming hole into a long, deep canyon.  As you go up the canyon you have to do some bouldering, climbing and crawling over, around and under big rocks.  Eventually you get to a spot where you scurry up the side of a steep hill, through a grove of coffee and tangerine trees to wooden ladders that take you up the canyon wall.  There’s nothing that tastes better when you’re hot and sweaty than tangerines that you’ve just picked from the tree!  From there we walked across the meseta to another burro trail that lead down the mountain and back to the village.  The view of the valley from the highest point was breathtaking.

Along with the paddling and hiking we also enjoyed delicious food.  Our favorite place is El Navegante taco stand.  El Navegante use to be a raft guide and now he makes the best pork and pineapple tacos ever!  The bad thing is that he only sets up on weekends.

Even though it didn’t feel lik e Christmas to us because we weren’t with our families, Mexicans definitely get into the festive spirit.  One of my favorite traditions in the village are the groups of kids who decorate a tree branch, make rattles and go door to door singing Mexican Christmas carols.  If they come to your door and sing you give them a few pesos and then they carry on to the next house.  At New Years there’s a similar tradition where the adults get into the action too.   Groups get together with instruments and one or two people dress up as elders who represent the old year going out.  They sing and dance for you and then you give them a few pesos.  It’s really fun.

The day after Christmas Andrew and I hosted an awesome group of paddlers for a week of fun and kayaking.  There were different skill levels in the group so we split up and tackled different rivers on different days, coming together to paddle for a few runs.  It was a great trip and we’re so glad this group got together and wanted to come to Mexico!  In addition to the singing groups at New Years we were also treated to an Afro-Cuban band and African Dance performers as well as a fire show.  Everyone was so tired from all of the paddling that only a few of us made it to midnight!

On our way home Andrew and I spent a day in Mexico City where we were surprised to find an ice rink, an artificial snow tube run and a snowball fight area in the middle of the Zocalo.  And there were beautiful Christmas lights on the buildings surrounding the Zocalo too.  We ate at my favorite Mexican restaurant, Los Girasoles and that was a delicious way to end our holiday trip to Mexico.  Luckily I get to go back this week to run my women’s trips!  Below are some more photos from my camera, enjoy!

Ladies on the Lower G kicked off the weekend with a river run down the Lower Gauley on Friday.  We had 20 women participate and raised $500.00 for AW.  It was a sunny day full of paddling, chatting and smiles.  At the end of the day there was a raffle with prizes donated by Kokatat and Girls at Play.  Everyone won a prize!  The ladies left feeling tired, yet energized from the day.   I’m grateful for all of the women who participated and to Kokatat for donating some great gear to raffle off!  I also want to thank Kathy Zerkle, Karen Mann and Anne Conolly for helping out and taking photos.

On Saturday I headed to the festival site to set up the Kokatat booth out of which I also promoted Girls at Play.  It worked out great!  I had samples of the ’09 line of Kokatat gear, including the new Ronin Rescue Vest which is now available in the US.  And new this fall, I also had a few samples of the Girls at Play Limited Edition Ronin PFD — Now available on the site!

Kokatat teamed up with AW to raffle off a new Rogue drytop embroidered with the AW logo. The raffle was open to AW members only.  Members signed up with AW, filled out their ticket and brought it over to the bucket at the Kokatat booth where the drytop was hanging.  The raffle took place around 10:30 p.m. and we had hundreds of tickets to draw from.  I got to meet lots of great people in the process.  The winner was a woman by the name of Erin who was very excited!

Sunday and Monday I spent paddling with awesome friends whom I hadn’t seen in some time.  I had a blast catching up with pioneer female paddlers like  Shannon Carroll, Harriet Taylor, Colleen Laffey and Katie Johnson, among others.  It was great to paddle and enjoy the river with them.  There was lots of giggling…   Here are some photos for you to enjoy.  See you on the river!

I love the physicality of kayaking.  The adrenaline rush, being outside and being active is really fun, but it wasn’t the physicality that really hooked me to the sport.  It was, and is, an intense feeling of happiness and fulfillment that comes with focusing on and enjoying the present moment.   I remember one of the first times that I experienced this feeling and it wasn’t on a hard run, or doing a cool move, or anything like that.

It was late afternoon and I wanted to go kayaking, but couldn’t find anyone to go with me.  I was so fanatical about getting to the river that I paid a friend to drive me to the put-in of the New River Gorge, drop me off and then pick me up at the take-out. At that time Ender Waves was a popular surfing spot and I knew there would be others out there.  I paddled down to Ender Waves, surfed for a while and then headed down the river behind another group.  I lingered just far enough behind so that it felt as though I was the only one on the river.

The sun was low and the whole Gorge was bathed in beautiful golden light that brought out the pink hues in the cliff walls.  It was a gorgeous evening and as I approached Double Z and looked up at Ramshead cliff a feeling of deep gratitude and beauty swept over me.  I felt a joyful connection with the river, the gorge, the trees, the stones.  It was a feeling of oneness, a merging with the natural world around me.  I felt that in that moment I had everything I needed in life and that I didn’t want to be anywhere else but right here, right now.

Yeah, I know that may sound cheesy to some of you, but what I’ve come to know for myself is that living in the present moment and feeling that sense of connection and happiness is what life is all about. That’s why I didn’t follow the path of ‘responsibility’ after college and instead became a raft guide so I could paddle all the time.  Kayaking has been a significant teacher in helping me understand how to create a happy, fun, successful and adventurous life for myself no matter what others think or what society tried to dictate that I should do instead.   I decided to let the river and kayaking be my guides and I have learned a lot of amazing things!

The river is a teacher with many faces:  Soft, easy, playful and gentle as well as scary, pushy, powerful and intimidating.   We as kayakers have the unique opportunity to receive the rivers’ teachings in a way that few others can because we have a deeper understanding of how current works.  We learn the subtleties of the currents in order to do the dance of successful maneuvering.  What’s really cool is that we can use the lessons that we learn on the river to assist us in navigating our lives off the river too.

It’s worked for me and I know it can work for anyone who takes the time to practice.  I’d like to share with you my favorite five teachings from kayaking and the river that have had a positive influence in my life.  You already practice these when you’re paddling so why not try them in other parts of your life too?

Pay Attention

On the river the number one rule is pay attention! It’s easy to pay attention when we’re paddling because when we don’t we usually end up getting trashed.  I’ve heard many paddlers tell me that they love kayaking because it forces them to focus on the present moment and everything else fades away. That feeling of focusing on what’s in front of you and what you need to do to make it through the rapid is very freeing.  In that moment there is nothing but you, the river and your goal.

If you misjudge the timing, read the water wrong or make a bad move the river will let you know immediately.  When we get trashed on the river, or miss a wave or mess up a move it’s not because the river is out to get us.  We can’t blame the river for our mistakes, lack of focus or bad timing.  We have to take responsibility for our actions and our thoughts that may have caused us to mess up.   I’ve heard paddlers try to blame the river before.  It makes them feel better, but it doesn’t fool anyone else!

Paying attention and taking responsibility for our words, actions and thoughts isn’t always easy because it means that we have to look at ourselves and admit that we make mistakes.  In our daily lives there may not be an immediate physical trashing when we don’t pay attention like there is in kayaking, but there are consequences to careless actions and words that can include drama, anger and unhappiness.

On the river, if we make a wrong move once and get trashed we’re going to do it differently the next time.  I haven’t met very many paddlers who continue to mess up because they like getting their butts kicked, but I have experienced people who get addicted to drama and blaming in their lives.

Being truthful with yourself about your behavior is an opportunity to change course.  It’s also an opportunity to practice compassion and forgiveness toward yourself and others.  Remember that no one is perfect and that we all make mistakes.  Even the best paddlers in the world mess up and swim.

At first you may only become aware of a pattern after it’s happened and you feel bad.  The next time you may have more awareness and you’ll notice that you’re doing it in the moment.  Eventually you’ll notice your pattern before you even speak and you’ll be able to choose to act differently.  It’s just like learning to read water and anticipate on the river.  It may not feel like it at the time, in the heat of the moment, but we always have a choice between reacting and responding to a situation.

Look at were you want to go

Once you become aware of that point of choice how do you choose what route to take?  You can start by looking at where you want to go.  Most paddlers have experienced what happens when they stare at that big rock that they’re trying to avoid.  It never fails that every time you stare at a rock you paddle right into it.  On the other hand, if you focus on the current that leads you beside the rock you’ll make it around the obstacle.   In kayaking looking where you want to go is key to making it down a rapid successfully.  The same technique can be used in everyday life, especially when setting goals.

It doesn’t matter where you are now, that doesn’t have to define where you’ll be 1 week, 2 months or 3 years from now.  Just like when you’re on the river and you’re in an eddy. You know where you are and by looking to where you want to go you find out what moves you need to make to get there.  You don’t sit in the eddy all day feeling sorry for yourself because you’re not at the bottom of the rapid already.  You take action to get out of the eddy and head down the rapid.  You don’t always know if your moves will work out exactly how you thought, but one way or the other you’ll make it to the bottom of the rapid and learn something along the way.

If you’re feeling like you’re in a rut in your life think of it as though you’re caught in an eddy.  You have the skills to get out and you have the vision to see where you want to go.  Keep your eyes on your goal as you make that first move of peeling out.  To help with building up the courage to break out you can practice using affirmations. Affirmations are positive statements that assert our goal (even if we haven’t met it yet) or assert how we want to feel. They are statements that we use to replace the negative voices and feelings that come up when we’re challenging ourselves.

Affirmations are useful in those times when you’re looking to where you want to go and your mind starts going wild with stories about why and how you’re not good enough, too scared and so on…   An example would be “I feel relaxed, confident and focused.”   When we repeat affirmations to ourselves we feel good and that helps to overpower the negative voices and thoughts.

This takes practice.  The affirmations we use need to be believable for us or have the possibility of being believable.   It’s important to repeat them to yourself often and over and over again.  When you wake up, before you go to bed and when you feel calm and quiet.  Writing them in a journal 10 to 20 times is also a good practice.  It’s like practicing those hard moves in easy water first.  The more you repeat them to yourself when you’re calm, the more natural it will become to call on them in situations when you’re challenged and really need them to help you keep your eyes on where you want to go.

Be Grateful to overpower your fears

Another tool I use to work through fear and intimidating on the river and to keep good things flowing in my life is gratitude. It’s impossible to feel badly when you express gratitude for something and the more you express gratitude the more you’ll have to be grateful for.  Just try it and see what happens.

When I’m paddling a tough river I take the time at the beginning of the run to express gratitude for the river, for my paddling friends, for my skills, for the sunshine and for whatever else comes to mind.  Doing this gets me into a positive mindset and immediately replaces any negativity and takes power away from my fears.

Off the water I continue this gratitude work by thinking of five things that I’m grateful for when I wake up in the morning and five things I’m grateful for when I got to bed at night.  I start with simple things like how grateful I am for my comfy bed.  From there more and more things pop-up. Being grateful for what we have is the first step in creating more happiness in our lives.  Just like in kayaking when you practice the good basic skills that you know you build a strong foundation upon which you can easily and quickly progress.

Build a supportive team

The paddlers you surround yourself with are an integral part of how comfortable, confident and happy you feel on the river. In my experience as a paddling instructor, women thrive and progress much faster when they feel supported and trust those around them.

I’m picky about who I paddle with, especially when I’m paddling a river that challenges me. I like to feel safe with and supported by my fellow paddlers. I don’t like to paddle with people who are overly aggressive, who put their needs before the group or who get frustrated if the group isn’t moving at their pace.  I don’t have fun in this type of environment and the point of paddling is to have fun.

The same is true for me in my life in general.  I surround myself with friends and family who accept and love me for who I am and who support my endeavors in a good way.  That doesn’t mean that they always tell me what I want to hear.  I count on my good friends to call me out on behavior that isn’t productive.  The key is to not take things personally.

My students like to joke about my ‘tough love’ method of teaching.  I definitely make them do things that they don’t want to do like run a rapid without a paddle, practice their roll or practice back ferries.  I don’t do it to make them suffer I do it because I know it will help them get better.  They know me so they recognize my intention and they don’t take it personally.   In this way they feel good about pushing their limits because they know they are supported.

Another requirement of a good paddling buddy is that they’re willing to fish your gear out of the river and give you words of encouragement when you swim.  Same goes for your friends off the river.  It’s easy to feel good, to have fun and to let yourself shine when you’re surrounded by people who support, encourage and inspire you.  Surrounding yourself with a supportive team on and off the river helps you flourish as a paddler and as a person.

If you flip over roll up and keep going

Imagine giving up kayaking after your first swim.  I’m sure it’s happened to someone, but for most of us we didn’t let a swim discourage us into giving up.  It’s important to learn from the swim, but not to internalize it as an indication of your self-worth.

This is a big one for women.  In my own kayaking I have allowed the results of a competition or a bad line or a swim equate with my self-worth.  This wasn’t productive at all because it led to me feeling sorry for myself and feeling like a bad person.  This was especially true for me if I felt that others were judging me.  Really, no one was judging me but myself.  We are our own worst critics.  Most people want to see us succeed at what we do.

Set backs like swims can enhance our knowledge and experience. We stand to learn a lot when things don’t work out the way we want.  Sometimes it takes four or five times of flipping over on an eddy line because we had the wrong edge lifted before we understand what we’re suppose to do.  When we figure it out we don’t forget it.

I read recently in a small business magazine that venture capitalists like to invest in someone who has failed in business ventures before because it shows them that the entrepreneur isn’t afraid to push the innovation envelope.  The investors see this as a good quality.  Playing it safe all the time keeps us comfortable, but doesn’t help us progress.  Facing challenges can be uncomfortable and rewarding at the same time.  That’s why most of us love kayaking so much!  That rush of satisfaction, accomplishment and joy that we feel at the bottom of a scary rapid that we just ran is addicting.  And if there were no chance of messing up it wouldn’t be that exhilarating.

So don’t let fear of failure or setbacks get you down or stop you.  There is opportunity in every experience so when you flip over, roll up and keep paddling!

Learning these five lessons on the river and then applying them to my kayaking and to my life in general has helped me live a happy, successful life. They assist me in living in the moment.  Just like there are infinite possibilities of paths that current can take down a river, there are also infinite possibilities of how our lives can look and feel.  The next time you meet a challenge or come up on an obstacle in your life just imagine what you would do on the river and you’ll discover that you already have all that you need to get through it!

This article was first published in the AW Journal.  If you’re not yet a member of AW please join!  Click here for more information.

Set up for the event included parking a semi full of kayaks in the middle of Central Park and unloading them down stairs to Bethesda Fountain, the venue for the paddling. We had to unload a lot of boats and we were happy to have the assistance of some of the park employees — awesome, strong women who caught onto lifting and carrying boats fast! I was impressed. Most of them had never seen kayaks before and they handled them easily.

Friday night we were invited to a reception that included delicious food catered by one of the best chefs in the city (lucky us!). Originally the reception was suppose to be on the rooftop of the building, but it was rainy so they moved it inside. We did have the opportunity to go up on the roof and enjoy the nice skyline view of the city, the tree-top view of the park and the some of the buildings on upper east side. It was very cool.

Our hotel was right off of Time Square, which feels crazy with all of the billboards, lights and tourists. We spent some time in the M&M and Hershey stores there. They actually provide a lot of entertainment… especially the M&M store.

During the event, which was only 4 hours, we introduced over 300 people to kayaking. Toward the end of the afternoon there was a long line with people waiting up to an hour to get into a kayak. Had the weather been sunny I’m sure we would have seen hundreds more.

It was really awesome for me to watch people have so much fun in kayaks and really enjoy being outside. I had a great time chatting with people and helping them with their paddling. Kayaking really does transform people’s attitudes, moods, and lives and I’m so grateful every time I get to witness that on whitewater or flatwater. I enjoy bringing kayaking to people everywhere!

I paddled around a Dagger Alchemy most of the event and then switched into a Perception Tribute. Both boats are very different and very fun on flatwater! I even saw some wildlife… fish, turtles and a beautiful small Heron. Central Park is beautiful and I thoroughly enjoyed the event. I appreciate Confluence and EMS bringing kayaking to people everywhere! Enjoy these photos of the event.

There are four key words to remember about performing a precise and effortless ferry. And, yes, if you’re doing it right it will feel effortless. The idea is to allow the current to do most of the work. The key words are angle, edge, vision and speed.

Angle refers to the angle of your kayak relative to the current. For a successful ferry this angle needs to be about 45 degrees to the current. Another way to visualize the angle is to imagine a clock superimposed over the current with twelve o’clock being upstream and six o’clock being downstream. The bow of your kayak will want to be angled toward 10:30 or 11 o’clock if you’re moving from right to left and toward 1:30 or 2 o’clock if you’re moving from left to right.

Not only do you want to set your angle before you proceed into the current, but the idea with the ferry is that you maintain the angle all the way across the current. If you take the time to set your angle properly from the beginning, maintaining it will be easier. To help you do this it’s best to position yourself close to the eddy line. If you try to set your angle sitting way back in the eddy, by the time you paddle up to the current you’ll already have lost your angle. It’s much easier to maintain your angle if you don’t have to paddle as far.

The other tip for helping you set and maintain your angle is to pay attention to your paddle strokes. You only need a few good, powerful strokes to break across the eddy line so don’t feel like you need a ton of speed. Taking fewer strokes also allows you to focus on your last stroke as you enter the current. If you take a stroke on your upstream side as you’re entering the current you’ll start turning your kayak and will loose your angle immediately. If you take the stroke on your downstream side you’ll be more likely to maintain your angle.

Once you’re in the current the water will start pushing on your bow and will want to turn you downstream. To counteract this you’ll want to use stern draws on your downstream side. Make sure that you practice correct stern draw technique so that you feel comfortable performing the stroke with a very strong torso rotation. If you do the stroke correctly you’ll only need two or three compared to six or seven bad ones.

Edge refers to lifting and maintaining your upstream edge as you ferry across. This keeps the majority of the edge of your boat out of the water so that you stay upright. The surface of your kayak that is exposed to the current allows the water to push your kayak across.

If you lift your edge at the beginning of your ferry and then set it down half way through you’ll end up flipping over or turning downstream. It’s important that you maintain that edge all the way over.

Vision refers to looking where you want to go. Once you’ve set your angle and you’re making your move into the current it’s important to look at where you want to go. This will actually help you keep your boat angle because you’ll see the big picture of what the current is doing. If you stare at your bow or at the current right in front of your bow you loose track of your angle and positioning relative to the rest of the current and it’s more difficult to perform an effortless ferry. So, make sure that you look where you want to go from the beginning all the way to the end of your ferry.

Speed refers to how much momentum you have crossing into the current. As I’ve already mentioned when discussing angle, it’s not necessary to have a crazy amount of speed when you’re learning. It’ll serve you better to focus on your angle and edge more than speed. Now, that doesn’t mean that you can float across the eddy line. You still want to paddle, but no so much that you forget about everything else.

Make sure that you switch edges once you get to the eddy or flatwater on the other side of the current you’re ferrying across. This will keep you stable.

As you progress as a paddler you’ll learn that you can relax your ferry angle for easy going current. You’ll also learn to read the water and notice that the current is not uniform and the current right next to the eddy you’re starting your ferry from may be stronger or weaker than the current out in the middle. This means that you may have to adjust your angle halfway through your ferry. These subtleties will become more apparent with more experience and instruction. No matter what, if you’re struggling remember to come back to the basic principles of angle, edge, vision and speed.

More intermediate paddlers will want to practice taking the least amount of strokes possible while ferrying to improve their technique and their finesse. You can also practice keeping your blade in the water in the position of the stern draw with your wrists feathered up so that you maintain pressure on the current. This will help you maintain your angle in a more fluid way.

Practicing back ferries is also important for intermediate paddlers who need a challenge. This adds a whole new dimension to boat control, edge control and balance. Most paddlers avoid this practice, but if you really want to improve your intermediate skills this is a great way to do it.

If you’re getting turned downstream immediately and are having a hard time keeping your angle, focus on taking the time to set your angle properly. Make sure that you understand the angle. If you enter perpendicular to the current or at a three o’clock angle you’ll get turned downstream. If you end up facing straight upstream and getting turned back toward your starting point then you’re starting out with too much angle or correcting too much. Remember that when you do a proper ferry it looks and feels like your gliding across the current.  This may take some time, but the more you practice the easier it will become.

This article is excerpted from Anna’s latest whitewater kayaking instructional DVD for women.  Look for the new DVD in stores and online in spring of 2010. Also look for video clips of the DVD coming soon to this blog!

Let’s start with the basics.  Compared with recreational kayaks, whitewater kayaks are short and small with smaller cockpits.  Whitewater kayaks are designed to turn so that they can easily be maneuvered around obstacles in rapids.  Some of them turn quicker and more easily than others.  Whitewater kayaks are also designed to remain relatively stable in waves and current.  Some are more stable than others.  High performance, adjustable outfitting is important in whitewater boats to ensure a snug fit for maximum responsiveness to hip and knee movement.

A big part of choosing the right kayak is acknowledging your skill level and what kind of kayaking you want to do.  Here’s a breakdown of the kinds of whitewater boats to choose from based on what kind of paddler you are.

If you’re a flatwater or easy-going river paddler who’s looking to cross over into some Class II whitewater then a hybrid rec/whitewater kayak will probably work for you.  Models include the Dagger Approach and the Liquidlogic XP. These kayaks have the speed and stability of a flatwater kayak with the hull (the bottom) of a whitewater kayak to handle waves and current with stability and ease.  They also have a large cockpit that doesn’t feel restrictive and are easy to exit out of if you flip over. They have a storage hatch and a drop-down skeg that are great for paddling on lakes.  You can choose to use a sprayskirt over the cockpit or just paddle without one.

The hybrid rec/whitewater boats can even handle up to easy class III rapids if you’re feeling adventurous.  Once you’ve decided to pursue  pure whitewater on a full time basis then it’s time to move into a pure whitewater kayak for better control, safety and fun.  Below are outlines of the different types of whitewater kayaks and what skill level they best suit.

Beginner whitewater paddlers who are focusing on feeling comfortable in Class II and working up to feeling comfortable on Class III want a kayak that’s stable, fast, is easy to learn to roll and comfortable. The category of kayaks that are great for this skill level are usually referred to as‘river runners.’  Good river runners for beginners include models like the Dagger Mamba and the Wavesport Diesel.

If you’re an intermediate paddler who enjoys paddling downstream on class III and some easy class IV and likes stability then a river runner is also a good choice.  If you’re an intermediate paddler who wants a more playful river runner then a hybrid play/river runner is a nice way to go.  These kayaks give the paddler an opportunity to practice basic playboating moves like stern squirts and surfing while maintaining stability, speed and ease of control for paddling through rapids.

Examples of hybrid play/river runners are the Dagger RX and the Dagger Axiom.  You’ll notice that kayaks in this category can look very different from one another.  Some, like the RX are shorter and smaller with ‘squished’ ends. This type of hybrid whitewater kayak is more playful and will handle more like a playboat than a river runner.  This is the kayak you want if you’re not afraid of edgy boats and you want to go beyond tricks like the stern squirt and front surfing (if you don’t know what either of these tricks are then a regular river runner is probably just fine!)

Boats like the Axiom are long and stable like a river runner, but their shape makes them a bit edgier in the water and able to front surf better and perform tricks like stern squirts.  A boat like this maintains good speed, stability and tracking like a river runner, with the ability for more play.

Playboats are for paddlers who’s main focus is freestyle kayaking.  Surfing waves and holes and performing tricks. Playboats are very edgy and flip over easily in the current because they are designed to be very responsive.   If you want to perform tricks like loops and blunts then you’ll want to look into playboats.  If you have no idea what I’m talking about then stick with a river runner or hybrid!  My favorite playboat is the Dagger Kingpin.  Even though it’s an older model I feel like it’s still one of the best playboats out there.

Creekboats are for advanced paddlers who enjoy paddling difficult class IV and V low volume creeks and rivers.  Important aspects of a creekboat are the ability to resurface quickly, stability and speed.  Until you’re paddling class IV and V you don’t have to worry about this type of kayak.  And when you’re ready, you’ll know what you’re looking for.

The type of boat you choose really depends on where you live and what type of river you’re going to paddle the most.  For example, if there are no surfing waves or holes on your local river then there’s really no point in you investing in a playboat.  If your local run is class III and you enjoy paddling downstream through the rapids and performing river running moves then a river running kayak is perfect for you.  If you enjoy paddling downstream, but also want to front surf every wave you see then a hybrid may be most enjoyable.  If you live on a river where there’s an amazing play feature in every rapid then you’ll probably get a lot out of a playboat.

To make the right decision it’s important for you to know the rivers in your area and know what you like.  If you’re a beginner you don’t have to know this stuff right away.  Pick the river runner that’s most comfortable for you and allow yourself to progress in it. As you spend more time on the water, you’ll discover what you enjoy and if you want to move into a different type of boat.

Most whitewater kayak models come in at least two sizes, if not more.  This is important because you want to make sure that you have the right size boat for your height and weight. For women, a big consideration is the size of the seat where the hips fit.  Comfort is an important part of choosing a kayak because you’ll be spending hours at a time in the boat.  If you’re not comfortable it takes away from the experience.

Now, it’s also important to note that a river runner or creekboat is going to have more room in the legs and feet than a playboat.  The design of the kayak will affect how comfortable it feels.  Most freestyle paddlers are ok with squeezing into their playboats because they know the smaller size of the boat will help them perform more tricks.

In the past I’ve seen women who were put into whitewater kayaks that were too small or aggressive for them because they were marketed as a ‘woman’s boat.’  I watched these women struggle and lose confidence, not because their skills were poor, but because they were in a kayak that was too aggressive for them.

After they moved into a river running kayak more suitable for their size and ability their confidence and skills improved immediately.  It’s important to do your research first and get a feel for the boat. Sit in the kayak on the showroom floor before buying or go out to your local outfitter’s demo days.
Ideally, if you’re a beginner, you’ll take a class from a reputable paddling school that will have a wide selection of kayaks that you can try during your course.  This is not only a great way to find out if you like the sport, but it’s also a great way to try different kayaks to find the right fit for you. Now that we’ve gone over aspects of what kind of kayak to look for, let’s talk about how a whitewater kayak should fit.

The first time you sit in a whitewater kayak it may feel strange because you have to externally rotate your legs to fit under the thigh braces.  It may even feel like you don’t fit.  The truth is you just have to get use to the feel of sitting in this position.  It’s easiest if you loosen all of the outfitting before sitting in a kayak for the first time.  Loosen the back band, remove the hip pads and make sure that the feet are far enough forward for you to get your legs in.

In the proper seated position, your legs will be externally rotated with your thighs under the thigh braces.  The balls of your feet will be pressing firmly against the bulk head, foot braces or foot foam and will also be externally rotated (heels towards one another).  Your back band will feel tight enough to hold and support you in an upright position.  The back band isn’t a backrest, it’s there to assist your abs in sitting up nice and straight.

There’s hip padding that you can add or subtract to get a snug, but comfortable feel. Some women prefer to paddle without hip pads because their hips fill out the seat nicely and they don’t need the extra snugness. Some women prefer that extra room for their hips.   For smaller women the padding is very important as it keeps them from falling out of the kayak!

Different body shapes require different outfitting.  The beauty of whitewater kayak outfitting is that everything is adjustable.  The seats usually move, the feet braces move, the hip padding can be adjusted, the back band can be adjusted and the thigh braces on certain models can even be moved.  You want your kayak to fit you like a comfortable glove.

I would like to put emphasis on the word comfortable.  Even though it may feel strange at first to sit in a whitewater kayak, you shouldn’t feel any pain.  If you’re feeling pain then you need to adjust something or you need to try a different size or a different boat altogether.  It’s also important to be patient with yourself and with the kayak.  It may take you a few outings before you get the outfitting just right for you.  This is normal.  After a day of paddling you may decide to move the feet or add hip padding.  Take your time and don’t expect your kayak outfitting to fit perfectly right away.

In the end most important quality in a kayak is that it feels comfortable and fun to paddle.  So, after considering your size, your skill level and the type of paddling you want to do make sure that the boat you choose feels good.  Good luck and have fun out on the river!  If you have more questions feel free to post a comment.