Whitewater Kayaking Basics: Eddy Turns
Eddy turns (getting into eddies) and peel outs (exiting eddies) are the foundation of good river running technique and it’s important to practice being as precise as possible. In my experience, learning and performing good eddy turns is one of the most challenging skills in kayaking, especially for beginners. This is partially because a good eddy turn requires the paddler to cross the eddy line and eddy lines can be difficult to recognize at first. They vary in size and shape and some are more well-defined than others. The eddy line is the swirly line where the current flowing upstream inside the eddy meets the main current which is flowing downstream. Eddy lines get easier to recognize the more you study them and the more you practice crossing them while practicing ferries, eddy turns and peel outs. (For more information on river features please see visit the Glossary of Whitewater Terms post)
There are five key words to remember when you want to perform precise and effortless eddy turns: Vision, angle, edge, position and speed.
Those of you who have taken a clinic with me know that I am very adamant about starting the lateral momentum toward the eddy early. This means that if you want to catch an eddy it’s important to set your angle and vision early so that you can paddle with commitment toward the eddy. If you wait until you’re beside the eddy it’ll be too late because the current is always moving you downstream. To enter an eddy with precision you need to start your move early, before you actually get to the eddy.
Focus your vision on the eddy you want to catch early. When you’re learning these basics the sooner you can identify the eddy you want to catch the better. The idea is that you don’t have to change your angle once you start moving toward the eddy. Keep your eyes on the eddy to help you set your angle and paddle into the eddy with commitment.
The angle at which you’re approaching the eddy is about 45 degrees relative to the current inside the eddy. The angle does vary depending on the speed of the current and the shape and size of the eddy, but, in my opinion, this 45 degree angle is a great place to start. You’ll want to focus not only on the angle itself, but the positioning of your boat relative to the eddy. If you’re catching an eddy on river right and you come down the current right beside it then it’ll difficult to get the momentum you need to paddle into the eddy while maintaining your angle. On the other hand, if you start in the middle of the current upstream of the eddy, get your angle and then paddle toward it you’re setting yourself up for success. You’ll have the room you need to make that left to right move into the eddy.
You want to enter the eddy as high as possible because that’s where the eddy line is the most defined and where you’ll get the smoothest carving turn. If you enter low in the eddy you may actually miss it and get swept downstream. This isn’t such a big deal for big, easy eddies, but once you start pushing your skills and running harder rapids with smaller eddies missing an eddy could mean you end up going down a part of the rapid you don’t want to. Your positioning will depend a lot on your vision. If you feel like you’re catching eddies low then practice looking at where you want to go earlier. In the end, side slipping into eddies or catching eddies low wastes energy because you have to work harder to get where you want to go.
As you cross the eddy line you’re going to lift your downstream edge. This is the opposite of the peel out and ferry because the water inside the eddy is flowing upstream. You want to edge your kayak as your shins cross the eddy line. You’ll edge your kayak and the water flowing upstream in the eddy will turn your kayak. This is the whole idea behind smooth paddling: Let the water do the work!
Speed is important, but not so important that you should forget about everything else and paddle like crazy. Take good, strong paddle strokes and, in the beginning, always take two more strokes than you think you need. Paddle in a strong, controlled manner that allows you to maintain your angle, vision, position and edge.
In the beginning practice holding your paddle up as the water turns your kayak so that you feel how your edges and angle are affected by the current. Until you feel comfortable with the bow draw you shouldn’t be planting your paddle in the eddy turn at all. If you plant your paddle too early you’ll come to rely on your paddle to turn you instead of letting the water do the work. When you rely too much on your paddle the important skills like edge control can suffer.
Once you bring the concepts of vision, angle, position, edge and speed together into your eddy turn you’ll feel a sweet, clean, effortless carving turn. And when you do it right it will feel so effortless that you won’t forget that feeling. Remember to keep it simple and let the water to the work! Have fun and happy paddling!
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Aug 12th, 2009
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