Coosa Halloween 23

Fun Halloween weekend float on the Coosa at 8000cfs! #8000club #coosawhitewater

Montgomery Whitewater Park "Detailed Review"

Select Wild fiberglass whitewater kayak paddle

Rambling review of my Select Wild straight shaft paddle 197cm 30 degree by a class III beater.  Carbon shaft, fiberglass blades.

I took my Select paddle down the Montgomery Whitewater creeky channel and also did some practice rolls with it in the pool at the bottom. 

TLDR: It's a great paddle! 

Warning - I am a paddle nerd and will now say a lot of things that will make no sense to non-whitewater kayaking friends.  

I have been using my 'old faithful' straight shaft fiberglass Werner Sherpa 197 30 degree for quite awhile.  I bought the Sherpa to be a creeking paddle so I wouldn't beat up my 194 AT2 Flexi.   I also use a Rivrstyx Flo 194 40 degree, work of art, and I didn't want to beat up or lose it either.  So the Sherpa was going to be my rocky creeky battle-ax, only I started using it for everything.  

This summer I demoed the Select Wild while with Mary M. on the Tuck during Week of Rivers and decided to buy one.  Endless River Adventures in the Nantahala gorge sells Select paddles.  They ordered the Wild for me and once I got it I thought, hmmm, is it really going to be that different than my Sherpa?  Did I just impuse buy yet another piece of gear?  

Did some Ocoee runs and took Old Faithful Sherpa.  I am not as comfortable on the Ocoee as I once was, and I didn't want to change up the variables OR lose my brand new paddle.  

Took the Wild down the Nanty in my Spud.  Did fine, but the carbon shaft was slippery.  I used some river sand to try to rough it up.  I still need to tape the shaft to give me hand placement reminders.  Fun run but really not a test of what the paddle can do for me in a hard boat and challenging conditions.

So Montgomery yesterday, had the Wave Sport EZG-50 loaded in the truck, and looked at my quiver of paddles.  Montgomery is still new to me and makes me nervous... old faithful or...  the Select Wild is what I chose. 

Running the creeky channel I got flipped and did what felt like a graceful roll.  Practice rolls at the pool also felt great.  For some unfathomable reason, it feels easy to me to roll with the Select Wild.  

One reason might be the smaller shaft.  I have small hands, and my Sherpa has the regular Werner shaft which is much bigger.  Maybe the way I wrap my hands around the Select Wild shaft is better for me?  I really have no idea.  

The Wild also feels like it has a flex to it.  ( Jim M. tested the flex on my Wild and I wish I could remember his conclusions but I am certain he does and might wish to post in comments.)  The feeling of flex along with the narrower shaft makes the swing of the paddle feel different to me than my other paddles.  Like there's some spring to it or something.  It feels elegant.  The closest thing I have used that is similar is - the wooden Rivrstyx!  

Strokes on the Montgomery course are hard for me to say much about, because the course is so busy and fast I'm just trying to line up for the next thing.   The Wild certainly did everything I asked it to do without me noticing or feeling any frustration.  I feel better about Montgomery after yesterday, things are starting to slow down.  I still haven't tried the competition course.  I'm going to take the Wild down the Ocoee and see if I can get some thoughts on strokes.  

Uses of the Select Wild - playboating and river running.  Special nod to river running. I still think my AT2 Flexi is the best playboating paddle I have, too bad they stopped making AT paddles years ago.  I will still take the Werner Sherpa on creeks because that is what I bought it for - a work horse that will grind down the fiberglass blades vs breaking. 

Durability of the Select Wild - remains to be seen.  It is impeccably made.  It's such a pretty paddle I kind of don't want to tear it up.  I know, that's silly but whatever.

Women - I think women who have small hands like I do should DEFINITELY consider the Select line of paddles.  I haven't tried the bent shaft Selects, maybe someone who has can chime in.   

Older shoulders - Shoulders like mine that have been through the ringer and include some hardware will appreciate the flex and graceful feel of the Select Wild. 

Price - the price point of this paddle is only $275.    I can't think of a better, more affordable, paddle for beginners to experts.

Contact Endless River Adventures in the Nantahala gorge to get Select paddles and lots of other quality gear.  https://www.endlessriveradventures.com/

Montgomery Whitewater center in Alabama

 Here are a few rambling thoughts on the Montgomery Whitewater park.   My gear: Wave Sport EZG-50 and Select Wild fiberglass paddle.  Astral Green Vest and Sweet Rocker helmet.  IR Klingon Empire skirt.

TLDR: It's a perfect venue to hone skills and become a great boater.  What is it not is a nature or river experience.  

I was nervous about it, but I built up some courage and returned to Montgomery Whitewater yesterday.  I got two runs in on the creeky course, got one combat roll and did some roll practice in the pool at the bottom of the courses. Doesn't sound like much, but one run of the course makes me very tired, and I have to rest.  This is because the course is like compacting an entire river run into a short, busy, stay-concentrated experience.  Posture, torso rotation, and taking good strokes all come to mind.  In the fast swirly environment, it is a real workout.

What struck me yesterday was the fact that it is indeed swimming pool water, so being upside down and rolling has that familiar swimming pool vibe.  Lack of any strainers, undercuts, or other dangers (aside from the rafts full of customers which are easy to time your runs around) makes it simply calmer to work on rolls.  Though the water is very swirly.  The swirls remind me of being on a flooded creek run.  (Not that I have ever done such a foolish thing.)

Seriously, the swirls were becoming more managable to me and I was able to eddy out when I wanted. Eddy outs, peel outs, ferries, all require good technique.  It's like a climbing gym for boaters where you practice the important details of our sport.  

There were people including folks from other countries at the playhole/wave spot practicing for the Worlds in Columbus the week after next.  In addition were several friends of mine just tearing it up in that feature.  I wish I could join them.  But - I got hurt playboating back in my early 30's and had surgery on my right shoulder.  I realized looking at them in the feature that I am scared of being hurt again.  And this is just my reality and where I am in my paddling.  

Which brings me to saying this - I wish it was there back in the late 90's, wish I was 30 years younger, but still feel like I am working on things I need to improve.  I am grateful for it and wish I could go more often. 

It is not a nature experience at all.   It WILL challenge you if you have become a lazy slack paddler esp. with regards to posture.    There are some great boaters that are going to come from learning in this place.  Esp. playboaters.

https://montgomerywhitewater.com/