...This is what I had to learn myself, and what I tell new paddlers now; if they listen to me then they'll find plenty of people to boat with:
Don't try to come off as an expert. Especially because you're not one and it is quite obvious to more experienced paddlers. Be a student; a lifelong learner. Respect other people's experiences. That old codger that can't do class 3 anymore might have pioneered some of the hardest runs in the Southeast. I actually have someone who comes to mind when I write that. Listen to their stories; learn all you can. Some people are walking history books in regards to paddle sports - which is still a young sport especially in the US. Impress others by the style and grace of your paddling, not your words. Again - run things with style and grace, make the hard lines look easy, and you're doing the thing - you've got the magic. That magic - it is the best feeling in the world!
Don't get caught up in the progression ladder - it's a trap. Hey, I get it. I'm a "Look at me" person, hell I am a rock musician. Here's why I'm saying it is a trap. The progression ladder, doing harder and harder runs for bragging rights, is a trap because it has no end. There is no tip-top. There will always be a harder run than the one you just did. There is no king/queen of the mountain, unless you're thinking of elite, pro boaters, who happen to be some of the most humble people you'll meet. They don't brag and they don't have to. Remember - style and grace. Mere mortals seeking bragging rights will find a rung on the progression ladder that they cannot climb - and may well lose their lives trying to climb it anyway. It's not a way to gain respect. Gain respect by styling the runs you do. If you belong on a run, there will be no question, it will be obvious. One of the best compliments anyone can give you is, "You are a much better boater than you claim to be". And besides, do you really need to risk your life to impress your office mates? Your office mates think we are ridiculous anyway. Boaters in gear look ridiculous not cool, especially in our spray skirts. No really, we do.
Help other new boaters as you gain experience, and realize that what brings people to the river can be really complex, heavy stuff. I really do think that, I've witnessed it. People come to the river, maybe without realizing that what they are seeking can be found there, because they didn't know they were looking for it. Things like confronting chaos and fear in other parts of their lives, manifested as whitewater. Maybe they have dragons to slay.
Try to be a nice person to everyone, now I am sure some people who know me are going to laugh at me saying that, because I can be a curmudgeon. I'm a combination of a stage performer and an introvert and it gets hard for me to be friendly sometimes. But try. If I can try, you can try.
Get your crew and run stuff, support each other, have great adventures, and know that they are precious people in a limited time span in your life. I say that because your crew will change; people leave the sport for many reasons, and you may well lose a friend to the river; I've had friends who have died on the river.
There are people I miss paddling with very much, but their lives changed, their interests changed or they moved away, they had kids, they got married, divorced, whatever. So cherish your time with them. It's always shorter than you think it will be.
That's all for now and I hope this helps someone, somewhere...
October 1, 2019
Jackson Nirvana review July 2019
Some thoughts on the Jackson Nirvana M. I've only paddled it a few times thus far. It's a very fast, very stable boat in the primaries. I still haven't tested its secondary stability. It has surprised me a couple of times. Once by flipping me in Entrance on the Ocoee for the first time in my life, second by getting me stuck in a pourover hole below Broken Nose river left, also a first for me in that spot. But - for various reasons, I was not paddling well that day and I don't - can't - blame the boat. I think the Nirvana is less forgiving of a slack paddling style than my Stomper, but part of that may be familiarity. The wide flat stern area is designed (I think) to propel the boat forward when landing on a boof. This is a creek race boat design after all. Well, the stern can load up whether you want it to or not. This requires adaptation because I think it is inherent to the design.
That being said, I believe a key to doing well in this boat is to keep good posture and a cinched up backband. With so much rocker, it's easy to slouch and end up with the bow very raised. While that's a comfy position it can make for unpredictable moments. I do have the seat all the way forwards, and haven't tried any other seat positions. On bigger waves like Double Trouble and Tablesaw, the Nirvana feels like it is at home. This is kind of surprising for a boat designed to run creeks. When I've taken other creek boats down the New and lower Gauley for instance, the boats turn so easily that sometimes it can be a bit to handle in bigger wave trains or lots of crosscurrents. I suspect the Nirvana has an advantage, because it tracks well. How did they do that and put so much rocker on the boat as well? Magic I suppose! It also rolls really easily.
I took it down the Nantahala to give my hip tendonitis a break from the slicey boats, and debated whether it was going to be boring or not, and it actually was a lot of fun. The Nirvana makes catching eddies very gracefully an easy thing to do if that makes sense. With all of that rocker the boat boofs really easily too, evidenced by the boof in the photo below. At the Nanty Falls I caught some eddies and took the wildwater/racers line and it was so simple, again because the boat is fast and has so much primary stability. (It was a fun day, but for class II and III I am going to grab the Antix every time. The Antix is so much easier to transport, and is a better surfer, and has that playful stern too.) But on a creek, I can't really say how it will do yet. I have only taken it down the middle Tellico which was fine, but not on anything steeper or creekier. The last creek I ran was Greenbriar in my Stomper, and I am not sure anything could suit me better on such a run. But I look forward to finding out.
My stats: 5'6", 165 lbs, 32 inseam. Previous creekboats: Prijon Embudo, Riot Magnum 72, Liquid Logic Stomper 80. My level of paddling tops out at easy class IV creeks such as South Sauty, Greenbriar, Lower Big Creek et al. and classic IV big water such as Lower Gauley, New, Ottawa Middle Channel. 20 years paddling.
Jackson Kayak Nirvana promo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQBzL7CKHm4
Some reviewers are saying the max paddler weight for the Medium Nirvana is around 190 lbs. Some feel that the planing hull will mean the boat's hull lifespan will be lessened vs. a traditional displacement hull creeker. Some are also questioning the secondary stability and suitability for beginners. Do a youtube search for Nirvana reviews and you'll see several different opinions. YMMV.
Update Oct 2019: The Nirvana and me are just not gelling.
The Nirvana is really long, with a very wide flat stern. In big waves etc. it is so stable it feels like you could just close your eyes and let it do its thing. Huge primary stability. And when you start driving it hard, it flies -very fast and fun feeling, like carving skis down a fresh hill. Also it boofs really easily, it has tons of rocker. I have seen many beginners in Nirvanas and I understand why. The stability is amazing.
But I am shopping for a creeker, and the creeks around here are bony with small eddies. I tend to not to want to go very fast on creeks. I am going to keep creeking in my Liquid Logic Stomper 80 until the Jackson Zen3 comes out, and then I'll take a hard look at the Zen3.
There's nothing wrong with my Stomper, I bought it new in 2013 and I may keep on with it. I just thought something different would be fun; also the one thing I would change about the Stomper is I would add some stern volume. It definitely doesn't track as well as the Nirvana, and it is slower, but I find these things can be assets on a little creek.
The Nirvana is also really light despite being a big honking boat, and I am now spoiled by the light Jackson hulls. The Stomper is heavy as @#$%, but I think it is about the same weight as a Newmad, and definitely lighter than the Recon. I really liked the Recon but couldn't get past the weight.
I haven't been a fan of Jackson in the past because I didn't like the string outfitting, it seemed cheap to me. I also demoed a 2010 Fun and a Fun Runner and found them both to be meh. But I got an Antix this summer and it has become my favorite boat. I think the newer Jackson designs are really unique, and if the Zen3 has any of the Antix magic in it then it is going to be sweet.
Also I made my peace with the Jackson outfitting, and see the benefits; it is adjustable on the fly and it is light. The big thing is the thigh hooks/pockets fit my legs; that's the gotcha for me with the Pyranha outfitting.
It seems like the Machno is a brilliant design and I hope some of the other companies are inspired by it.
I am going to demo a M Newmad next. I did not like the Mamba even after an extended 'demo' of it on the Rogue at high water, so we shall see.
That being said, I believe a key to doing well in this boat is to keep good posture and a cinched up backband. With so much rocker, it's easy to slouch and end up with the bow very raised. While that's a comfy position it can make for unpredictable moments. I do have the seat all the way forwards, and haven't tried any other seat positions. On bigger waves like Double Trouble and Tablesaw, the Nirvana feels like it is at home. This is kind of surprising for a boat designed to run creeks. When I've taken other creek boats down the New and lower Gauley for instance, the boats turn so easily that sometimes it can be a bit to handle in bigger wave trains or lots of crosscurrents. I suspect the Nirvana has an advantage, because it tracks well. How did they do that and put so much rocker on the boat as well? Magic I suppose! It also rolls really easily.
I took it down the Nantahala to give my hip tendonitis a break from the slicey boats, and debated whether it was going to be boring or not, and it actually was a lot of fun. The Nirvana makes catching eddies very gracefully an easy thing to do if that makes sense. With all of that rocker the boat boofs really easily too, evidenced by the boof in the photo below. At the Nanty Falls I caught some eddies and took the wildwater/racers line and it was so simple, again because the boat is fast and has so much primary stability. (It was a fun day, but for class II and III I am going to grab the Antix every time. The Antix is so much easier to transport, and is a better surfer, and has that playful stern too.) But on a creek, I can't really say how it will do yet. I have only taken it down the middle Tellico which was fine, but not on anything steeper or creekier. The last creek I ran was Greenbriar in my Stomper, and I am not sure anything could suit me better on such a run. But I look forward to finding out.
My stats: 5'6", 165 lbs, 32 inseam. Previous creekboats: Prijon Embudo, Riot Magnum 72, Liquid Logic Stomper 80. My level of paddling tops out at easy class IV creeks such as South Sauty, Greenbriar, Lower Big Creek et al. and classic IV big water such as Lower Gauley, New, Ottawa Middle Channel. 20 years paddling.
 |
| My Boof on the Nantahala in the Jackson Nirvana. |
 |
| At 8' 11.5" and 86 gallons, the Medium Nirvana is a big beastie |
Some reviewers are saying the max paddler weight for the Medium Nirvana is around 190 lbs. Some feel that the planing hull will mean the boat's hull lifespan will be lessened vs. a traditional displacement hull creeker. Some are also questioning the secondary stability and suitability for beginners. Do a youtube search for Nirvana reviews and you'll see several different opinions. YMMV.
Update Oct 2019: The Nirvana and me are just not gelling.
The Nirvana is really long, with a very wide flat stern. In big waves etc. it is so stable it feels like you could just close your eyes and let it do its thing. Huge primary stability. And when you start driving it hard, it flies -very fast and fun feeling, like carving skis down a fresh hill. Also it boofs really easily, it has tons of rocker. I have seen many beginners in Nirvanas and I understand why. The stability is amazing.
But I am shopping for a creeker, and the creeks around here are bony with small eddies. I tend to not to want to go very fast on creeks. I am going to keep creeking in my Liquid Logic Stomper 80 until the Jackson Zen3 comes out, and then I'll take a hard look at the Zen3.
There's nothing wrong with my Stomper, I bought it new in 2013 and I may keep on with it. I just thought something different would be fun; also the one thing I would change about the Stomper is I would add some stern volume. It definitely doesn't track as well as the Nirvana, and it is slower, but I find these things can be assets on a little creek.
The Nirvana is also really light despite being a big honking boat, and I am now spoiled by the light Jackson hulls. The Stomper is heavy as @#$%, but I think it is about the same weight as a Newmad, and definitely lighter than the Recon. I really liked the Recon but couldn't get past the weight.
I haven't been a fan of Jackson in the past because I didn't like the string outfitting, it seemed cheap to me. I also demoed a 2010 Fun and a Fun Runner and found them both to be meh. But I got an Antix this summer and it has become my favorite boat. I think the newer Jackson designs are really unique, and if the Zen3 has any of the Antix magic in it then it is going to be sweet.
Also I made my peace with the Jackson outfitting, and see the benefits; it is adjustable on the fly and it is light. The big thing is the thigh hooks/pockets fit my legs; that's the gotcha for me with the Pyranha outfitting.
It seems like the Machno is a brilliant design and I hope some of the other companies are inspired by it.
I am going to demo a M Newmad next. I did not like the Mamba even after an extended 'demo' of it on the Rogue at high water, so we shall see.
September 26, 2019
Zen of whitewater, current life, book recommendation, cats.
A new paddler asked me what made me so smitten about paddling whitewater in a kayak.
I tried to explain as best I could.
I said that there is a moment when you are in a rapid at the top of your skill level, yet not surpassing it, when time slows down, and you are able to put your paddle and boat exactly where you want it to be, and this moment is sheer bliss. After experiencing it, you will seek it out again and again, and once back in it, there is nothing but joy.
At its core, padding is about joy. I wish more people could experience it.
Whitewater has an image problem. Online it looks like a thrillseeker sport with no sense of preserving one's life. I've been party to it, because I love watching videos of people dropping big waterfalls and really hard, dangerous rapids.
I was fortunate to learn to whitewater kayak before youtube, when any access to a video of someone doing a river full of rapids meant buying a VHS tape. This means that I didn't have any idea that people were seeking out the sport for any reason but curiosity about what was around the river bend.
Whitewater paddling is a family sport; a way of life; a small tribe of feral kids who grew up and work 40 hours a week then get their butts back to the river every chance they can. It's people in their 70's and people who are 7 years old.
Whitewater paddling has been a great benefit to my life, not the least because it has taught me how to relax and not panic in unfamiliar, scary situations, and assess the task at hand. Often the task at hand has been underwater, in turbulent and rocky water. With friends. We all discover that a lot of what seems scariest is not really dangerous, but to find that truth out, requires facing what we fear. And the true hazards- we help each other avoid those. It's the ultimate solo sport that is also a team effort.
I've celebrated someone's first combat roll, I've felt exuberant at making a pirouette ender at a class II pourover, I've laughed so hard at a friend's goofy swim and then been the subject of the next carnage. Right now there are a couple of teenagers in our paddling circle who are stepping up and becoming awesome paddlers. It's so cool to witness and to help.
For those who asked, my sister Kathy is still in hospice from Stage IV cancer and early onset Frontal Temporal Dementia. She is being taken care of 24/7, in her home with her pets, and is free from any anxiety or stress. We tell each other that we love each other over and over when we are together. We sing Beatles songs together.
I'm reading a book on my phone that I bought from Google Play for $6.50, called "Reasons to Stay Alive" by Matt Haig. I got it on a whim after seeing a quote from it, and it has some really good bits. For anyone who suffers from depression, he describes it very well, though I must say his anxiety was on a level that I can't imagine enduring, and he didn't try talk therapy or meds. I understand being afraid to grab the rope that is tossed your way - what if it doesn't help and you're left hopeless? But it's not the right decision; grab the damn rope.
And finally, it is clear that having a pocket computer that accesses the sum of humanity's knowledge only leads to looking at pictures of cats, videos of cats, audio of cats purring and discussions of cats' finer qualities. In summation, cats have taken over the world.
Here is a song about looking at pictures of cats: https://youtu.be/4JO-KRT0Vf0
I tried to explain as best I could.
I said that there is a moment when you are in a rapid at the top of your skill level, yet not surpassing it, when time slows down, and you are able to put your paddle and boat exactly where you want it to be, and this moment is sheer bliss. After experiencing it, you will seek it out again and again, and once back in it, there is nothing but joy.
At its core, padding is about joy. I wish more people could experience it.
Whitewater has an image problem. Online it looks like a thrillseeker sport with no sense of preserving one's life. I've been party to it, because I love watching videos of people dropping big waterfalls and really hard, dangerous rapids.
I was fortunate to learn to whitewater kayak before youtube, when any access to a video of someone doing a river full of rapids meant buying a VHS tape. This means that I didn't have any idea that people were seeking out the sport for any reason but curiosity about what was around the river bend.
Whitewater paddling is a family sport; a way of life; a small tribe of feral kids who grew up and work 40 hours a week then get their butts back to the river every chance they can. It's people in their 70's and people who are 7 years old.
Whitewater paddling has been a great benefit to my life, not the least because it has taught me how to relax and not panic in unfamiliar, scary situations, and assess the task at hand. Often the task at hand has been underwater, in turbulent and rocky water. With friends. We all discover that a lot of what seems scariest is not really dangerous, but to find that truth out, requires facing what we fear. And the true hazards- we help each other avoid those. It's the ultimate solo sport that is also a team effort.
I've celebrated someone's first combat roll, I've felt exuberant at making a pirouette ender at a class II pourover, I've laughed so hard at a friend's goofy swim and then been the subject of the next carnage. Right now there are a couple of teenagers in our paddling circle who are stepping up and becoming awesome paddlers. It's so cool to witness and to help.
For those who asked, my sister Kathy is still in hospice from Stage IV cancer and early onset Frontal Temporal Dementia. She is being taken care of 24/7, in her home with her pets, and is free from any anxiety or stress. We tell each other that we love each other over and over when we are together. We sing Beatles songs together.
I'm reading a book on my phone that I bought from Google Play for $6.50, called "Reasons to Stay Alive" by Matt Haig. I got it on a whim after seeing a quote from it, and it has some really good bits. For anyone who suffers from depression, he describes it very well, though I must say his anxiety was on a level that I can't imagine enduring, and he didn't try talk therapy or meds. I understand being afraid to grab the rope that is tossed your way - what if it doesn't help and you're left hopeless? But it's not the right decision; grab the damn rope.
And finally, it is clear that having a pocket computer that accesses the sum of humanity's knowledge only leads to looking at pictures of cats, videos of cats, audio of cats purring and discussions of cats' finer qualities. In summation, cats have taken over the world.
Here is a song about looking at pictures of cats: https://youtu.be/4JO-KRT0Vf0
September 21, 2019
The Clean Water Act
The current administration is rolling back crucial protections for streams and wetlands across the country in a direct assault on the Clean Water Act. This incredibly beautiful film tells the story of the rivers, streams, and wetlands of Alabama to illustrate the dangers of the proposed regulation. By doing so, it shows the economic benefits, ecological health, and cultural way of life that hang in the balance.
For more information, and to take action now, please visit ProtectSouthernWater.org
Waters of the U.S. from Southern Exposure on Vimeo.
Waters of the U.S. from Southern Exposure on Vimeo.
September 6, 2019
September 2, 2019
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