Newcomer needs any/all advice!!

falco242 · 08-02-2008

Hey all

I recently had a chance to go whitewater rafting and had a chance to watch some freestyle kayaking/creeking along the rapids. It is something I always wanted to do, and now that I have had a chance to be on the river and see it in person, I finally want to get involved.

I was wondering if anyone could give me any help on where to start? Any books to get that will help me learn the sport, any places to go to get a better idea of things, or any websites that offer help. Even any ideas on what to purchase for a newbie. I am located in central NY near Binghamton, so if anyone knows anything around there that would help.

Thanks for everything, I look forward to getting much more involved.

helix149 · 08-02-2008

falco you have made great start already finding mountain buzz read as much as you can here i found this site about a week agao and have spent hours reading the articles also feel free to ask any questions you have on the forums these guys/gals are great and very helpfull also look for kayak clubs in your area or shops take the time to learn before you jump in its late in the season espesially for us northerners so dont be in too much of a hurry the more you learn the safer you will be when you hit the water we have a kayak club here that prctices indoors in the winter you may be able to find the same over there good luck

yette · 08-03-2008

Hey Falco,

Helix is dead-on right. I got the disease several years ago, bought a couple of whitewater kayaks off Craigs List, got on the first river I had a chance to "conquer" and found out real quick that ignorance can be devastating. Since then I've taken some classes and found some great sites online to network with more experienced paddlers.
A few popular spots in the Denver area are Renaissance Adventure Guides, Rocky Mountain Outdoor Center and Confluence Kayaks for all kinds of stuff, including books and DVD/CDs.
Have fun out there!

CO_Patrick · 08-03-2008

A couple people in other threads have mentioned Northeast Paddlers Message Board for a good New England forum. Also Let It Rain: A Paddler’s Guide to the Rivers of New England, New York, and Eastern Canada by Alden Bird for a relevant guidebook.

rogerL1961 · 08-03-2008

Stay in the safe zone. Starting in a swimming pool is not a bad thing. Practice your roll. Practice your strokes. Get with other paddlers and stay on class 1 and II rivers to start. Work your way to Class 3 and so on. You can learn a lot on Class II rivers and still get hurt. Watch out for cold water. It doesn't take long to go into hypothermia. Always boat with someone. Buying videos is a great way to learn...

SilverBullet · 08-03-2008

There are some really good schools in Canada. Maybe consider Ottawa Kayak School
(Stephen Wright and EJ are tough to beat for great instruction and area also super nice guys)or Liquid Skills. Nothing beats world class instruction in the beginning. If you get a solid foundation, your paddling will be that much stronger later on, and you won't have to break any bad habits that you pickup by teaching yourself.

RMOC in Colorado is great too.....Colorado Kayak Supply has a great selection of gear, and you can order it to your door w/o paying tax. Their prices and customer service are great. If you've got gear questions, give em' a call......All of the phone people are paddlers and would love to help a beginner.

Check out this blog
For product reviews and education about getting suited up in the 5 essentials.

Stay safe and good luck...

wreckoftheairefitzgerald · 08-04-2008

Inflatable kayaks are good for beginners. You don't get trapped in them and they still float upside down. Beware the cheap ones, they are not very durable. Mostly do not exceed your skill level just to keep up with others. Enjoy your new sport!

rogerL1961 · 08-04-2008

Any of Eric Jacksons videos are great. I have bought as many videos on this sport that I could find. You have to really watch them over and over to get it stuck in your head.

I was up in Kern River a few months ago. EJ was in the kayak shop there and I asked him a question. The guy is so helpful and is so cool, he actually got down on the floor to show me how to do a back deck roll. His books and videos are great and I think the guy does a lot so support all paddlers and the sport.

Get a good helmet. Mine has saved me more than once....

FrankC · 08-04-2008

I would take a 2 day beginner course down on the Lehigh River in PA (about 2 hrs from you)...that's how I got started. They usually do flat water and rolling the first day and then put you on some friendly Class II on the second day. After that you will be ready for the Bottom Moose (hehe). The Lehigh releases until late October so you have plenty of time to sign up. This guy runs a good school.
Northeast PA Kayak School :: KayakSchool.com

Quote:

Originally Posted by falco242

Hey all

I recently had a chance to go whitewater rafting and had a chance to watch some freestyle kayaking/creeking along the rapids. It is something I always wanted to do, and now that I have had a chance to be on the river and see it in person, I finally want to get involved.

I was wondering if anyone could give me any help on where to start? Any books to get that will help me learn the sport, any places to go to get a better idea of things, or any websites that offer help. Even any ideas on what to purchase for a newbie. I am located in central NY near Binghamton, so if anyone knows anything around there that would help.

Thanks for everything, I look forward to getting much more involved.

craven_morhead · 08-04-2008

Classes are good. You might be able to learn the real basics online and then scrape by with the help of a supportive paddling community (that's what I did) but it can be tough. I don't know if I'd suggest going the duckie route; you'd have to re-learn a fair bit of stuff if you made a transition to hard-shell paddling.

It's worth soliciting advice on gear early; I had to replace a lot of the gear I bought when I started because I went the cheap route and later regretted it.