Even 40 years later, I vividly remember the day my daddy took the training wheels off my bike. A brief run on flat ground turned into a mangled pile of kid and bike. As I lay looking up at vultures circling overhead, Dad loomed into view with these words of wisdom: “Well, I see you learned what not to do.”
Wrecked Education: Why It Pays to Learn the Hard Way
Kayaking is a lot like learning to ride a bike. The only way to know what you are capable of is to know what you are not. You can read blogs and watch videos, but the only way to build confidence is with your butt in the seat.
I encourage new paddlers to put their kayaks to the test. I tell them to lean far over to the side, turn sideways in the seat, access the bow hatch, enter the kayak from a dock, stand up and sit down.
Replicating the motions of a typical day kayak fishing prepares me for when things go wrong and I have to unhook a snagged lure or free my kayak from a deadfall.
I recommend taking the kayak to shallow water. Leave the fishing rods and tackle boxes at home. Wreck education will probably result in flipping the kayak and falling into the water, but getting wet is part of pushing the limits.
Adding rivers to the training program shifts the dynamic. Plastic boats do crazy things when hit with swift water at odd angles. Many paddlers find themselves upside down on their first river trip.
The danger comes when crossing from flat water into moving water or exiting current into a seam of slower flow. Other potential dangers include drifting into a log or rock. It takes time and training to learn how to lean and lift the edge of the kayak so the current doesn’t overwhelm the boat and force it under.
Getting Acquainted with Whitewater
My wife Angie has never been comfortable in moving water, so this year we made a point to practice skills and build her confidence in the kayak’s performance. Angie learned to peel in and out, eddy out and cross current.
The first time I told her to lean hard downstream as she crossed into fast current, I was met with a “have you lost your mind?” look. After a few tries, she felt the difference and understood one part of river dynamics.
These skills are important for safety and fishing. Angie can not only maneuver through a rock garden, she can also eddy out and make a cast.
Angie and I will never be die-hard whitewater paddlers. But I have to brave the frothy stuff to chase my favorite fish in my favorite places. Taking time to practice skills builds strength and confidence so we stay safe and have fun.
Author Chris Funk celebrates a half-century birthday with a quest to catch 50 species in 30 days on page 34 of Kayak Angler, Issue 53.
Learning the hard way. | Feature photo: Chris Funk
