Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1999 21:19:02 -0800
From: "Gerald Foodman" 
Subject: [Paddlewise] Crossing Eddyline Question

I learned to moon the current when crossing an eddyline.  Good enough.  But
I get confused about which side to brace on.  If you don't moon enough the
current wants to flip you to the upstream side.  You are tempted to brace
hard upstream to prevent going over that way.  But you are supposed to brace
on the downstream side.  It takes too long to think this through when I need
to.

Any suggestions.

Jerry



Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1999 22:40:05 -0800 (PST)
From: "K. Whilden" 
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Crossing Eddyline Question

Jerry, you should always try to brace on the downstream side. The brace
will be much more effective than usual, because the current will flow
underneath the paddle and provide extra lift just as you cross the
eddyline. You may find that you can get away with a lean and a hard brace
that would otherwise flip you in flat water. As far as thinking about it
goes, I would suggest turning your thinking into a reflex through
practice! Find a nice eddyline somewhere, and practice entering and
exiting all day long. You will gain many other subtle skills by doing
this. This is about all that I have my students do on the first day of my
crossover whitewater class for sea kayakers
(http://www.halcyon.com/kayak/river.html), and at the Kayak Academy, we
don't waste time doing anything that isn't the most helpful. Crossing
eddylines practices so many fundamental kayak skills -- I think it is the
best way improve your overall ability in the shortest amount of time.

Oh yes, as well as bracing, do not forget to edge your boat by lifting
with legs/hips. By the end of the day, you should be able to cross strong
eddylines without even putting the paddle in the water.

Cheers,
Kevin



Date: Wed, 13 Jan 1999 08:18:03 EST
From: KiAyker
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Bracing and Surfing

In a message dated 1/12/99 9:21:07 PM Pacific Standard Time,
klagjf writes:

<< I learned to moon the current when crossing an eddyline.  Good enough.  But
 I get confused about which side to brace on.  If you don't moon enough the
 current wants to flip you to the upstream side.  You are tempted to brace
 hard upstream to prevent going over that way.  But you are supposed to brace
 on the downstream side.  It takes too long to think this through when I need
 to. Any suggestions. >>

Jerry,

   Think of it like this; 
   The water must pass underneath the boat. If you lean the boat into the
current, the water will pile up on the edge of the deck forcing the boat to
turn over and capsize, while at the same time dragging your paddle under. If,
on the other hand, you lean the boat AWAY from the current you will be
exposing the rounded hull of you boat to the oncoming water leaving nothing
for the water to pile up on, so it will pass under you, while providing lift
on your paddle to help you keep your balance. It's a matter of edge control.
   The same thing applies to the ocean surf. The water on the face of a wave
is being sucked off the beach and out towards the ocean. If you are going to
brace on a wave you need to once again lean the boat AWAY from the oncoming
water (the water coming from the beach), or in this case, INTO the wave, in
order to prevent exposing an edge of your boat for the water to pile up on.
The fact that you can lean on your paddle on the down current side for balance
is a bonus. The key is edge control.
   
<>

   If your boat is far enough in front of the wave when it begins to break,
then yes, you should be able to continue surfing straight ahead with your
stern rudder. The problem occurs when your boat is higher up on the wave as it
steepens and breaks, thus the more acute angle forces you to either broach or
pearl (bury your bow).

Hope this helps,

Scott
So.Cal. 



Date: Wed, 13 Jan 1999 08:42:59 -0500
From: "Richard Culpeper" 
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Crossing Eddyline Question

Imagine you are a little kid pretending that you are a plane, buzzing about
your backyard.  Which way do you bank your wings?  Inside of the turn. 
Same goes for bracing with ww turns into and out of eddies.

Richard Culpeper
www.geocities.com/~culpeper



Date: Wed, 13 Jan 1999 09:53:19 -0500
From: Steve Cramer 
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Crossing Eddyline Question

Gerald Foodman wrote:
> 
> I learned to moon the current when crossing an eddyline.  Good enough.  But
> I get confused about which side to brace on.  If you don't moon enough the
> current wants to flip you to the upstream side.  You are tempted to brace
> hard upstream to prevent going over that way.  But you are supposed to brace
> on the downstream side.  It takes too long to think this through when I need
> to.
 
I think your problem is in not recognizing where upstream and downstream
are. In the eddy, downstream is toward whatever obstruction is forming
the eddy, ie, just the opposite from the main current. If you are in the
eddy, you should be mooning the _eddy_ current, which means the boat is
edged downstream in the _eddy_ current. 

If it feels like you are bracing upstream, you may be bracing too soon,
which is a typical mistake. Wait until you can plant your paddle on the
far side of the eddyline before you put any pressure on it. Wait until
your feet or knees cross the eddyline to start edging the boat. Turning
too soon while still in the main current means that you will at best
miss the eddy, and at worst flip upstream.

As Kevin says in another post, this needs to be instinctual, so find a
benign eddyline asnd practice, practice, practice.

Steve
- -- 
Test Scoring & Reporting Services       Sometimes, you never can
University of Georgia                     always tell what you
Athens, GA 30602-5593                       least expect the most.



Date: Wed, 13 Jan 1999 10:01:22 EST
From: Tomckayak
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Crossing Eddyline Question

In a message dated 1/13/99 0:34:53 AM EST, klagjf writes:

<< I learned to moon the current when crossing an eddyline.  Good enough.  But
 I get confused about which side to brace on.  If you don't moon enough the
 current wants to flip you to the upstream side.  You are tempted to brace
 hard upstream to prevent going over that way.  But you are supposed to brace
 on the downstream side.  It takes too long to think this through when I need
 to. >>

You can get away with a quick snap brace on the up stream side. It should make
a loud noise as the blade hits the water surface. This has to be instinctive
and done even before you can think of it. If you bury your blade face on the
up stream side your in trouble.  



Date: Sat, 16 Jan 1999 02:08:47 EST
From: KayakerKen
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Crossing Eddyline Question

In a message dated 99-01-13 00:34:53 EST, you write:

<< It takes too long to think this through when I need
 to.
 
 Any suggestions. >>

  Practice, practice. It has to become second nature. Take a weekend river
course and just work a lot on crossing eddy lines, both entering and exiting
the current. Paddle rivers now and then. It does wonders for paddle technique
that have great crossover benifits for sea kayaking. Also, leaning upstream is
immediant  reinforcement. Wham!

    See ya,    Ken Mannshardt
                     SF Bay



Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 10:56:01 -0800 (PST)
From: "K. Whilden" 
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Crossing Eddyline Question

Jerry, I think a few words of caution are in order. I consider a quick
snap upstream brace is a very bad habit to develop. Such a technique
performed with a high brace and bad bracing technique is likely to result
in shoulder dislocation. A low brace is more safe, but it is harder to
turn it into a reflex fast enough to be of any use. A shoulder dislocation
is such a painful and debilitating injury, that I consider it not worth
the risk of practicing what I consider a poor technique compared to the
alternatives. It is much better to spend a little effort to make crossing
eddylines properly a reflex. It is not that hard to do if you are serious
- -- half a day could be sufficient.

I have never seen proper high bracing technique published in any kayaking
literature. Done properly, the high brace is 90-95% safe from a shoulder
dislocation. The low brace is 100% safe. "Kayak" by William Nealy has a
good discussion on the dangers of the high vs. low brace.

The only times I have used an upstream snap brace were in desperation to
prevent being broached on a rock in a river.

Cheers,
Kevin



Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 11:50:37 -0600
From: "Robert C. Cline" 
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Neophytes and "White-water"

Kevin:

I have the video "Essential Boat Control"... an excellent video.  There is
so much information in that video, I think "how can I not only learn what's
in that video....how do you apply it 'instinctively' ."  Obvioulsly, with
practice.  But also it needs some forethought.

The only strong currents I have been exposed to have been on George's trip
to Strawberry Island.  What fun!  And I look at that video thinnking... now
how can I remember all that?

This stuff was not intuitive... I remember asking George as we approached
the eddyline: "Which way do I lean."  I think I got that.  Now to refine it
and maintain control.  Eddylines, waves and pillows...it's all new to me.
Boofing seems too scary for me.  I had damaged a disk when I was younger.
It hasn't given me any problems in years, but there is a weakness in the
lumbar region...so boofing doesn't appeal to me right now...  I don't want
to compress an intervertebral disk.

Do you have any questions for me that might be useful to work on... to
understand this stuff?  What do Whitewater-neophytes (crossing over from
Seakayaking) seem to have the greatest problem with?

Robert



Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 15:16:10 -0800 (PST)
From: "K. Whilden" 
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Neophytes and "White-water"

Hi Robert,

I am glad that you signed up for my Crossover WhiteWater Class for Sea
Kayakers.  Since you posted your questions on Paddlewise, I have Cc'd my
answers to paddlewise. Sorry if anyone thinks this has crossed the line
into commercialism, but if anyone would like more info on this class,
please check http://www.halcyon.com/kayak/river.html
I will be choosing more dates in the spring and summer to teach the
course shortly.

The Strawberry Island rip is a fun place that is very similar to a river.
There are standing waves, and several midstream and shoreline eddies. This
is one of my favorite places to visit in the San Juans. At just the right
flood tide, there is a pourover ledge that has a smooth laminar flow and a
downstream standing wave. I have spent timeless minutes surfing that wave
and observing the starfish and other creatures clinging to the ledge.

As far as learning the material and making it instinctive, practice is the
only way. This is why my course at the Kayak Academy spends the first day
just practicing on eddylines and currents.  And crossing an eddyline
requires much more than just edging or leaning the proper way.
Recognizing the eddyline is hard for beginners, and then placing the
boat at the proper angle relative to the line is challenging in a swirling
eddy.  Putting the combination of these three things together into a
complete package takes at least a full day of practice.  But after that
day (or more), you should be able to read rough water and instinctively
control your boat placement and lean to handle it. This is a very useful
thing on the sea.

I have spent quite some time watching beginners cross eddylines
unsucessfully, and I can usually tell what the problem is out of the three
main aspects mentioned above. 

That first day on the eddyline can be intimidating for those who do not
have a reliable roll. Flips happen often enough that we use sit-on-tops
for people without a reliable roll. This saves time spent rescuing, and
increases self-confidence. 

The second day on the river usually brings some confidence in catching
eddies, but we work more on precision placement into the eddy, and on
ferrying. A ferry requires the same three skills (reading water, boat
placement, and edging) as eddy turns, but there is much less room for
error. Usually a mistake in making a ferry results in a dynamic eddy turn
(or a flip if you fight the river too much). This provides great feedback
into whether you have everything right, and also gives practice at dealing
with the unexpected.

> This stuff was not intuitive... I remember asking George as we approached
> the eddyline: "Which way do I lean."  I think I got that.  Now to refine it
> and maintain control.  Eddylines, waves and pillows...it's all new to me.
> Boofing seems too scary for me.  I had damaged a disk when I was younger.
> It hasn't given me any problems in years, but there is a weakness in the
> lumbar region...so boofing doesn't appeal to me right now...  I don't want
> to compress an intervertebral disk.
> 

You need not worry about boofing. We won't get anywhere near a boofable
drop in my course. This an advanced technique typically useful on much
harder rapids. I haven't seen the video ou mentioned, but we will spend
most of our time making eddy turns, ferries, and a little surfing. These
are the fundamentals that take a lifetime of pratice to master, and have
the most direct benefit to paddling skill in general.

> Do you have any questions for me that might be useful to work on... to
> understand this stuff?  What do Whitewater-neophytes (crossing over from
> Seakayaking) seem to have the greatest problem with?
> 

The greatest problems are:
 1. Confidence to paddle hard while the boat is on edge. Practice this on
the water by edging the boat a significant amount while paddling in a
straight line, and then making sweeping turns to both sides. 
 2. Confidence in their eskimo roll. This applies to those who ue closed
deck boats, which George mentioned you are planning to do. So practice
your roll a bunch. Especially practice flipping in a funky position, and
then moving the paddle underwater into the proper setup position. Make
sure that your strong-side roll is very good, and only then worry about
your offside.
 3. Understanding the relative nature of currents with repsect to eddies
and the main flow.  When paddling in the main current and desiring to
enter an eddy, the eddy is moving upstream relative to the paddler, and
edging of the boat must take that into account. This will make much more
sense in the initial lecture on the river.

CHeers,
Kevin