Whitewater kayaking

For some of us, flowing water is a big dog with a tennis ball, just begging us to come out and play.

Kayaking is one of the very best ways to accept that invitation. Kayaks are relatively inexpensive to buy or rent, easy to transport and store, and require little maintenance. Once you own a kayak (or two, or three) and know how to use it, any body of water becomes a playground.

Professional instruction is important when starting any sport, but it's essential with a risky sport. My first hesitant steps into the world of whitewater kayaking came at a beginning kayaking clinic hosted by Zoar Outdoors in Charlemont, Massachusetts. Zoar offers whitewater instruction in both kayaks and canoes.

The two-day clinic provided all the gear: kayak, spray skirt, wetsuit, PFD, paddle and helmet. It also included transport to the river, a picnic lunch, and three patient, knowledgeable, enthusiastic instructors for the nine students.

The northern Berkshires are particularly lovely in May, when covered with the soft green of newly budding leaves. The Deerfield River flows cold and clear in elegant sine waves between rocky banks. It's a perfect place to learn whitewater skills. The river is dam controlled, so you know exactly when you're going to have the water you need for paddling.

Our flowing-water clinic began on the still water of a pond. Here we learned the basic sweep and paddle strokes that move and guide a kayak. Whitewater kayaks are designed to turn easily and seem to have a mind of their own. We also learned how to "brace" with a paddle to prevent a kayak from flipping over, and how to safely exit a kayak when your brace doesn't work. This is not an uncommon occurrence as you learn to maneuver in flowing water. A rousing game of "Yop and Poy" (kayak freeze tag) solidified maneuvering skills.

After lunch on both days, we added the challenge of flowing water. That's like going from driving in an empty parking lot to freeway traffic. We started in smooth eddies, eased into small current flows, and gradually worked up to Class I and II rapids. Incremental learning is the only safe way to tackle something like whitewater kayaking.

In flowing water, you have to "edge" the kayak. This is done by tipping the kayak on its side with your hips while paddling to prevent the force of the water from flipping the tiny craft. Edging is counter-intuitive: You have to lean down-current, the very direction you don't want to lean. At the same time you have to guide your boat in the direction you want to go. This is not necessarily the same direction the water wants to take you. And you have to avoid obstacles like rocks.

Everyone messes up and has a wonderful time doing so. But you do learn, and quickly. By the end of the second day you're ready to play on your own in easy rapids.

Reading the water

The one skill you can't learn in a two-day clinic or from a book or video is how to read the current flow in moving water. As flowing water encounters obstacles such as rocks and river banks, it takes on a life of its own. It forms current seams, eddy lines, eddies, whirlpools, pillows, and even holes in the water.

This is fascinating stuff, and the only way to learn about it is to jump into something that floats and experience it first-hand.

If you aren't ready to tackle real rapids, and don't have your own kayak or canoe, Zoar rents sit-on-top kayaks and provides transportation for floats through some of the easier-flowing sections of the Deerfield. This is a safe and fun way to begin to learn the ups and downs of flowing water.

Zoar also offer whitewater rafting trips for those who want a taste of the thrills of Class II and III rapids without the learning curve necessary to paddle their own boat.

Protection needed

Even if a Personal Flotation Device isn't required by law, common sense says wear one when you're in a kayak or any other craft floating on moving water. Things can happen very quickly and a PFD does no good if you aren't wearing it.

Helmets are also standard equipment. River rocks are harder than your head. So is your own boat. Be smart, wear a helmet.

In the cold water and cold spring and fall weather, a wetsuit or a drysuit is essential. Being chilled saps your ability to think and move quickly. And you need to do both in whitewater.

That's another advantage of taking a clinic your first time out -- all the necessary gear is provided.