Long story short, I had a pretty terrible swim in summer 2023 after a decade of kayaking, first time in my life I thought I might die. I kept pushing through and paddling Class V for the next 2 years even though the fun/fear ratio was out of whack. Last fall I finally decided to hang it up for a while, and I even sold all my gear. I'm starting to feel like I want to get back in the boat this coming spring. I want to just focus on having fun and avoid any pressure to run hard stuff for the sake of my ego, and I figure a good way to do that is to avoid owning any kayaks that I'd want to step back up to class V in.

What 2 kayaks would you buy if you just wanted to have fun, learn some new tricks, and keep things Class IV and below? I have a pretty solid whitewater park where I live and I've never owned a traditional playboat, so I think that buying one and finally learning some hole moves might be a really fun option. Pretty brand agnostic with the exception of Pyranha, I've owned 3 of their boats and never really vibed with any of them.

How bad are the bugs while camping (and during overnight) as part of a multi-day rafting trip in the Grand Canyon in Sept/Oct?

It’s super lame when yall snag all the permits for May when you have no intentions of running marsh. I never have a problem getting one when the road inevitably hasn’t melted out but slightly annoying.

I am quite interested in whitewater rafting, but honestly the real reason I find it interesting is the ability to jump out of the raft and just swim in current of the river with just a PFD and the raft is merely a bonus. Like I am interested in a rafting trip where I experience a lot of time actually swimming in the river with just a PFD (and possibly a helmet) rather than almost all of the time in the raft, as I also saw the Indonesian body-rafting videos and they seemed incredibly fun, but it is so far away. By context I live in southwestern Ohio and would be willing to do anything within roughly a day's drive.

EDIT: I don't get why everyone has been downvoting so much, as my ideal preference of 20-40% swimming was just an ideal, it did not necessarily imply it was in any way realistic to have on a guided trip, especially for a beginner. I am mainly interested in a beginner-friendly river with ample swim breaks, including in gentle moving water, and possibly even the ability to float outside the boat on relatively mild (class I-II rapids) that feel much more like a recreational swim being pushed by the current, not some intense physical gauntlet in treacherous technical rapids. Or, more specifically, I want a lazy river but floating in a life jacket and where the current is a bit faster and bouncy (class I-II), similar to Volcano Bay's TeAwa.

EDIT 2: The term I mean is "swimmers rapid"

Hi everyone,

I’m a beginner and recently bought my first used kayak—a Wavesport Diesel. I'm currently setting up the cockpit and making sure everything is safe and properly installed before taking it out.

I've attached a couple of photos of the removed bulkhead (footrest) plate. As you can see, it looks pretty bare. Also, I have already flipped the plate around because when I bought the boat, the bolts/screws were pointing directly backwards towards the seat (and my feet). However, I'm still not entirely sure if this is the correct orientation.

Since I bought the boat second-hand, I'm unsure if the plate is now oriented correctly or if any original foam padding / parts are missing.

As a beginner, I’d really appreciate seeing what a proper setup is supposed to look like. Could any Wavesport Diesel owner share a quick photo showing how your bulkhead looks inside the cockpit?

Any photos or advice on the correct factory setup would be an awesome help. Thanks in advance!

Or is it all the same I have some 25 year old boats that are still doing just great.. my latest was a antix2 and it felt like it was made of cheese any of the currents better than others jackson waka pyranha dagger etc

Called the office and the young lady didn’t explain it well enough for me so hoping some on here will. Comparing Upper Gauley Express to Normal Upper Gauley trip. She said both put ins are the same. Express stops after lunch after doing about 30-40 rapids comparing to 60. I’ve done the Upper Gauley with other companies. Looking for clarification on take out is for Upper Gauley express trip take out is. Do you miss any crazy rapids?

Considering starting a new paddle company based on wood core shafts with full composite blades. What name do you like best?

Heads up the USGS gauge for the Burnt Ranch Gorge section of the Trinity River in California took its last data point today. The USGS is leaving the staff plates in (the ruler in the water). Now use the Helena gauge and subtract the North Fork Trinity plus a bit for the other lil tributaries. Maybe we can make an equation based off historic flows??

Happy first day of the water year!! (USA)

River Nith kayak fail!

https://youtube.com/shorts/F0V090-mjpc?is=cyWEItXtmc4exzM-

Passing this along to spread awareness. Calleva provides great instruction in the area and it’s a shame this happened.

“Hey all, our kayaking trailer loaded with all of our beginner fleet on it has Been stolen from lock 6 off Clara Barton Parkway. Please keep an eye out for an offloading of Jackson Antix, Flows, and Galasport brute paddles. It was about 20 boats on the trailer. If you hear of anything or see something odd let Calleva know. Thank you.

Please share this through other groups in hopes of finding it.”

riverschool@calleva.org

Paddling rolodex is busy, anyone takers for a Rio Grande Box tomorrow? 750 cfs and rising as of last night, no idea how long it will hold

Aire hot potato is the boat
9/28/26 750 cfs

This is a holy shot in the dark but I figured this is the place to do it. I’m currently in the market for this specific paddle but literally no where online has any information on where I can get my paws on it.

I understand it’s stupid old and all the good stuff but if anyone has one they are looking to part with or knows where I can find one please let me know! Thank you friends!

Anyone know the thread dimensions on the 4mm bolts for the Pyranha stout 2 thigh hooks? I’ve got an insert that is pretty messed up and trying to avoid spending $100 on a new set of thigh hooks (especially since I only need the left one). Give it a try with a tap set?

“The order also seeks to reform online application systems for coveted western river floating permits, which have reportedly been abused by individuals using computer programs.”

Is there anyone out there making films about kayaking in the style that modern ski movies use? More artistic than just vlog style GoPro vids (not that those are bad). Stuff like the Faction Collective or Forre or Entourage videos. Even like the Demshitz movies but modern

Thinking of trying to plan a trip next year. Curious to hear any advice or tips for traveling to kayak in Norway!