Adventures know no bounds if you are a free-spirited soul. While popular choices range from skydiving to bungee jumping, water sports are a class apart. Kayaking and scuba diving are the most conventional among water sports. However, all these adventures have a sort of objective thrill. This aspect somewhat makes them predictable and take off the sting of the excitement. Jaded travellers would agree that the best adventure is the quest for the unknown. This spirit is probably handed round in the spirit of the gold rush, but it knocks at the fundamentals of human enthrallment.
On that note, our expert travel tips recommend a solo journey through the rapids across Carolina. We also strongly recommend carrying GPS and necessary safety equipment because Mondays are closer than they appear. Jokes apart, you should be well versed and learn about the wave patterns. This learning will allow you to know when to stop, steer and wait during the journey. We assure you that the entire journey will be a humbling one. As Mark Twain notes, there is no word for “teaching” among the natives of the Mississippi bank. So you need to learn enough to keep yourself safe during the journey. As soon as you are confident of that, get going!
The Types of Whitewater—Current
The most common type of whitewater is the current. You can easily recognize a current by the v-shape it makes while the water flows down a gradient. The travel tips by experts suggest that moving downstream can be dangerous if you do not know the exact route. So, before you embark on your journey, make sure you have a blueprint of the course you would be taking. Certainly, you do not want to be barrelled downstream. On this note, it is also safe to get yourself more leg space on your boat. During the journey, the last thing you want is to drop your phone into the water.
Eddy
An eddy is formed in a river where the current faces an obstacle in its course. It can be anything from groves to rocks. Manipulating an eddy can be tricky if you do not know how it works. There are three parts of the eddy. First is the stagnant part of the eddy where the water is almost still. You can keep your boat still in this part without much effort. The other two components of the eddy flow downstream (with very less velocity) and towards the obstacle. If you are in either of these regions, you need to be careful. If you are in the former region, you need to paddle constantly to prevent being carried over downstream. If you are in the latter region, try to manipulate your boat towards the stagnant region or else you would risk a crash.
Eddy Lines
According to our travel tips, navigating around eddy lines can be risky business. An eddy line is where two eddies meet. You need to be very accurate with your GPS to know exactly where you are headed. Life around eddies can be tricky because of the possibility of being led astray by the current. Make sure you are comfortable with your GPS so that you can devise a workaround in case your paddling lets you down.
Holes
A hole is formed where the current meets a large obstacle and goes steep after that. You need to be very careful around these formations or you will overturn your boat. It is very important to look at the horizon while you are paddling and not just focus on the immediate ground to cover. It is great to zoom into the GPS app to spot an incoming hole.
So, these were the basic information that you need to know before you are ready to go. The best way to gain confidence is maybe to join a club and learn things first-hand. A few expeditions with the club members should give you enough know-how to make a solo trip. Everything considered, safety always comes first, and you should not act impulsively. Follow our travel tips to inspire yourself, but do not treat these as training. That is the final line of obvious caveat that you must consider before you jump into your passion.
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