Carving Drill

Carving is an important skill for a variety of reasons. It is how you make solid and efficient eddy turns and good ferries. It also unlocks the door to many cool play moves like surfing waves. So it is invaluable for whitewater kayakers to learn to carve instead of letting the boat spin out. 

How To Do the Carving Drill

First, you need to start kayaking and get some speed. Then you will establish turn momentum, put your kayak on edge, and use only forward strokes on the inside of your turn. Doing this keeps the kayak carving in a circle. 

It is only possible to take strokes on the inside of a turn and keep going in the same direction if you do two things. The first thing is to keep the boat balanced on the edge. You do this by balancing on one butt cheek and fine-tuning the tilt using the opposite knee. 

The second thing is to have the correct paddle position. Your paddle has to be vertical when you take a stroke. If the paddle shaft is more horizontal, it will kill your spin momentum. Because the paddle is vertical, you are not relying on it as a brace. It does not provide any balancing support, therefore, you have to rely on your own balance. 

How to Apply Power

Once you become comfortable with that carving drill in both directions (which is important), you need to add power. I was once told that whitewater kayaking is all about technique and not power. There is some truth to that because good technique will take you a long way in the sport, while power alone will take you less far. But, as in any sport, you need good technique, but for that to be useful, you need to be able to apply power. 

So how do you start applying power to the carving drill? Well, you need to get moving and carving again. The next step is to start pulling more aggressively on the paddle. With every stroke, you should thrust your hips forward. When you do this, you involve the whole body, which provides more power. 

Application of the Carving Drill

You might recognize this as the boof stroke. It is the stroke you take when you go off a waterfall and thrust your boat over the lip. When you are boof off a waterfall, you need to hold your boat on edge. The last stroke before you go off the waterfall should be vertical so that you keep your boat straight. Boofing is just one of many applications of this stroke. 

A more common application of the carving drill is in eddy turns. When you approach an eddy and want to cut into the main current, you need to paddle toward the eddy line with some speed. As you cross the eddy line, you should thrust the kayak across the line and into the main current to avoid getting spun. 

Pivot Turns

This drill is intended for kayaks with a slicey stern, so half-slice sterns or playboats. It does not work in a creek boat. 

So what are pivot turns? Pivot turns involve sinking one end of the kayak (usually the stern) under the water to make your kayak spin faster. Pivot turns are important to learn because they allow you to control your kayak's spin momentum. Whitewater kayaks are designed to turn, not to go straight, so you need to learn how to control the spinning momentum a whitewater kayak already has. 

Pivot turns also allow you to harness the power of buoyancy energy. Buoyancy energy is the energy your kayak has any time the end of it is underwater. The end of your kayak does not want to stay underwater instead, it wants to come to the surface. You can use this to your advantage. Pivot turns also teach you edge control. 

A Forward Sweep Pivot Turn

You can practice the pivot turn using a forward sweep and a backward sweep. To do a forward sweep turn, you should sink the stern of the kayak as you take a forward sweep. 

Once the stern has been sunk, it doesn’t want to be underwater so, before the stroke is finished you have to level off the kayak. If you don’t level it off in time, the stern will “hit the wall” and pop back off to the surface. 

If you do level the stern off in time, then it comes back to the surface in the direction you want it to come back in. This keeps your kayak spinning in full circle.

There are some useful things to note when doing a pivot turn. At the beginning of the stroke, you can be the most aggressive at throwing your stern downwards. As your stern goes further underwater, it has more and more buoyancy energy, so you start to lose power.

This is the point where you need to level your angle so that it is completely level by the time you finish your stroke. So you do not go directly from underwater to completely leveled in one go. Instead, you start as aggressively as possible and gradually level it off. 

How to Practice the Pivot Turn

You can practice pivot turns in a variety of different ways. Firstly, you can practice it with a forward sweep, making sure to get comfortable with it on both sides. After all, you won’t only have to edge in one direction. You can also practice it with a back sweep. This is known as a stern squirt. 

You could practice this on eddy lines, but it is better to practice on flat water. When doing pivot turns on flat water, you can see if and when you are doing something wrong. If you don’t level your boat off on time when on flat water, you will “hit the wall”, and lose all of the spin momentum you initiated. 

Backpaddling

Backpaddling is a simple skill that is very important for multiple reasons. 

1. It Develops Backpaddling Awareness

The more backpaddling practice you have, the more you develop your backpaddling awareness. The most likely time to panic is when you are turned backward while on a rapid. And the reason this can feel so scary is that most people have far more awareness when paddling forward than when facing backward. This awareness comes with practice and spending time going backward. 

The biggest jump in my whitewater skills came one summer when a buddy and I decided to spend the entire month doing our regular paddles backward. We ran every rapid backward, caught every wave backward, and did everything we would normally do forwards, but backward instead. We were beaten and battered a few times, but our whitewater skills had improved massively by the end of the month. 

I am not recommending that everyone should try this. But, there are less aggressive ways to practice backpaddling and develop your backpaddling awareness. For instance, when you get a nice eddy line, practice your eddy turns backward, practice your ferries backward, and if you are bold enough, you can even practice rapids backward. 

2. It Works The Front Deltoid Muscles

Backpaddling works the front deltoids. The deltoids are muscles in your chest that you don’t often use when forward paddling. Working these helps to balance the body out when you do a lot of forward paddling. 

Backpaddling Tips

When backpaddling, particularly with a slicey stern, it helps to keep your weight slightly forwards. If you tilt your kayak slightly into each backward stroke, it lifts your stern edges out of the water. 

These are the three drills that all whitewater paddlers should practice regularly and master. Doing these three things regularly will have a profound effect on your whitewater kayaking. 

The Pyranha Ripper 2

In this video I used the Pyranha Ripper 2 half slice whitewater kayak. This boat is a great river running kayak and is fun to play with as well on waves. Check out my review here: The Pyranha Ripper 2 Review: The Best All-Round Whitewater Kayak?

Kayak: Pyranha Ripper 2
PFDs/Life Jackets:  NRS Zen Whitewater Vest
Paddle:  Aqua Bound Shred
Shirt:  NRS Guide Short Sleeved Men’s Shirt
Paddling Shorts:  NRS Benny Board Shorts

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Pyranha Ripper 2 Review: The Ripper 2 Specifications

The Pyranha Ripper 2 comes in three sizes; small, medium, and large. So, as per usual, I am testing the large version. The specifications are as follows:

Price: $1700 (USD)
Length: 9’ 1”
Width: 26”
Weight: 46 LBS (21 KG)
Capacity: 175-275 LBS (80-125 KG)
Best Use: River running and play

The key features of the Ripper 2 compared to the Ripper 1 include:

• More bow rocker
• Slightly wider hull
• Slicier tail
• Ovalized cockpit for better skirt fit

Comfort

White water kayaks are typically much tighter than other kayaks because you need them to fit like a glove to maximize control. Despite this, I did not need to get out of the Ripper 2 once during my two-hour session to stretch. The seat, the hip pads, and the back band are all very comfortable. There is plenty of room for your feet. The Pyranha Ripper 2 certainly is a comfortable boat.

The outfitting that the Ripper 2 came with includes shims to raise the height of the seat and shims for the hip pads. So I used these to get more leverage in the kayak and fit it to me. The fact that it took a couple of shims for me means there is plenty of butt space in the kayak for people with different body shapes and sizes. 

Even the water bottle holder in the Ripper 2 is excellent. It stopped my water bottle and dry bag from banging around all day. So, overall, I am very impressed with the comfort of the Ripper 2 whitewater kayak. 

Stability

There is not much to say about the stability of the Ripper 2. It is a very stable kayak, much as you would expect from a kayak like this. The Ripper 2 has great secondary stability when you put the kayak on edge. It sits there comfortably and makes river running and surfing an absolute pleasure. 

Performance

This kayak is designed to perform well as a river runner and as a play boat.

River Running

The Pyranha Ripper 2 was awesome for river running. When I tested the Ripper 1 last year, I liked it. However, I was not blown away by it. So, when they released the Ripper 2, which had several changes from the Ripper 1, I was hoping it would be the type of boat I love. And this is precisely what happened. 

So what are the changes that have, in my opinion, improved the Ripper 2? Extra rocker in the front of the kayak makes a difference. In the Ripper 2, it is easy to keep the nose above waves and boof over holes. Combine that with a very slicey stern and you can get the nose up aggressively. 

The stern is very slicey. I love having a high-performance, slicey stern because I am used to it. However, if you are not used to a slicey stern, then you need to make sure that you are either in a kayak that is a size up, or at least plenty big enough for you. Otherwise, the stern edges can catch you. 

Playboating

The Pyranha Ripper 2 exceeded my expectations for a couple of reasons: the extra rocker and the slicey stern. With these, I can cut the bow back under the foam pile when necessary. A lot of the time in half-slice kayaks the stern is not slicey enough to be able to force it underwater and cut back in the other direction. However, with the Pyranha Ripper 2, you can do exactly thar. 

The slicey stern was great for surfing waves. It was well-balanced and easy to spin around in circles. It was, as promised, just a fun, all-round whitewater kayak. 

Who is The Pyranha Ripper 2 For?

This is a kayak for someone who wants a river runner that they can play with. It is my style of kayak. I will be using this specific kayak a lot more in the future because I enjoyed it so much. 

When using a kayak with a slicey stern like this, you do have to be mindful of catching your edges. A more bulbous stern will be more forgiving. So the Pyranha Ripper 2 is not as forgiving as some whitewater kayaks. If you can manage that and want to give up some forgiveness for increased playability, this is a kayak for you to consider. 

Quality whitewater kayaks cost between $1600-1800 these days, so the value, at $1700, isn’t a big consideration. It costs exactly the amount you would expect for a kayak like this. 

The Pyranha Ripper 2 is, in my opinion, a real upgrade from the Ripper 1. It is a fun, all-around whitewater kayak. 

Kayak: Pyranha Ripper 2
PFDs/Life Jackets:  NRS Zen Whitewater Vest
Paddle:  Aqua Bound Shred
Shirt:  NRS Guide Short Sleeved Men’s Shirt
Paddling Shorts:  NRS Benny Board Shorts

The post The Pyranha Ripper 2 Review: The Best All-Round Whitewater Kayak? appeared first on Hazeadventure.

Pyranha Scorch X Specifications

Price: $1800 (USD)
Length: 10’
Width: 25.5”
Weight: 54 LBS (45.5 KG)
Capacity: 250 LBS (115 KG)
Best Use: River running

The key features of the Pyranha Scorch X include:

• Full-sized grab handles
• A cut-off stern edge
• Tapered stern volume
• Stern kick rocker
• Sharp, full-length rails

This is a typical Pyranha kayak which means that it is solidly built. Everything from the grab handles to the outfitting is solid. 

Comfort

The Pyranha Scorch X is a comfortable boat. I was in it for a few hours and did not have any need to get out. I love the outfitting that comes with Pyranha kayaks. 

The seat, thigh hooks, back band, and ratchet system make the Scorch X a very comfortable kayak. It comes with an outfitting kit, including foam, that allows you to raise the height of the seat if you feel you are too low in the boat. With a higher center of gravity, you can get more leverage on the water. 

The hip pads come with shims which allow you to shape the boat to fit you perfectly. There is a bulkhead in the bow of the kayak giving you a big platform to rest your feet on. You can even put a pad on the bulkhead to make it more comfortable. All-in-all, comfort wise I loved the Scorch X. 

Something to note is that the Scorch X only comes in one size. This fits like the Scorch medium. While I typically use large kayaks, the Scorch X fits me well. It is spacious enough that even paddlers who are slightly larger than me could find it comfortable too!

Another thing to mention when talking about comfort is the comfort of carrying the Pyranha Scorch X. It is not a light kayak, but it balances well on the shoulder which makes it a comfortable kayak to carry. 

Stability

Stability is where the Scorch X shines. It is such a stable platform which is surprising given that the Scorch X is no wider than any other whitewater kayak. However, the feeling of stability and confidence you get in this kayak is remarkable, especially when you put it on edge. It is a very confidence-inspiring kayak to paddle. 

Performance 

The Pyranha Scorch X is a ten-foot-long kayak. That makes it longer and therefore a little faster than most whitewater kayaks. But that extra speed is balanced by the fact that it has lots of rocker (the curvature from bow to stern). Kayaks with lots of rocker lose some speed but gain other benefits when river running. 

“Creek-ability”

When river running, because of the rocker and speed of the kayak, you can skip holes and launch off of waves. Keeping the nose of this kayak up is not a challenge at all. It is a boof machine and boofs really well! 

The Scorch X is so stable and forgiving. It is ready to run a path and flow through the creek, all you need to do is be ready to brace. So it gets top marks for “creek-ability”. 

Playboating

The playboater in me loves having a slicey stern. But that is not what the Scorch X is about. The stern is not something you can sink. This is the type of boat you take paddling in places where you don’t want it to sink. You are not getting it to playboat.

But while the Scorch X is a river runner and not a playboat, you are going to want to surf a wave whilst out on the river. So how does it fare on waves? 

Well, it is not a fast surfer because it has so much rocker. But it does catch a lot of waves. That being said, because of the big volume stern, it is impossible to cut the stern under, so once it starts getting taken, you will fall off the wave. It is not a high-performance surf machine in any way, but it was fun! 

In a Hole

The Pyranha Scorch X is a boat that is designed to skip over holes and not for you to play in them. That is apparent immediately because when I started side-surfing the Scorch X it was tough to move around. The biggest reason for that is the rocker. When you are on edge, a lot of your boat is in contact with the water. This means that all the water running downstream is hitting a huge area of your kayak and is catching both ends which makes for a bucking and wild ride. 

This is not a kayak to play in holes with. It is designed to skip over holes and it does a great job doing so. 

Who is the Pyranha Scorch X For?

The Scorch X is suitable for anyone from beginners to expert paddlers. Anyone can jump in this boat and feel comfortable and confident. So it comes down to the type of paddling you want to use it for. 

This is a boat designed for lower-volume river running and creek boating. It is not a specialist in big volume and is not a playboat. It is however great for any level of kayaker because it is such a confidence-inspiring and forgiving kayak. 

Value

The Scorch X is $1800 (USD) which is more expensive than some other whitewater kayaks. But most whitewater kayaks made of similar materials are in the range of $1600-1900 (USD). So the price is by no means unexpected or outrageous. When purchasing a Pyranha kayak you know that this kayak is solid and they did not skimp anywhere. The outfitting, the ratchet, the safety handles, and even the water bottle holder are quality and solid. So all in all this is a great boat with great value!

Kayak: Pyranha Scorch X
PFDs/Life Jackets:  NRS Zen Whitewater Vest
Paddle:  Aqua Bound Shred
Paddling Top: NRS Flux Dry Top
Shirt:  NRS Guide Short Sleeved Men’s Shirt
Paddling Shorts:  NRS Benny Board Shorts

The post Pyranha Scorch X Review: The Most Forgiving White Water Kayak Ever appeared first on Hazeadventure.

This kayak is referred to as a playful, highly versatile, day and weekend kayak. But does it live up to this description? Well, let’s get straight into my unbiased review of the P&H Volan 160.

P&H Volan 160 Specifications

Price: $4500-$6000 (USD)
Length: 16’
Width: 23”
Weight: 42-58 LBS
Capacity: 265 LBS
Best use: All conditions

Features of the P&H Volan 160

The boat has several features including:

• Large bow and stern hatches, a day hatch, and optional bow mini hatch.
• Full deck lines and bungees for storage.
• A skeg, but the option of a rudder.
• A padded and contoured seat with a back band and hip pads.
• A bulkhead in the front and back.

As an interesting fact, all the P&H sea kayaks are named after constellations or whiskeys.

This sea kayak costs a lot of money, but there is a good reason why. It is a composite kayak, made of a kevlar carbon infusion, and is their highest-end kayak. You can get the same kayak made out of different materials. These are a little cheaper but also a little heavier. The joy of composite materials is that they are lightweight, but also look and feel beautiful.

Portability

This is a 16-foot sea kayak, so it will never be effortless to move around. But it is in fact on the shorter end of sea kayaks, and only 42 lbs. This makes it relatively easy for one person to move it around, and a complete breeze for two people. For a sea kayak, this is incredibly portable simply because of how lightweight it is.

Stability of the Volan 160

No 23” kayak is going to be as stable as a recreational or day kayak. These kayaks will be closer to 30” wide. So, for what it is, the Volan 160 is a stable kayak. It has good primary stability – the stability you feel when just sitting on the water. It also has good secondary stability, which is the stability of the kayak when you hold it on edge. This is not surprising because the hull has a soft chine. That means that it is not round but has a flatter hull that comes up to straighter edges.

Performance, Speed, and Maneuverability

Sea kayaks are designed for speed, so this is a fast kayak. But it is not the fastest sea kayak – if you wanted a faster one you would get a longer kayak with less rocker. The Volan has a fair amount of rocker (the curvature of the kayak from bow to stern), which means it turns very easily, despite it being a 16’ kayak.

The Volan 160 comes with a skeg and it tracks perfectly well. I love a playful kayak and do not mind giving up some performance and speed for a bit more maneuverability and playfulness. It is very much my type of kayak, with a lot of rocker and a big bow that is designed to go through waves. It is designed to handle any type of water conditions and I have no doubt it will do that, although I haven’t had the chance to test it in rough water yet.

Comfort

I tested out the Volan 160, the high-volume version, but P&H also has a 158 for smaller paddlers. The 160 was perfect for me, a 6’ 2”, 195 lbs man with a 34” inseam. It fit me like a glove. The seat and hip pads are contoured and foam and are very comfortable. This helped me feel like I had full control of the kayak and keep confident that the kayak would hold me in any sort of rough conditions.

That being said, there wasn’t much more space next to me, so it could be a tight fit for other people. That’s why, before you buy a boat like this you should always test it out and at least sit in one before you buy it to make sure you fit, especially if you are a bigger person.

There is a lot of foot space, and the footpegs provide nice comfortable platforms for your feet. There is also plenty of space for people with long legs. So comfort-wise, two big thumbs up.

The only thing to note is that there aren’t aggressive thigh supports, you are putting your legs under the boat. So what I will do with this is take foam and customize the boat so that I have the support needed on my thighs. This is what you would expect to do with a lifetime kayak.

Features

The P&H Volan 160 sea kayak comes with a skeg as standard, but you can choose to buy one with a rudder. The skeg is controlled with an awesome and smooth slider system that allows you to choose specifically which depth you want it to go. If you choose to order a rudder you will no longer have a skeg box inside the stern hatch which will free up space for storage on an overnight trip.

The Volan 160 has four different hatches. The bow and stern hatches are the main hatches for gear as there is the most space there, as well as bulkheads separating them from the rest of the boat. Relatively speaking there is lots of room, however, this isn’t a big kayak, so it isn’t ideal for long expeditions, but perfect for day trips or weekends.

The day hatch behind the seat – a very common placement for it, is fine, but my preference would be to have just one big hatch. But this is a personal preference thing.

The mini day hatch up front is an incredibly useful way to use dead space and did not impede my legs. It has enough space to through some sunscreen, snacks, and a phone, all of which you can access easily.

Personalize Your P&H Volan 160

You can go to the P&H sea kayak website and fully customize the kayak you order, including things like the color, whether you have a rudder or a skeg, choose the outfitting, whether you want the mini day hatch, etc. There are a whole range of options. It will take a few months before you receive your custom kayak, but it is an option.

Who is the P&H Volan 160 Volan Kayak For?

To sum it all up, this is an expensive kayak, but one that is worth it in my opinion. You are paying for a lightweight, beautiful, composite kayak. This is a lifetime sea kayak. There is no reason that, if you look after it, this kayak shouldn’t last your entire lifetime. From that perspective, it is a reasonable price.

First and foremost this touring kayak is for people who can afford it. It is also for people who value having a lightweight kayak and are willing to pay a premium for it. It is for people who want an all-around sea kayak: something that can handle rough conditions if they pop up in open conditions. If you are unlikely to put yourself in those conditions you may want to choose a kayak that has less rocker, and is designed less to handle those conditions but will travel faster.  

For me, this is my type of kayak. Not only is it a beautiful kayak that paddles effortlessly, but it does what I want from a kayak. It can handle anything – from ocean surf, to boat waves, rock gardens, and ocean waves. At the same time, you can load it up in the car and go for a weekend exploring in flat water. I give this a big enthusiastic two thumbs up. This will be a lifetime kayak for me too!

Kayak: P&H Volan 160
Paddles:  Aqua Bound Manta Ray Hybrid
PFD:   NRS Odyssey PFD (Touring and Rec)
Clothing:  NRS Short Sleeved Guide Shirt
Sunglasses: Wiley X

The post P&H Volan 160 Kayak Review appeared first on Hazeadventure.

Confluence of the French Broad River and Holsten River

The section of the Tennessee that we were to paddle is in fact it's very first section. The French Broad River and the Holston River converge about 7 miles upstream of the City.  This also marks the beginning of the Tennessee RiverLine. This is an initiative with the vision for a continuous system of hiking, biking, and on-water experiences. It runs along the 652-mile reach of the Tennessee River from Knoxville, TN, to Paducah, KY. 

The ambitious but exciting project involves a partnership with the University of Tennessee and the Tennessee Valley Authority, along with a growing list of towns, counties and communities found along the length of the River.

Holsten River Park

Our starting point was to be Holsten River Park and our takeout was to be Calhoun’s on the River. Calhoun's is a popular restaurant found on the banks of the Tennessee River only steps from the downtown core. While the Tennessee River is an extremely big volume river, it has relatively mild current. If it’s not a windy day, almost any paddle craft will do the trick to get out. That’s why it wasn’t surprising that we saw a huge variety of boats on the water. Canoes, stand up paddle boards, and kayaks of all shapes and sizes. 

The P&K Volan 160 Touring Kayak

As for myself, when I travel on large bodies of water, I prefer touring kayaks or sea kayaks, which allow me to cover water quickly and efficiently. For that reason, I decided this was a great opportunity to test one of the most beautiful kayaks that I’ve ever laid my hands on – the P&K Volan 160 composite kayak.

Made with P&H’s carbon and Kevlar infusion process, and crafted with the attention to detail that P&H Sea Kayaks are known for, the 16-foot-long kayak weighs only 42 pounds and looks like something you’d want to showcase on your wall. It’s the kind of kayak that makes you cringe to think of putting a scratch in.

Kayaking Tennessee RiverLine: Wild Meets City

Our trip into Knoxville was exactly as I expected and hoped it would be. It was a beautiful mixture of wilderness and urban development. We passed a local small-plane airport, a number of dramatic bridges, and downtown Knoxville itself. I can tell you is that it’s something worth experiencing. The perspective you get from the water is truly unique.

As for the P&H Volan 160 – Yes, I did put a couple of scratches in it, and yes, I did receive a couple of comments about it from admirers. As for how it performed, check out my full review on the P&H Volan 160 here!

Check out my last article on the Okefenokee: Kayak Fishing with Alligators.

Kayak: P&H Volan 160
Paddles:  Aqua Bound Manta Ray Hybrid
PFD:   NRS Odyssey PFD (Touring and Rec)
Clothing:  NRS Short Sleeved Guide Shirt
Sunglasses: Wiley X

The post Kayaking Tennessee RiverLine appeared first on Hazeadventure.