Hello ! Im new to the forum!
Printed From: ProfessorPaddle.com
Category: General
Forum Name: Whitewater Forum
Forum Discription: Open Discussion Forum. Whitewater related subjects only
URL: http://www.professorpaddle.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=11869
Printed Date: 17 Jun 2024 at 7:59pm
Topic: Hello ! Im new to the forum!
Posted By: daggerjuice88
Subject: Hello ! Im new to the forum!
Date Posted: 13 Apr 2012 at 1:39am
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So im new to the forum,and Washington's rivers.
I'll start start with my boating history. Living in Sacramento California I first got into white water when i was 16 years old from friend who was a seasoned river guide and boater. My first boat that i learned on was a dagger medieval,second was a Dagger juice. Once i learned to roll in the pool and jumped in the river iv been a natural at it. I have only been kayakin for two seasons(spring) but was a totally solid class IV boater and was going to attempt my first class V but ended up dislocating my shoulder wrestling before that weekend. I joined the Army shortly after that.Got stationed here in Fort Lewis wa with 2nd Ranger Battalion and was always to busy busy training to experience the whitewater here. Unfortunently, before my exit my kayak and my gear was stolen. So now that i am out of the service,Im purchasing a wavesport fuse64 tomorrow!I need to get back in the water where i belong. Im collecting all the gear i need slowly overtime and next paycheck id like a get a paddle. so i just have a few questions that maybe someone could help me out with since(though im a good boater) I am a newby with only two spring seasons under my belt. 1) which werner paddle would you recommend for my mostly river running(class IV) and moderate play style boating? price doesnt matter to me. 2)Are drysuits a must here in washington,or will a wetsuit(or shorts) and a drytop be fine too? 3) finally i want to build my skills back up slowly and start with an easy class III river to get the hang of it again(its been 4 years) which river would you recommend?? Thanks to everyone you helps me out!I hope i posted in the right place for new guys and sorry for the long introduction,just wanted to get in all out there! Thanks again ! 
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Replies:
Posted By: Tobin
Date Posted: 13 Apr 2012 at 7:07am
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1) which werner paddle would you recommend for my mostly river running(class IV) and moderate play style boating? price doesnt matter to me. You can not go wrong with a Player
2)Are drysuits a must here in washington,or will a wetsuit(or shorts) and a drytop be fine too? They are not a MUST, unless you like to be warm and comfortable. Our rivers are cold, and the air is cold most of the year. I think the occasions where a drysuit is not needed are few and far between in the PNW? 3) finally i want to build my skills back up slowly and start with an easy class III river to get the hang of it again(its been 4 years) which river would you recommend?? Lower Green, Sky from BD down, Wenatchee, Nisqually. Really there are hundreds of options in the area. ------------- Sure? |
Posted By: tiziak
Date Posted: 13 Apr 2012 at 8:29am
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Drysuit : Must have. Paddle : If I started over I would get a paddle with little to no offset. Would make backdeck rolling on both sides much easier. Food for thought. ------------- If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there. Daniel Patrinellis 360.434.4616 |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: 13 Apr 2012 at 8:37am
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From a fellow BatBro: Paddle, pick a werner. There are other brands but they are local and generally the best. Players are very large blades so be careful with the shoulder. I know the sherpa and powerhouse are great too. My first year paddling was in a pair of fleece pants and a drytop. You can make anything work , it just might be alot colder. In general most folks up here have a drysuit, but not all. Plenty of folks dawn wet suits to paddle around this time of year, and there is no reason that wetsuits would not work, it is the Nov - Early March time frame that makes wetsuits less than ideal since it is much colder etc.. Shorties and Man Style (nothing but a pfd) basically happens on a handful of days only on a handful of rivers around here. As Tobin mentioned the water is pretty cold. 3. Best runs to start on. The green might be out for the year, if you see it pop back in, check it out. The middle middle will be back in for a short period, good class III to break your groove back in on. The sky is going to be a summer staple, you will boat it frequently. You are coming into the Wenatchee season like Tobin mentioned that is basically our States premier Playboat / freestyle run. Mark your calendar for the PP Ball because you will meet a ton of people to paddle with. Green ../rivers/riverdetails.asp?riverid=448 - 2. Kanaskat Palmer to Paradise (Upper Gorge) Green ../rivers/riverdetails.asp?riverid=449 - 3. Paradise to Flaming Geyser State Park (Lower Gorge) Skykomish ../rivers/riverdetails.asp?riverid=586 - 1 - Index/Powerline to Railroad Bridge Snoqualmie, Middle Fork ../rivers/riverdetails.asp?riverid=599 - 4 - Concrete bridge to Tanner (Middle-Middle) Wenatchee ../rivers/riverdetails.asp?riverid=669 - 4. State Play (Leavenworthless to Cashmere) White Salmon ../rivers/riverdetails.asp?riverid=677 - 4 - BZ Corner to Northwestern Lake |
Posted By: huckin harms
Date Posted: 13 Apr 2012 at 8:42am
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yeah, if you can afford it, a drysuit is a great investment. I consider it a must on harder runs because swims in snowmelt waters can be really brutal esp on continous whitewater. So, if you can front the dough consider it money well spent, even if its not 'top of the line'. There are plenty of paddlers who do paddle without one, so its not absolutely necessary. Paddles- consider your shoulders in this purchase. A bigger blade will put more stress on them but also translates to more power in a stroke. I used a smaller blade for a season after a shoulder injury. The middle middle isn't a bad place to start for class III paddling. Lots of folks out there to help with the lines. ------------- |
Posted By: daggerjuice88
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2012 at 2:50am
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Thanks guys for all the imput! After pickin up my Fuse today iv just been stoked to get on the river. ill take the more powerfull stroke with the big blades.I dont think a big blade will bother me at all im a very muscular and lean 250lbs guy. Iv decided ill definently go with a dry suit...pretty positive Ill get a Kokotat. From what iv read everybody says they are awesome and excellent customer service. hope to see some of you guys on the river!
Haha @ james your post was kinda funny to me comming from another ranger of coarse anything will work...sh*t im sure if i had too id get down the river shirtless in the middle of winter and pretend it didnt bother me! |
Posted By: osmelendez
Date Posted: 15 Apr 2012 at 9:55pm
| I just paddled the upper section of the green river. it had been awhile since I had been out (8 years) and that was a great stretch to warm up to. |
Posted By: osmelendez
Date Posted: 15 Apr 2012 at 9:57pm
| Also, I didn't use a skull cap or mittens or a dry suit and it was perfect. Used only a dry top. But I here other rivers, like the Sky, are cold. |
Posted By: Jed Hawkes
Date Posted: 15 Apr 2012 at 10:39pm
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The dry suit isn't so much for the paddling, it comes into play for the hike in in the snow, scouting in the rain, portaging in the dark, hiking out through clear cuts, waiting for shuttle in February, riding in the back of a pick up to the put in for lap number two, figuring out what plan C is, and above all. Swimming. There are two sayings that pop to mind "dress for the swim not the paddle" and "we're all in between swims".
My first season I paddled without a drysuit, and now that I have one I'll never go back. Like I said, you wear the suit for all the other reasons. ------------- The line will become apparent 978-273-7723 |
Posted By: osmelendez
Date Posted: 16 Apr 2012 at 8:43am
| I like what you had to say about a dry suit and I think you just convinced me to buy one sometime this year. |
Posted By: daggerjuice88
Date Posted: 16 Apr 2012 at 11:37pm
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Originally posted by Jed Hawkes
The dry suit isn't so much for the paddling, it comes into play for the hike in in the snow, scouting in the rain, portaging in the dark, hiking out through clear cuts, waiting for shuttle in February, riding in the back of a pick up to the put in for lap number two, figuring out what plan C is, and above all. Swimming. There are two sayings that pop to mind "dress for the swim not the paddle" and "we're all in between swims". My first season I paddled without a drysuit, and now that I have one I'll never go back. Like I said, you wear the suit for all the other reasons. Great advice! that's the stuff i was not thinking of,other then swimming which convinced me enough to get one.I live in Milton a little north of Tacoma. Anybody know of any nearby boating stores? the only one i can find online is Aqua-sports in Redmond which is where i bought my boat. Seems like a great shop. The owner seems really cool and helpful too but its a bit of a drive. Just curoius? |
Posted By: Jed Hawkes
Date Posted: 17 Apr 2012 at 12:41am
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kayak academy is located in redmond, not sure what kind of gear they sell.
http://www.kayakacademy.com/ ------------- The line will become apparent 978-273-7723 |
Posted By: osmelendez
Date Posted: 17 Apr 2012 at 6:31am
| one in seattle very close to downtown which is really good actually. Northwest Outdoor Center. www.nwoc.com |
Posted By: BRoss
Date Posted: 17 Apr 2012 at 9:31am
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kayak academy is in issaquah, and they are awesome. Particularly for drysuits, but they have a full gear shop.. ------------- "That boated a lot better than it looked." "It always does until it doesn't." |
Posted By: daggerjuice88
Date Posted: 18 Apr 2012 at 1:16am
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Thanks for all the info!might have to check out the selection at one of these places tomorrow. So im pretty much solid on buying a Kokatat gore-tex version suit. i think i would fit xxL.
Will having the suit be kinda loose in the waist area matter at all? I am an avid weight lifter so finding cloths that fit right is hard. Im 6'1 ,250lbs ,53inch chest and 36in(when im leaner)and 38in(when im bulked) waist line. |
Posted By: daggerjuice88
Date Posted: 18 Apr 2012 at 1:23am
Decided on a Werner Sidekick as my all around paddle too by the way. Ill spend my wifes next overtime money on that one!  Its awesome having a wife thats supportive all all my toys and hobbies haha
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Posted By: huckin harms
Date Posted: 18 Apr 2012 at 7:12am
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yo DJ88, you may want to contact Kokatat with your sizing question before throwing down on that Drysuit, just to be sure of what your getting. Also, you might want to review the werner Sidekick choice... u being such a big guy, may want a size up or so on the blade. If my memory serves me correctly, the Sidekick is a small blade. U said that your a weight lifter so if your shoulders are good, I'd considered getting a Sherpa or Powerhouse. Try and find someone who has a stick and check it out in the water- on a lake or rio. Getting a smaller blade is good for shoulders recovering from injury but otherwise a bigger blade can offer more power and response in a stroke. BtW, nothing like having a loving spouse who supports the passion for the activities that motivate us.... ------------- |
Posted By: JoesKayak
Date Posted: 18 Apr 2012 at 7:38pm
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Just echoing what Harms said about contacting Kokatat about sizing. You definitley are going to fit a suit different than most. I wear a Kokatat XXL, and it fits great, but I am a bit taller than you 6'4" and smaller around the chest (48"). Also with your fit issue of having a small waist, you may find a kayaker's suit (which is narrower in the waist to better accomodate a skirt) rather than a general purpose suit may fit you better too. Kayak Academy in Renton sells Kokatat suits and has a bunch of them on hand including used ones. So you may want to contact them as see if you can try some on there, and possibly get a good deal. One last suggestion. While Kokatat is a great brand, also consider OS System suits. Like Kokatat, they are US made and do their own repair & service. And they also sell custom sizes... like they have tall and short versions of their standard sizes and for an extra fee they will do a full custom suit sized specifically just for you. I think it's an extra couple hundred bucks for that, but could be well worth it. |
Posted By: daggerjuice88
Date Posted: 21 Apr 2012 at 12:17am
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Originally posted by JoesKayak
Just echoing what Harms said about contacting Kokatat about sizing. You definitley are going to fit a suit different than most. I wear a Kokatat XXL, and it fits great, but I am a bit taller than you 6'4" and smaller around the chest (48").Also with your fit issue of having a small waist, you may find a kayaker's suit (which is narrower in the waist to better accomodate a skirt) rather than a general purpose suit may fit you better too.Kayak Academy in Renton sells Kokatat suits and has a bunch of them on hand including used ones. So you may want to contact them as see if you can try some on there, and possibly get a good deal.One last suggestion. While Kokatat is a great brand, also consider OS System suits. Like Kokatat, they are US made and do their own repair & service. And they also sell custom sizes... like they have tall and short versions of their standard sizes and for an extra fee they will do a full custom suit sized specifically just for you. I think it's an extra couple hundred bucks for that, but could be well worth it. Originally posted by huckin harms
yo DJ88, you may want to contact Kokatat with your sizing question before throwing down on that Drysuit, just to be sure of what your getting. Also, you might want to review the werner Sidekick choice... u being such a big guy, may want a size up or so on the blade. If my memory serves me correctly, the Sidekick is a small blade. U said that your a weight lifter so if your shoulders are good, I'd considered getting a Sherpa or Powerhouse. Try and find someone who has a stick and check it out in the water- on a lake or rio. Getting a smaller blade is good for shoulders recovering from injury but otherwise a bigger blade can offer more power and response in a stroke. BtW, nothing like having a loving spouse who supports the passion for the activities that motivate us.... So today i visited Kayak Academy in Issakwa/Renton and tried on the kokatat meridian in xxl and it fit really well...plenty of room for my massive chest and lats to move haha! so when i get the money thats what im picking up. The Werner Sidekick is there full-size play paddle not the smaller one..... But while i was at Kayak Academy they were selling woodys. The man i was talking to told me that their woodys are more durable then fiber glass and carbon and would probably suit me better because of my upper-body strength and the stress on the paddle from my strokes ect... he mentioned some woodys are not that good but the ones they sell are one piece,carbon blades (i forgot what company sells them but they are local) something like "salt paddles" ...whatever. any thoughts on this? by the way you guys are awesome! never been on a forum with so many helpful people that respond so quick! |
Posted By: daggerjuice88
Date Posted: 21 Apr 2012 at 12:19am
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I think ill still contact Kokatat just to be sure though...thats alot of money at stake
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