Gear Garage Ep. 153: Reading Water (Advanced Level)

Рет қаралды 13,073

3 жыл бұрын

As the final episode (153) in the small Reading Water "mini-series," Zach shares a few of his thoughts on reading whitewater rivers and advanced rapids.
Want to help support Gear Garage & purchase some tried and true rafting gear? Check out the gear Zach uses at: amzn.to/2IF09rx. We get a commission when you purchase from this Amazon link!
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Пікірлер: 69

@ericvincent3253 3 жыл бұрын

Zach, your didactic skills for rafting lessons are fantastic. You should publish a rafting guide school text; there are very few and really your approach is easy to understand. Thanks for your efforts here in presenting this content.

@GearGarageTV 3 жыл бұрын

We do have an online rowing course at www.whitewatereducation.com

@adamvolwiler7336 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for spending the time to make these video's. It's a great resource for us folks who love bringing new people on the river.

@paulpochak5127 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for sharing your information. I am just a fisherman and these videos have really changed my perspective of how I look at water, even though the water I take my raft through is very easy.

@danielmacgregor4248 3 жыл бұрын

Love your humility and expertise, Zach. You're a natural teacher. Thank you.

@steezjenkins 3 жыл бұрын

Always helpful! Thanks Zach!

@b_gumm Жыл бұрын

Loved this series. Just ran my 1st class 1s last week.

@GearGarageTV 11 ай бұрын

Awesome

@hitmc6327 3 жыл бұрын

Great series! Thanks for taking the time to make these videos.Hope to see more.

@Supportwildwaterwarriors Ай бұрын

Great teacher ! It help me so much, Thank you sir

@alanwhite4456 10 ай бұрын

Great intro series, thank you!

@micknelson3296 3 жыл бұрын

Great info

@jonathanvanallen1662 2 жыл бұрын

This is the best series of videos that I have found so far on reading water. Well done and thank you

@johnsalhany477 3 жыл бұрын

Great content as always Zach, thanks for continuing to share your knowledge. You have a positive and safe mindset that is a great benefit to new and experienced boaters alike. You’re doing great!

@598victor 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you once again for sharing your wealth of knowledge.

@CyndiLH 3 жыл бұрын

Great video series. I especially like the real footage with commentary and the fact you are also showing mistakes made (best guides are humble guides). I notice you also have videos showing various river runs and it would be great to add commentary to those...verbalizing what you are thinking and planning as you approach each feature...what you are observing and looking for...thank you for taking the time make these videos.

@thecannabisfarm6679 3 жыл бұрын

Great series! I really got a lot of useful information.

@goldennels 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you

@scottowens2301 Жыл бұрын

Thanks, one of the best series on readin grivers that I've ever seen.

@GearGarageTV Жыл бұрын

Wow, thank you!

@garyschomberger2291 2 жыл бұрын

Love IT. More stills or videos of what logs/hazards when looking downriver.

@GearGarageTV 2 жыл бұрын

We have a bunch of drone video like that in our online course at www.whitewatereducation.com

@GearGarageTV 2 жыл бұрын

In particular there are some free lessons at www.whitewatereducation.com/courses/whitewater-rowing/lectures/25251416

@Meowbox9000 3 жыл бұрын

Just got back into rafting after 10 years. Nice to have a refreser on the basics

@JohnMcdermott-yz7qb 10 ай бұрын

I've been through about 15 of these videos and they are outstanding. You are an excellent teacher. Thank you.

@GearGarageTV 10 ай бұрын

Glad you like them!

@dustman96 6 ай бұрын

Good stuff

@human.rationally 3 жыл бұрын

Great stuff

@GearGarageTV 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@brianwilson6542 3 жыл бұрын

Very useful info

@GearGarageTV 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you

@KZ-yu4jz 3 жыл бұрын

I loved the series and would like to see more. I think you did a great job of talking about the topic and including diagrams and actual footage.

@GearGarageTV 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@mikeastovall 3 жыл бұрын

Very informative way to approach a difficult to explain subject. I've been paddling for about ten years, but in the past 2 or 3 gotten into paddle rafting and very recently picked up a rowing frame to learn yet another new river craft. That being said I would be very interested to see more real life applications of portaging or lining rapids before I get too far off the roadside runs. You know reading a rescue resource or rafting techniques isn't nearly the same as hearing someone explain how they've done it and be able to show examples in real time.

@jasonhenn7345 3 жыл бұрын

Super helpful, esp the it's ok to stop concept 😁👌

@zackkozel2226 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your energy in producing these videos! Another trick I like to use which I think falls into the advanced river reading is surfing. With a loaded down boat pulling back on a good size wave can completely stop momentum, resulting in more time to make the correct decision. I find this technique especially useful boating a river at a high level.

@GearGarageTV 3 жыл бұрын

I would say surfing is more about running the river than reading the river. The ability to see surfable waves is good river reading. How does that sound to you?

@robinsullivan5472 2 жыл бұрын

Just got my first cataraft and looking forward to getting on the river! Your videos are helpful and informative, especially for a newby like me!

@GearGarageTV 2 жыл бұрын

I’m stoked to hear that

@luiscastro-my3iw Жыл бұрын

Awesome series and a great service providing this information for all. My only input would be adding graphics to indicate which concept you are illustrating in the real life videos would make it much easier to follow :) Much love from a former Colorado Woofer.

@richardrebecchi7351 2 жыл бұрын

I know its an older video but, if your going to do more in the future id say the only thing that I saw that might help is when your showing the live clips/video maybe take the live image and point or circle the types of things your discussing about eddies and cushions ect. Even without that, good job, your are doing the community a big service helping to keep them safe out there.

@jkjeffk 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Zach. These have been great. I'd love to see more in this series. Keep up the great work!

@GearGarageTV 2 жыл бұрын

There is a lot more of this in our online course at www.whitewatereducation.com

@robertsinclair 2 жыл бұрын

Great set on reading water. I'd love to see a few videos of just here's X and here's Y and how to handle them. Have overviews of rapid sections and discuss what you see instantly and the judgements you make

@richardservatius5405 3 жыл бұрын

the one time i rowed through pistol creek rapid it was a very sharp S turn that threw your raft into the cliff on the left side. you could avoid the collision by spinning left while in the first part of the S.

@gogsalba4573 2 жыл бұрын

Just to say.. ive bought a canoe, haven't got it wet yet, have watched your series on reading rivers and it's helped a hell of a lot, so thanks for that.. ive now subbed ya..👍

@GearGarageTV 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for subscribing!

@patlorch8478 3 жыл бұрын

Great advice on scouting, but you never showed the rest of the clip.

@mikemorris7377 3 жыл бұрын

Hi Zach, good stuff. I recommend editing the live videos of you guys on the river and draw lines and circles of areas you are emphasizing in the commentary. For example, "you can see an eddy on the right" - circle that eddy in the video. Cheers!

@GearGarageTV 3 жыл бұрын

Yep that would be cool but I haven’t figured out how to do that yet

@spencewike6330 3 жыл бұрын

Awesome stuff all 3 were concise and very informative. Moving from kayaks to rafts - cats.... do/can you ferry from Eddie to Eddie or bank to improve your downriver reading? Thanks

@GearGarageTV 3 жыл бұрын

Yes you can move from eddy to eddy

@jerrytrottmann 3 жыл бұрын

Talk about the 'special' vocabulary of describing the river environment. That is to say talk about the special words/descriptions used to talk about the river environment( hole, keepers, strainers, etc.) What do river runners means when they say 'face the danger', must make moves, ''a rapid demands your attention". Like you presentation style, keep doing what your doing.....

@GearGarageTV 3 жыл бұрын

Great suggestion. Thank you. I've never heard the term "face the danger."

@jerrytrottmann 3 жыл бұрын

@@GearGarageTV A way to coach someone that their back stroke is more powerful/effective in moving a raft than a push stroke. That is well covered in your into video's. I always tried to end my safety talk before launch with "paddle hard, laugh often and look down stream".

@richardservatius5405 3 жыл бұрын

you might consider adding a small bit about momentum before catching an eddy behind a rock in river center. also a bit about using your most powerful stroke -- back rowing instead of rowing forward. i.e. say you want to catch an eddy behind a rock to move across the stream and avoid rocks/reversals just after the rock. so starting before the rock and away from it, you back row hard so that you catch the eddy with lots of momentum, it stops you a bit, but lets you exit the eddy on the other side and thus you avoid the rock/reversal below. you might also mention aiming for the edges of two reversals with almost no space between them and staggered slightly up/down stream from each other in order to avoid getting stopped by either.

@nedeavers Жыл бұрын

Always enjoy all your videos! I've kayaked and boated for years and you nailed these 3 reading the river videos, it's hard to articulate this stuff but you did it. Much appreciated

@GearGarageTV Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@Amylovesuandme 2 жыл бұрын

Hi Zach. I’ve found it a little different learning a new rivers before running them. I’ve grown up on the Rogue and have relieved I’ve taken for granted just always knowing sections of the river. What do you recommend for learning/educating yourself before running a new river or new section on a river. Getting ahold of river map books seems to help but do you have any other advice?

@GearGarageTV 2 жыл бұрын

Learn how to read water on easier rivers and then apply that to harder rivers

@richardservatius5405 3 жыл бұрын

inside river curves become not only slower water, but also beaches. which are also shallow. rock/raft rubbers. rocks; some rivers have rounded rocks, others sharp rocks (generally slate for example). I guided in New Zealand on 4 rivers, all with rounded rocks. The main Salmon river has rounded rocks. But the Lochsa has both rough and rounded because the highway construction put blasted rocks in the river. speaking of; there is one rapid on it that at high water has about a 13' to 16' wave almost entirely across the river with a V leading into the lowest wave. going down the V in a kayak was like being buried in a wall of water and you couldn't tell which way was up after puncturing the wave. Water falls, the bow bends up, stern riders flip forward. your comments???

@GearGarageTV 3 жыл бұрын

I'm a little confused about your comment but what I'm hearing is that it's not always good to shoot the V and cut the C. YIf that's what you are saying, yes your are right - these are guidelines for running rivers and not absolutes.

@richardservatius5405 3 жыл бұрын

@@GearGarageTV no, it is generally best to ride the V. If there is a rock garden down river from you and you need to get to the left side, but a rock or big reversal is blocking you from getting there; then starting from upstream to the right of the rock, you row backwards towards the rock, but catch the eddy behind it and thus go to the left, clear side of the rapid. be careful on inside corners because rocks can tear your raft or catch and spin you out of position. in the case of a huge wave, you can intentionally flood the raft (if not self draining) and bust through the wave without flipping. finally, i want to read your views/comments on running a water fall.

@GearGarageTV 3 жыл бұрын

@@richardservatius5405 If you look through previous episodes you'll find a video I did about running waterfalls

@sacjusticeforyou 3 жыл бұрын

Hey zach, dude, your love demeanor. I'd really like to get on of those lego raft dudes. You guys selling swag that would include the lego raft guide dude??

@GearGarageTV 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the nice comment. Unfortunately we don't sell legos.

@My-Amazing-Life 3 жыл бұрын

Good Video. A question I have is how one reads water with an overloaded boat and a fat rowing partner in the back? #RyanCard

@dgrfsthrgsergwrtghasefq 3 жыл бұрын

Good video, although it seems like catching eddies and not paddling beyond where you can see a catch-able eddy should be hammered into beginner and intermediate paddlers, not left to a advance topic.

@GearGarageTV 3 жыл бұрын

Yep that makes sense to me too. I bet most beginning and intermediate paddlers watch this video too.