What are some cringe-worthy 'don'ts,' that you've witnessed?

[fryingsquirrel]

A couple of my favorite dont's from a childhood spent on the water:

Fireworks and plastic watercraft don't mix well. In the event of unintended pyrotechnics, chewing gum works surprisingly well as a temporary fix for any small holes that may have burned through the boat.

If you are paddling a large tandem boat with one or more kids and the current pushes you into low hanging foliage, have the kids duck, not grab the branch. If they grab it, be aware that eventually it will be released, and when it is, all the stored energy in the branch will be transferred to your face.

If for any reason you want the boat for yourself all you need to do is paddle under a tree and then yell "Snake in the boat!"

And here's one of my more recent shenanigans: as an adult I've learned that I can still mess with my mom on the rare occasion I tandem with her. All I have to do is jump ship in moving water without warning and she is bound to follow very quickly.

And as to the stuff everyone else says about dry clothes, cold water, and broken paddles, it's all great advice but sometimes you just gotta learn those lessons the hard way and laugh about it later

Thats all for now.
Jon Ellwood
Little Rock

[Lupe]

Cringe-worthy: lots of beginners end up paddling with their (kayak) paddles upside down. If you have a Werner, you can tell which side is up because the Werner name should be right side up. You can tell from the shape: longer edge should be up, but it takes a while to get the hang of just telling which way it goes.

I'm never sure if I should tell people their paddle is upside down as I don't know how the person will take it. (I did it my fair share when I started, and didn't mind when people told me until I got it figured out).

However, if you are in an open boat and have this problem, you might need to reconsider if paddling is really the right past time for you.

[tomOzarkVideo]

To repeat a few key don'ts:

Never put your feet down during a swim. Look up foot entrapments on the web.

Stay away from trees!!! Look up strainers/sweepers.

Cringe moment: about 4 years ago, Tracy and I Hit a river wide tree with a flow of 4000cfs pushing us. She jumped over the log, I went under it. Had there been a branch under the surface, (like usual) I would be dead.

Also, Never be the one to botch a shuttle. (Leaving keys in the wrong car, not enough gas, loosing keys on the river...etc.)

DOs: Ask questions.. This post is a big example of a great DO! We are all happy to see new boaters and even happier to see safe new boaters!

[brunsky]

My first don't is, don't wait a couple of years to venture beyond calm waters if that is something you want to do. Life is too short! (If you totally prefer calm waters, that's a different deal.)

I say two years because that's likely when I'll be able to get a WW boat. I do, however, have a compulsory tendency to cut my estimations short due to impatience. I did accidentally upgrade the Ibis to a Journey when I went to Lewis and Clark during their sale. So I'll be sticking to touring... just for now.

Don't put yourself or others (particularly like kids, grandkids, or grandparents who are more suspectable) at risk of hypothermia by putting on the river in the fall, winter, or spring wearing cotton clothes and having no splash or dry gear and no spare dry clothes and towels in waterproof containers.
Eric Esche

Eric, at first I was going into it headlong without much consideration to my gear. It's a good thing I don't yet have the boat in my posession because I would have been guilty of this very thing. I have some hivent rain gear for hiking, but I'm not sure it would work for this purpose.

I'm coming from more of a sea kayak perspective, but I've seen quite a few major mishaps. The four rules I've come to follow:

1. Never Paddle Alone
2. Stay with your equipment
3. Know your conditions
4. Know your limitations.

There is also a little voice we all have. When it talks and says 'don't do it' it is best to listen.

I have never had trouble acknowledging my limitations... or the voices in my head.

Don't take experience of seasoned fellow paddlers for granted. In addition to listening to their advice, watch them paddle. You can learn a lot by watching the moves they use to position their kayak where they want it to be when paddling. Diane

I really look forward to paddling with the experienced because of this. I've only ever paddled casually with friends, and havent had any real guidance on technique.

And as to the stuff everyone else says about dry clothes, cold water, and broken paddles, it's all great advice but sometimes you just gotta learn those lessons the hard way and laugh about it later

Thats all for now.
Jon Ellwood
Little Rock

I like this advice. Be prepared to make the mistakes, but be able to find the levity in them.

Cringe-worthy: lots of beginners end up paddling with their (kayak) paddles upside down. If you have a Werner, you can tell which side is up because the Werner name should be right side up. You can tell from the shape: longer edge should be up, but it takes a while to get the hang of just telling which way it goes.

I'm never sure if I should tell people their paddle is upside down as I don't know how the person will take it. (I did it my fair share when I started, and didn't mind when people told me until I got it figured out).

However, if you are in an open boat and have this problem, you might need to reconsider if paddling is really the right past time for you.

I studied my paddle a bit to figure out which side was up. I got a Carlisle for my first paddle, the right hand grip is flattened into more of an oval to help orient which way is up.

Never put your feet down during a swim. Look up foot entrapments on the web.

Stay away from trees!!! Look up strainers/sweepers.

Also, Never be the one to botch a shuttle. (Leaving keys in the wrong car, not enough gas, loosing keys on the river...etc.)

DOs: Ask questions.. This post is a big example of a great DO! We are all happy to see new boaters and even happier to see safe new boaters!

I didnt know about entrapment, thanks for the good advice. I googled strainers after an earlier reply. We had a saying in the currach club, "Rocks mean death," due mainly to the construction of the boat, it seems the same applies to strainers but for a different reason.

Thanks for the replies, gives me a bit more to think about until spring.

[Cowper]

I say two years because that's likely when I'll be able to get a WW boat. I do, however, have a compulsory tendency to cut my estimations short due to impatience. I did accidentally upgrade the Ibis to a Journey when I went to Lewis and Clark during their sale. So I'll be sticking to touring... just for now.

Arrrrgggg! Again, if you want to do only touring, that is fine, but the boat you have chosen can do more if you want to. If you got the 13'-6" version, then the boat is only 4" longer than almost EVERY kayak was about 30 years ago, and people ran some pretty knarly stuff in their 13'-2" long kayaks even way back then. And even the 14’ model is still 2’ to 3’ shorter than most tandem canoes, so again, it is not unreasonable to believe that a 14’ kayak can do the same stuff that is being done in tandem canoes every day. Some of my feelings about boats come from being an “old school” paddler, but I just can’t get in line with the idea that you need an 8 foot boat designed for Class IV/V, to run an Arkansas Class II or even Class III stream.

If you don't have a spray skirt for it, get one. Even for flatwater touring, it is nice to keep your lap dry. If you run some WW, you should wear a helmet.

Specialized WW boats can run Class IV and V whitewater in the right hands, or, they can make Class I /II relatively easy, and Class III easy for an intermediate paddler. But a boat like the one you have can also easily run Class I and II, and should also be able to do just fine on some easier Class III’s once you get some skills. You would need a little more skill to run Class III in your Journey than in a WW boat, but it can be done in either type of boat. One difference would be that the longer touring boat would be more easily damaged if pinned on rocks, so yes, build you skills up before you try to tackle any II+ water, but don’t feel you can’t do it in your Journey if you want to. Worded another way, your boat should be just fine on rivers like the Buffalo, the Kings, the Mulberry or the Big Piney, at moderate or lower levels. (Running stuff at flood is not recommended no matter what type of boat you have.)

Even if you decide you don’t want to run any WW until you get a more specialized boat, I would still encourage you to use your current boat and learn how to roll. If you already have that down when you start trying your hand at WW, your learning curve will be greatly accelerated.

I really don't know why the Jackson website makes no mention of the use of this boat on any moving water. It could be a liability thing, but my guess is that it is mostly just marketing. 1) They want you to use the boat on the kind of water it was designed for, so that all your perceptions will be highly positive, and/or 2) They want you to buy more than one boat.

Enjoy the new boat. If I ever see you on a river, I'm going to ask to borrow it for a few minutes!

[tomOzarkVideo]

I say two years because that's likely when I'll be able to get a WW boat. I do, however, have a compulsory tendency to cut my estimations short due to impatience. I did accidentally upgrade the Ibis to a Journey when I went to Lewis and Clark during their sale. So I'll be sticking to touring... just for now.

Arrrrgggg! Again, if you want to do only touring, that is fine, but the boat you have chosen can do more if you want to. If you got the 13'-6" version, then the boat is only 4" longer than almost EVERY kayak was about 30 years ago, and people ran some pretty knarly stuff in their 13'-2" long kayaks even way back then. And even the 14’ model is still 2’ to 3’ shorter than most tandem canoes, so again, it is not unreasonable to believe that a 14’ kayak can do the same stuff that is being done in tandem canoes every day. Some of my feelings about boats come from being an “old school” paddler, but I just can’t get in line with the idea that you need an 8 foot boat designed for Class IV/V, to run an Arkansas Class II or even Class III stream.

If you don't have a spray skirt for it, get one. Even for flatwater touring, it is nice to keep your lap dry. If you run some WW, you should wear a helmet.

Specialized WW boats can run Class IV and V whitewater in the right hands, or, they can make Class I /II relatively easy, and Class III easy for an intermediate paddler. But a boat like the one you have can also easily run Class I and II, and should also be able to do just fine on some easier Class III’s once you get some skills. You would need a little more skill to run Class III in your Journey than in a WW boat, but it can be done in either type of boat. One difference would be that the longer touring boat would be more easily damaged if pinned on rocks, so yes, build you skills up before you try to tackle any II+ water, but don’t feel you can’t do it in your Journey if you want to. Worded another way, your boat should be just fine on rivers like the Buffalo, the Kings, the Mulberry or the Big Piney, at moderate or lower levels. (Running stuff at flood is not recommended no matter what type of boat you have.)

Even if you decide you don’t want to run any WW until you get a more specialized boat, I would still encourage you to use your current boat and learn how to roll. If you already have that down when you start trying your hand at WW, your learning curve will be greatly accelerated.

I really don't know why the Jackson website makes no mention of the use of this boat on any moving water. It could be a liability thing, but my guess is that it is mostly just marketing. 1) They want you to use the boat on the kind of water it was designed for, so that all your perceptions will be highly positive, and/or 2) They want you to buy more than one boat.

Enjoy the new boat. If I ever see you on a river, I'm going to ask to borrow it for a few minutes!

Cheers to that!!!

Journey will be a great boat for all kinds of paddling!

Enjoy.

[brunsky]

I say two years because that's likely when I'll be able to get a WW boat. I do, however, have a compulsory tendency to cut my estimations short due to impatience. I did accidentally upgrade the Ibis to a Journey when I went to Lewis and Clark during their sale. So I'll be sticking to touring... just for now.

Arrrrgggg! Again, if you want to do only touring, that is fine, but the boat you have chosen can do more if you want to. If you got the 13'-6" version, then the boat is only 4" longer than almost EVERY kayak was about 30 years ago, and people ran some pretty knarly stuff in their 13'-2" long kayaks even way back then. And even the 14’ model is still 2’ to 3’ shorter than most tandem canoes, so again, it is not unreasonable to believe that a 14’ kayak can do the same stuff that is being done in tandem canoes every day. Some of my feelings about boats come from being an “old school” paddler, but I just can’t get in line with the idea that you need an 8 foot boat designed for Class IV/V, to run an Arkansas Class II or even Class III stream.

If you don't have a spray skirt for it, get one. Even for flatwater touring, it is nice to keep your lap dry. If you run some WW, you should wear a helmet.

Specialized WW boats can run Class IV and V whitewater in the right hands, or, they can make Class I /II relatively easy, and Class III easy for an intermediate paddler. But a boat like the one you have can also easily run Class I and II, and should also be able to do just fine on some easier Class III’s once you get some skills. You would need a little more skill to run Class III in your Journey than in a WW boat, but it can be done in either type of boat. One difference would be that the longer touring boat would be more easily damaged if pinned on rocks, so yes, build you skills up before you try to tackle any II+ water, but don’t feel you can’t do it in your Journey if you want to. Worded another way, your boat should be just fine on rivers like the Buffalo, the Kings, the Mulberry or the Big Piney, at moderate or lower levels. (Running stuff at flood is not recommended no matter what type of boat you have.)

Even if you decide you don’t want to run any WW until you get a more specialized boat, I would still encourage you to use your current boat and learn how to roll. If you already have that down when you start trying your hand at WW, your learning curve will be greatly accelerated.

I really don't know why the Jackson website makes no mention of the use of this boat on any moving water. It could be a liability thing, but my guess is that it is mostly just marketing. 1) They want you to use the boat on the kind of water it was designed for, so that all your perceptions will be highly positive, and/or 2) They want you to buy more than one boat.

Enjoy the new boat. If I ever see you on a river, I'm going to ask to borrow it for a few minutes!

I agree with you, and I do plan to take it some class I-II until I decide if WW is something I want to get more serious about. I just want to give myself plenty of time to get used to the boat, and learn how to maneuver. In fact the helpful sales guy at Lewis and Clark told me he's taken his down class I-II without any trouble, which is one of the motivators behind upgrading (getting a ridiculously good deal helped a bit too). Thank you for your input. Also, I'd be glad to let you borrow it for a few.

[Fish]

Don't wear cotton and always yield to downstream boats paddled by Ryan Center.