Best places to go for a newbie

[firepilot52]

Hello, I'm new to kayaking and to AR...don't really know where the best water is for beginners and am looking for suggestions on a good place to try this weekend. My wife got me a Jackson fun runner for my birthday and I've only just started to learn how to roll, so I'm a beginner in every sense of the word. Would be happy to hear anything you guys can offer on tips to get started and where to launch for a good training run. I did take my kayak down to UALR a few weeks ago on a Wed but I was the only one there and a large group came in to use the pool, pretty much took over the area I was practicing my rolls in so I cleared out to give them more space. Thanks for reading and I look forward to your inputs!

[magicmike]

Welcome to Arkansas,where are you located? Rockport if you are south, Fishers Ford if you are in NWA . Both are great practice spots, and good places to meet up with other boaters.-M-

[Deuce]

Best places to go for a newbie. Gosh, you can find newbies just about anywhere! Sorry, couldn't resist. In addition to what Mike said there are pool sessions in NWA and central. Those are also great places to meet "teachers" and fellow boaters. Where are you?

[firepilot52]

I'm in Jacksonville. Thanks!

[737driver]

Are you a herc pilot?

[firepilot52]

Just transitioning into them. I'm in the MT Guard and we recently switched to Herc's. Are you in the AR Guard at LRAFB?

[737driver]

No. I fly for Southwest Airlines but have a lot Herc friends.

[firepilot52]

Cool. Have fun tomorrow on the Tot...think I'm going to join a few folks at the Dragover....should be a good intro to AR kayaking!

[Cowper]

One of the best during the summer is Rockport (near Malvern). Look for some of the downriver floats, but plan enough time to stop and play some at the ledge too for skill building. For new folks, I highly recommend playing over on the far river right; there are multiple places to work on your boat control, ferries, etc, and playing in the waves where you see most of the boaters just won't be any fun until after you get your roll down.

On rolling, we often see poor attendance at UALR during the summer when there are many other options available every weekend. Attendance picks up during cooler months when you can't practice rolling just anywhere. Typically there is a thread that gets updated saying whether or not the pool will be open each week. Summer or Winter, it helps if you post on that to see if anyone can drop by to help you - volunteer instructors are much more likely to show up if they know someone is there who wants a few tips. (During the summer, the instructors can get their own roll practice in every weekend on some river, so there is less inclination to go to the pool unless you're going to help someone else.) You can sometimes get folks at Rockport to spot you for a few rolls too, but again, it is best to use the "Trips" forum on this MB to make sure someone who can help with the roll will be there, and so that they can plan in advance to be there long enough to both help you and get in some fun "play time" of their own.

[firepilot52]

Great, thanks for the information and suggestions. I plan to try Rockport next weekend with Riptide. Had a great time today doing the Dragover with some folks...learned a lot and am looking forward to getting out again!

[MaxTexan]

I learned on the drag over mainly.,good learning section.

[Deuce]

I was too busy being silly before (common occurrence) to say welcome. So, welcome! I live just down the road in NLR so I'm sure we'll paddle together in the not too distand future. BTW, an old friend of mine has flown Hercs for years. He just signed on to fly American Eagles.