2 years ago I was dinking around on purpose and flipped was being dragged in like 2 ft deep (200 cfs) swift flowing water all while the paddle was yanked out of my hand. 1 swim and I lost my drytop which was in the back of my boat. That was my only swim and it was at the end of the season in October.
Last year I got on the 4+ main section at 775. That was the biggest I'd ever seen the river and it was only my third time on that section and first time ever on any section of that river above 350 cfs. Here is the main 4+ rapid.
http://vimeo.com/1191087" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Here is more of the run...the video skips tons of action and really doesn't do the gradient justice (154 fpm).
http://vimeo.com/1300141" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Well the high flow and my lazy paddling style contributed to my only swim of last year
So it's a new (another) year and I found my self on the main section leading my friend down the main section but stopping at the 4+. I'd never run it as the 2 holes afterwards are very beefy looking and it just seemed sketchy...of course it looks like a clean easy line IF you make it.
Well the 3rd day I had a guy call who I'd run the lower sections with and he has run the 4+ numerous times. We said we would decide when we got to it if we would run it. Well when we got to it I was hoping he wanted to run it as I have stared at it for 2 years and knew I would run it fine. So off we went! I styled the line perfectly!
THEN below it where you see the long rock finger/flake...about 75 yards below the finger I flip on some no name flake and got dragged and couldn't get up...1st swim of this year! Took 20 min to wade to my boat in 35 deg water to get a biner hooked to it...I was wearing a shorty wetsuit and drytop. Of course I've learned that in Arkansas a drysuit is like the 2nd piece of gear you buy after a boat as everybody has one.
Well we put on and ran 3 more miles down of solid IV boogie when we came to triple drop. I called it out as I was leading and the 2nd hole, which I've ran 50ish times without issues...even in a playboat at this level, is super sticky…Picture Cindy’s hole but deeper and perfectly creek boat sized, the kind that you pretty much have to swim out of. Well for some reason I paused and thought “I’m taking a left boof stroke which is correct but I usually take a right one?” I thought that as I floated right over the last place to boof. In I went! It endered me and I landed in a side surf. Worked back and forth for about 5-10 sec tops and nearly worked my way out…you know how a hole lets you most of the way out before sucking you back in for a back flip. Well it sucked me back in, back flipped me and I stayed upside down for a sec to feel if I was still in the hole…yep. I thrashed about a bit hoping to catch a current but didn’t. So I rolled up into a side surf again. Worked around a bit, got flipped, tried thrashing around upside down again…nothing i.e., swim # 2!
Not since my first year had I swam twice in one run and I’ve only swam twice in one year my first and second year! Well the boat and paddle came right to me. By now I was pouting as I just ruined a great run including the 4+ rapid my first time and I forgave the first swim. Well I got back in as we had about 1 mile left. I peeled out thinking how tarded I am when 50 ft down I went sideways into another hole!
By now I thought I was mental! I was really fatigued but should have been able to easily float the last mile of boogie IV water like the other 50 times easily. Well I worked my way out and was still bracing hard right after the hole when my blade caught a rock and finished the flip. So I was upside down and thinking are you an idiot or what? Well I set up to roll when I felt my hands come apart while still holding my paddle. My first thought was how? My second thought was oh crap my paddle just broke! My third thought was I just bought this paddle a couple of months ago (Werner powerhouse). I was in such disbelief that I just broke (I’ve never broken any gear in 6 years!) my new paddle that I didn’t think to release one side and roll up and paddle with the one side. 3rd swim!!!
I was unable to get either paddle piece back to warranty it and my boat took a nice ¼ mile beating before I got it out. So now I am back to my entry level Werner Rios paddles
Oyeah, it's at 800 cfs and looking to peak at 1200, I'm there :)
