Still here!

OK, I'm surprised.
I'm a little surprised that paddling yesterday went pretty well. I'm coming back after 18 or so months after a shoulder replacement. And while I've been out on flatwater in a sea kayak a couple of times, I've been a bit spooked by the thought of the Gorge, even at low levels in the trusty Animas. Afraid of fatigue, I stopped at Rocky and gently cruised back. The hardest parts were the carry down and back up...but then that is probably NOT a surprise.
I'm little surprised to have seen folks I knew out there. No, Anne Kibler, I didn't make the little slot move at Wet Bottom, though I was able to make the move around the rock on the current side. No, Danny Stock, I didn't get to O-Deck, as I never really do...though I certaibly should. And no, Jill and Thierry, you didn't need to bring back the helmet right away, though I appreciate the chocolate thank you gift that came with it.
But none of these things were the big surprise. THIS BLOG PAGE IS STILL HERE!?! What's up with that? But I'm grateful, as it records so many adventures, challenges and joys from over the years.

3.95 - Testing out the Braap

Got a new Braap and wanted to see how it attained. Level was just a shade under 4 ft and falling on the LF gauge --- 3.95 when I got home. All in all, it was a pretty successful experiment. The Braap accelerates well, some real jump right on the first stroke. But as you might imagine, there is not a lot of glide in that hull, so it gives up speed quickly. Nevertheless, I made it to Rocky, though not without a couple of too casual attempts at Wet Bottom that failed. Doh! As is common at this level, the Rocky waves were surging, so it was hard to get a good ride. In the hands of a competent paddler, this boat would be a ton of fun in all the Rocky waves. My fun was measured in pounds, but it left me looking forward to the possibilities. Nice day. New boat. Winning!

More O-Deck and Rocky info

More surfing and attaining info, this from Stro...yes, sometimes you do find him ABOVE the water. :-)

Having paddled on the potomac for decades, I've acquired a quiver of boats to keep me happy at just about every river level. I prefer long boats and I love me some Rocky and O-deck surfing and attaining. Here's my boat choice list.
10 - 4.4 Rave Sandy Beach to Anglers
4.8 - 3.9 Reflex2 or Cylon attain to rocky
4.5 - 3.8 Rave put in at fisherman's eddy
3.7 - 3.3 Sleek put in at fisherman's eddy
3.2 - 3.0 Cheta, Reflex2 or Cylon attainment levels
2.9 - 2.6 Whirld at Bermuda Triangle

Sleek is 9' 5", Cylon 13'2", Reflex 11' 2", Rave 11', Cheta 13' 6"
Sleek is ok at lower rocky levels (below 4.1) for 2nd, 3rd, 4th wave
I consider O-deck in around 3.9 and like something about 11' long or longer. 9 ft and 8.5 boats like the rpm, axiom, zen, speeder can start to stay on o-deck in the mid 3.7 and below.