The moving water in kauai river is the part of the challenges that you will face when doing serious SUP in Kauai. It is not a small deal to learn to fight against the current. This can be a lot of fun, but also frustrating at the same time if you can’t nail it. Here are some easy tips for you.
First things first, you will need to recognize the strength and direction of the moving water. Never take yourself to the direction which will bring you to harmful spots like debris, dock, pier, or etc. Also, never respond to the moving water which can trap you or your board.
The force in the kauai river, no matter what the level can pin you and your board. It is important to identify the current direction so that you can decide whether you will paddle against it or not. If you are going to the downstream, make sure you could restart your starting point by walking, driving, or using public transit. You will need to know the route then.
You need to know how to control your board when facing the strong current or whitewater. It is indeed more challenging because you need to know how to turn and brace the strokes when attempting to work with the moving water.
You should be able to identify the eddies or the calm spots in the downstream current. These are usually found behind the rocks and obstacles. Eddies are safe spots to leverage when fighting against the downstream current. Catching the eddies can be your best decision when dealing with moving water.
But when you enter the eddies, you should also know how to exit the eddies. The good thing here is that it is an easy thing to learn. Make sure you follow your instructor guides to practice it to master. He or she will teach you to enter the eddy when you cross the Eddyline. You will learn more critical technique from your instructors.
After learning how to enter and exit the eddies, you will learn about bow draw stroke. It is an advanced stroke technique which will help you to make adjustments without having to change the side you are paddling on. Again, it is easy to learn. Just make sure you find the good instructor for it.
The the rest of the things when it comes to deal with moving water in kauai river, always tag your best buddies along with you. Your chance of survival will be bigger when you are paddling with your peers.