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Whitewater kayaking in the southeast
Posted on 5/18/14 at 3:19 pm
Posted on 5/18/14 at 3:19 pm
I'm looking to rent a kayak for the day somewhere in Tennessee or north Carolina and do some mild class 2 or 3 rapids. You know, at an outfitter who will rent you the boat, then drop you off upstream. I've looked at a lot of websites and they all talk about rafting trips, or kayaking lessons, but I have yet to see anyone mention kayak rentals.
Anyone know a good place you can do this at, or have any good recs on where to go?
Anyone know a good place you can do this at, or have any good recs on where to go?
Posted on 5/18/14 at 3:20 pm to TheIndulger
The Ocoee river will probably be your best bet.
Posted on 5/18/14 at 3:22 pm to LSUwag
quote:
The Ocoee river will probably be your best bet.
I second this. There are plenty of outfitters to choose from.
Posted on 5/18/14 at 3:28 pm to LSUwag
quote:
The Ocoee river will probably be your best bet.
I grew up in the area.
You need to be a pretty good kayaker to handle the Ocoee. Gotta be able to roll the kayak consistently. And you need to jump on with some others who have kayaked the river before.
We have a cabin on the Hiwassee, which is right below the Ocoee. Much easier to maneuver and safer if you are a beginner kayaker. Some great rapids, as well.
There are two main outfitters for the Hiwassee. Hiwassee Outfitters and Webb's. Ocoee has a ton. You can take a guided raft guide on the Ocoee which is a ton of fun. Especially if you get a good guide.
Posted on 5/18/14 at 3:37 pm to TheIndulger
Depending on the location you choose, I'd be all about this trip.
I've been wanting to hit some real rapids for a while now.
I've been wanting to hit some real rapids for a while now.
Posted on 5/18/14 at 3:37 pm to bamafan425
if you don't know how to roll then you have no business kayaking anything above class II. You will end up swimming.
There are not any places that "rent" kayaks but you can demo from any place that sells them for a small fee. You will need to have your own equipment though- sprayskirt, helmet, pfd, paddle, drytop or neoprene, etc.
If you have no ww kayaking experience then your best bet to have a similar experience without killing yourself is to ducky (inflatable kayak) and you can do this through many raft companies. A great place to do this is the Nantahala River. The water is cold but its a great river to learn on and really pretty.
There are not any places that "rent" kayaks but you can demo from any place that sells them for a small fee. You will need to have your own equipment though- sprayskirt, helmet, pfd, paddle, drytop or neoprene, etc.
If you have no ww kayaking experience then your best bet to have a similar experience without killing yourself is to ducky (inflatable kayak) and you can do this through many raft companies. A great place to do this is the Nantahala River. The water is cold but its a great river to learn on and really pretty.
Posted on 5/18/14 at 3:55 pm to bamafan425
quote:
We have a cabin on the Hiwassee, which is right below the Ocoee. Much easier to maneuver and safer if you are a beginner kayaker. Some great rapids, as well.
That might be better then. My kayaking experience is limited to flatwater and very mild rapids. Ideally I would like mostly class 2 with the occasional class 3 rapid. I wasn't really planning on using an inflatable kayak, but I'm open to it.
I've done the whitewater rafting guided trip before, on the Nantahala and on the Chatooga. It was cool, but I didn't feel like I had control of anything..I'd rather just do my own thing on the river for a few hours.
The Hiwassee looks pretty good.
Posted on 5/18/14 at 3:57 pm to TigerHam85
quote:
Depending on the location you choose, I'd be all about this trip. I've been wanting to hit some real rapids for a while now.
Nice. I'm thinking about going later this week and making it an extended southeast trip.
Posted on 5/18/14 at 3:58 pm to TheIndulger
Oh shite. Yea I can't do that. I'm looking at July making a weekend trip
Posted on 5/18/14 at 4:15 pm to TigerHam85
Posted on 5/18/14 at 4:28 pm to TigerHam85
Hell, I might be down to go again. There's lots of breweries in the area too.
Posted on 5/18/14 at 4:31 pm to TheIndulger
Ocoee is too much if it is your first go. Check out the nantahala.
Posted on 5/18/14 at 5:12 pm to Chris Farley
I am an avid whitewater kayaker. You want to at least have some experience before hopping on the Nanty, it's not too big-but swift. Ocoee, no way if you can't roll consistently.
Posted on 5/18/14 at 5:15 pm to CidCock
how would you recommend a first timer to get started?
Is it worth paying several hundred for lessons?
Also, what are some good flatwater day touring river trips, particularly in the Atlanta area?
Is it worth paying several hundred for lessons?
Also, what are some good flatwater day touring river trips, particularly in the Atlanta area?
Posted on 5/18/14 at 5:18 pm to Tigerbait46
Yeah man, the Atlanta whitewater club is pretty active. You are in a great spot, actually. The hooch is some decent flat, swift water. Check out Atlanta whitewater on Facebook. I know ORGT outdoor rec at ga tech, has open pool sessions quite a bit.
The key is learning to roll, everything else comes after that IMO.
The key is learning to roll, everything else comes after that IMO.
Posted on 5/18/14 at 5:20 pm to CidCock
I didn't start paddling until I left Atlanta, so mad. The ocoee is close enough to day trip easily. Ocoee isn't the steepest water around, but it's among the most continuous that doesn't have the danger is the tougher runs.
Posted on 5/18/14 at 5:25 pm to TheIndulger
I drove through Glenwood canyon Wednesday and the CO river is class 5 right now. This will be a good rafting season out here this year.
Posted on 5/18/14 at 5:28 pm to CidCock
quote:
Yeah man, the Atlanta whitewater club is pretty active. You are in a great spot, actually. The hooch is some decent flat, swift water. Check out Atlanta whitewater on Facebook. I know ORGT outdoor rec at ga tech, has open pool sessions quite a bit.
The key is learning to roll, everything else comes after that IMO.
Cool. Thanks for the info. I live in ATL and I'm just now getting into kayaking. I have a 13' Rec/Day Touring yak but I've just strolled around nearby lakes so far. I'd like to do an overnight trip soon, and from what I've read, Etowah, Broad, and Hooch look to be good options. My eventual plan is to jump into whitewater kayaking as well.
Posted on 5/18/14 at 5:33 pm to TheIndulger
Safety is a personal thing, so do as you wish, but If you don't have a lot of experience, horsing around in rapids solo isn't something you would probably want to do. I solo trip in my canoe a lot and have seen stuff no where near class 2 or 3 get some inexperienced kayakers in trouble. I actually had to pull a guy out of a strainer one time on a very benign river. Like I said though, your safety is yours so do what you will, just beware that those hydraulics can be very strong and get you into some real precarious situations.
Posted on 5/18/14 at 6:04 pm to frankreynolds
Thanks for the heads up..you are right. I flipped a canoe once in a river in mississippi. The water wasn't even fast but it was damn powerful. Always need to keep that in mind.
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