re: Whitewater kayaking in the southeast

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Cades, do you have a TD.com shuttle bunny?

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Angels sent from Heaven with cold beer, sammiches and dry boxer shorts. I salute them.

yeah, it's a small community.

If someone runs class 4 whitewater in the southeast, you definitely know of each other.

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summer of 2005 and 2006

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After my time. I'm in the clear.

They hadn't even started the Olympic section on the Ocoee when I was there (early 90s.) I worked for NOC and Whitewater Expeditions back in the day. We had a couple guys working as guides who competed in 96. C1s were just getting big. I still have a Dagger Genesis that I ran all over the SE in on our time off. Kept it tied to the railing of the balcony at my apartment in Knoxville during the school year. Good times.

Nantahala River in North Carolina is great for kayaking. Nothing too dangerous, but will still test your skills at some points. Beautiful scenery as well.

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If you want a fun self guided trip, just get a duckie. If you want to really get into the sport, get up with a group or take a beginner lesson to learn to roll. They offer that on the Nanty. You can take a whole weekend worth of lessons.

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Awesome, thanks. I'm open to renting the duckie instead of a kayak, and I'm open to lessons also. I just didn't know if the lessons would be a waste of time. I remember rafting down the nantahala several years ago, and I was underwhelmed. The scenery was beautiful, but it didn't seem challenging at all. Obviously this will be different in a kayak or duckie, but I would definitely be looking at that sort of level of rapids.

What kind of lessons you think would be good? I see the nantahala outdoor center has introduction to kayaking for $110 (full day). The 2 day clinic is $369! I don't mind the introduction lesson, as long as it isn't like the "never set foot on a mountain" ski lessons. I do own a kayak and have paddled around flatwater several times.

Have run the Gauley and New River Gorge numerous times. Awesome rivers.

Ran Sec IV of the Chattooga with the water level WAY too high one time. Like in the trees high. That's probably the only time I've ever been scared on a river. The Five falls was basically one continuous Class V/VI rapid with no decent places place to even eddy out to scout the next drops. I have run the Snake, Payette, Flathead, Athabasca, and several steep creeks in Northern Canada and Alaska too. We paddled all over the NW, Canada and AK one summer after college.

Then I went to work, got married and had kids...

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I really don't know much about it but it seems like the Locust Fork of the Warrior River in north Alabama is a pretty popular kayaking spot. I could not tell you anything about what class or anything it is but I do know a lot of people go there. 

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Not a destination and not good white water by any means. Lots of shallow shoals and debris everywhere. You have to watch gages to have any chance at having fun. For the most part, white water in Alabama is 10 mile floating (and dragging) for 1 decent rapid. Scenery is usually amazing though.

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Since having kids and living in Shreveport I am limited on my trips these days. If I get to go it's usually to the Arkansas rivers like the Cossatot.

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I live in lafayette at the moment and I'm just planning a few day trip coming up.. it's a solo mission

Solid advice throughout this thread. Don't be in a rush to jump into something you are not ready to handle. Start off in a pool or a pond and master rolling using a C stroke. After a a lot of practice, you will be able to roll just using your hands and hips. Are there any easy rivers around where you live to practice? I used to take my beginner friends to the Broad River when I was attending UGA. It was safe and a good learning river and the scenery was great. After attaining some good paddling skills, you could easily go and enjoy the Nantahala or rivers of that level. Depending on how much time you spend initially and how fast your skill progresses...you could be doing a river like that in a couple of months.

Get a solid season on the water behind you before you jump up to the Ocoee or any comparable river. The Chatooga is filled with undercut rocks and it only takes one mistake or overestimation of your skill to get you in serious trouble. As said already, paddle with a group and I promise people who are at a higher level will happily tell you what runs to attempt and the ones to sit out as they will know your skill level.

Personally, I never went beyond that level. I have rafted the upper/lower Gauley in September(fall draw down) on 8 different occasions though and that is an awesome trip with friends.

You don't need lessons on the Nantahala. Just rent a sit on top kayak, that way you don't need to learn how to roll. I've done the Nantahala on a sit on top kayak a dozen or so times. If you fall out, its no big deal. I probably made it through clean half of the time if not more.