Kayaking for beginners can be pretty overwhelming at times..spinning out when paddling forward, catching an edge when crossing the current, lifting your head at the end of the roll, and so much more.  Luckily, with more time on the water and proper instruction these frustrations begin to fade allowing confidence to increase each day on the river. 

During a beginner lesson one of the most important concepts I like to teach is catching eddies.  Understanding how to enter and exit an eddy allows a beginner kayaker to break apart a rapid in order to better plan out the next move.  Hopping from one eddy to another also allows a kayaker to better ferry across currents, perhaps to avoid an obstruction downstream.  Eddy lines are also great tools when learning to bury the bow and stern for various playboating moves.

When entering an eddy I think of three things: Speed, Angle and Lean (S.A.L.)

SPEED:
    Having momentum when entering an eddy is key.  Speed will carry your entire boat over the unstable eddyline, rather than just your body.  Not having speed will allow the stern to be swept right on top of the eddy line, often ending in a flip.

ANGLE:
    Entering the eddy perpendicularly will allow the boat to cross the eddyline smoother and faster.  This means turning the boat from facing downstream, using a downstream sweep stroke for instance, to square up to the eddy line. 

LEAN:
    When turning into an eddy a kayaker will lean into the turn, similar to leaning into a turn on skis or a snowboard.  This means leaning upstream while crossing over the eddy line to "hook" into the top of the eddy.  Remember to continue to paddle all the way into the eddy as to not get stuck on the eddy line!  Also, you'll want to aim to enter the eddy just behind the obstruction, or at the top of the eddy.  Here, the eddy line is most defined and narrow and where the current is the calmest in the eddy. 

Good luck and keep eddy hopping to improve those whitewater kayaking skills! 

Be sure to check out Wilderness Voyageurs Kayak Instruction where we can personally tailor a day of instruction to meet your needs and improve your kayaking technique whether it be on the Middle Youghiogheny, Lower Youghiogheny or even the excitin Class 5 white water Upper Youghiogheny River!

You see that kayak on the river all the time.  It boofs like a master, it smooths all the hard lines, it surfs like a king.  Its not all the paddler, that boat was sculpted to perform.  Its about time you got in one and tried it for yourself!

If you are looking to upgrade your kayak, or even just wondering what that boat feels like on the river, come try one of our 38 Demo kayaks. 
Pyranha Kayaks:

    Burn: S, M, L
    Everest
    Ammo: S, M, L
    Recoil: S, M, L
    Rev: S, M, M/Long
    Speeder

Wave Sport Kayaks:

    Project: 45, 52, 62
    ZG: 48, 54
    EZG:  42, 50, 60
    Fuse: 35, 48 (coming soon 56)
    Habitat: 74, 80
    Diesel: 65, 75

LIquidlogic Kayaks:

    Ronin: 49, 59
    CR: 80 (coming soon 125, 250)
    Remix: 47, 59, 69, 79
    Jefe: Chico, Regular, Grande
   






Remember that trying new boats only makes you a better kayaker, more easily adaptable to different conditions and different boat styles.  You never know when you will need to borrow someone else's kayak.  Also, manufacturers are constantly innovating old boat designs so that they perform better for today's kayaker.  Don't get left behind because you are so attached to that old kayak. 

The demo fleet is also available for our kayak instruction.  Learn how to use these boats better from first-timers to upping-the-anty on the Upper Yough. 

It has never been more easy to explore your kayak options right here in Ohiopyle, PA!

I just wanted to write and thank Josh and Kaila for guiding me down the Upper Yough. (yes, this is the before picture)  I'd had some Kayak Instruction from Josh in the past and was pretty comfortable paddeling the lower Yough in Ohiopyle.  What wasn't sure of was my ability to do a high adventure run on Class 5 white water.

Well I'm happy to report that the Kayak Instruction and the great Wilderness Voyageurs guides made it a very fun (I didn't say relaxing) day.    Kayak Lessons aren't just for beginners I guess :-)

Lou?  Will you take me to the Top Yough this summer?

Duh??   I know silly question.   Kayaking is a blast!  We are blessed in Pennsylvania to have a terrific resource in the Yough river.  Unlike a lot of rivers where the water dries up in the Summer, the Youghiogheny in Ohiopyle is dam controlled and therefore has great water all summer long.

Kayaking is a great sport and accessible to anyone who is able to swim.  Wilderness Voyageurs offers instruction in all forms of white water as well as flat water paddling. We offer multi day lessons as well as one or two hour introduction sessions.  Come on down for some High Adventure and take some Kayak Lessons.  For more information please send us an email....  :-)

So you might be inclined to think that Kayak Instruction is just for the hard core adventurer.  The reality is that White Water Kayaking is a great family activity.  If you are looking for great Pennsylvania Family Trips, consider kayak lessons in the Laurel Highlands.  

Jimmy here was just 12 years old and was able to paddle the Loop in Ohiopyle pretty quickly.  In his mind, this was a High Adventure Trip....something he never felt in a Disney park. 



If you are getting tired of the same old family activities...dare to be different.  Come to the Yough River for some family kayak instruction.

Rock climbing is one of Wilderness Voyageurs' primary outdoor activities, and several members of our staff are truly devoted to the sport. I was lucky enough to get a week's vacation to Red River Gorge in eastern Kentucky, where the climbing is just fabulous. Dozens of crags dot the landscape, all containing classic routes on mostly overhung, pocketed faces. Here is a picture of me belaying my friend Ned on a 5.10b sport climb. Truth be told, most of us, including Ned, were climbing strong in the super-human 5.12 range. I was able to toprope a 5.12a with a single rest (which surprised the heck out of me!); the rest of the week I stayed in the 5.8 to 5.11 range and had a blast.

Our finest moment of high adventure involved a Tyrolean traverse across a river. Someone had to wade to the other side and fix a rope so the rest of us could zip-line across. Stetson volunteered and immediately started undoing his pants. Some witty fellow remarked, "Hey, Stetson, why do all your plans start by taking your pants off?" Well, the traverse was brilliant fun. Here's a photo for your enjoyment:


Now, don't think you have to go all the way to Kentucky to enjoy excellent rock climbing. There's plenty of it right here in the Laurel Highlands of Southwestern PA. Wilderness Voyageurs boasts the best rock climbing instructors in the state; we make a perfect outfitter for Pennsylvania family trips to the crag! Already a climber? The Wilderness Voyageurs outfitter store carries a selection of basic outdoor climbing gear and is currently expanding its offerings in that category.

Bottom line? If you want to climb in a place as awesome as this:Southwestern PA is a great place to start!

Lou

            One of the most vivid moments I’ve ever experienced in my kayak was on the Upper Santa Maria during a week-long excursion up the Mexican coastline this past February.  River beds here are lined with travertine rock, a calcium carbonate rock similar to coral that is growing as groundwater leaches calcium, making the water a shade of blue I previously believed only to be present in overly the chlorinated pools seen at posh tropical resorts.  Every blue-eyed girl secretly wishes her eyes are this color of blue.  The river began as a flat, seemingly current-less stretch of water miles and miles long.  Miles and miles and miles long…at least 2 ½ hours of forward strokes and increasing doubts of upcoming gradient.  Luckily, canyon walls steepened and we found ourselves navigating through more technical whitewater.  As we approached the take-out, a 300 ft. set of waterfalls emerged, pouring off the cliffs on river left.  A rainbow perfectly framed the view as the sun’s rays pierced the spray created from the falls crashing into the river below.

            After much deliberation three group members, myself included, decided to attempt a crossing beneath the stampeding falls while the remaining three continued up the hillside to meet our driver.  Not knowing if this was actually possible—

water level too high?... curtain of waterfall too close to right shoreline?...spray/wind too strong to paddle though?—we began to paddle into the stormy abyss.  As we sat in an “eddy” between the first and second falls preparing to push through the thickest and strongest section, I struggled to keep my eyes open against the spray that now felt like a Supersoaker pointed at my face.  I continued paddling strong into the vehement wind to prevent slamming against the rock wall to my right or the floating trees to my left, however, I did not move.  First attempt to cross was unsuccessful, unable to decipher up from down, right from left and forward from backward.  Not willing to settle for defeat, I picked myself up, brushed myself off and paddled harder than ever.  Time began to stretch like the trail gum leaves when stepped on by a shoe, leaving me in a river hurricane.  Yet somehow the winds calmed, the spray subsided and the waves dissipated.  I was looking up at the falls from the other side.  Six miles of flat water to take-out, with a strong head, wind couldn’t even take away my smile.       

 

            Remember that experiences like this can be yours too with kayak instruction right here in the Laurel Highlands of southwestern Pennsylvania.  Learn from instructors that travel all over the world to kayak and are excited to share this passion with everyone.  Kayak lessons in Pennsylvania are a held in one of the best places here in Ohiopyle with whitewater ranging from gentle Class I to more advanced Class V, allowing you to advance your skill level as a beginner or a more advanced paddler looking to fine tune your skills on more challenging rivers.  Hope to see you on the river and discover the world through the eyes of a kayaker!!!

Hi Kids, First, congrats to Kaila for nabbing the First Blog Post. She even included an instructional YouTube video starring herself. That's usually the kind of egomaniacal narcissism only I can manage. Anyhoo, we recently had a streak of warm weather. Rather than lament the snowmelt, we decided to embrace it and took to the creeks. Drew and I ran the Big Sandy one morning. We were expecting mid sixes on the gauge, so we were susprised to find that the creek was running at a juicy 7 feet. As it turned out, there was nothing so scary about 7 feet. We did read'n'run and standard lines in all the rapids except Zoom Flume and First Island; those two we scouted. The line for ZF was the same, just way punchier and a lot more fun. First Island was a good choice to scout too: there was a sweet variation down the left side that avoided the mayhem. Sure, there was the occassional nasty pour-over, and Big Splat looked munchy enough to eat a bus, or even Kirstie Alley, but from now on I'll get excited, not intimidated, when I see the Sandy at 7ft. That afternoon Seth and I did Meadow. That was also a lot higher than we expected, which led to us running the Cascades about 6 inches apart. At 7-foot-falls, we got out on the left and scouted. We decided the only good line was a sneak far right, and there was wood in the only viable ferry move. So we made the ballsy decision to walk around. On the portage I found a Teva sandal I had lost during the '05 training season. Lesson learned: at high water, scout from the right bank. The next morning Scoville, BT, Seth, and I fired up Fikes. I had an awesome run, which is how I describe any Fikes run where I make it through the Room of Doom upright (no matter how much bracing I end up doing). I have the next two days off and I really want to shoot some video for my next post. Let's hope weather, water levels, and boating partners cooperate. Lou