Took a buddy of mine down my local ww run yesterday. He hadn’t been in a canoe for over 20 years. I’ve been invested almost exclusively in kayaks for the last 15.
We originally started in canoes, circa 1975–So going together tandem on anything but flatwater, was something old but new again for both of us.
“A pfd AND a helmet???” He said.
“Wear 'em, Dude. My boat, my rules.”
My rusty single-blade steering strokes were mostly on the money. But when the bow man starts to rearrange his seat in the middle of the most technical Class III boulder garden of the run, you instantly realize your chances of capsize just went up 50% more than if you paddled solo. He was humble. I just laughed:
“Don’t worry about it. I blame myself.”
A river completely all to ourselves, only one upset on a perfect weather day, in a stretch of water with at least 5 different rapid sets above Cl. II…Both guys well past their half century mark–I call that not a bad day at all.
Looks like a very good day, indeed. Even if you got a bit damp.
BTW, having a couple of family members who balk at wearing PFDs, think I’ll quote your “Wear 'em, Dude. My boat, my rules” phrase next time they want to paddle.
@Rookie said:
“…family members who balk at wearing PFDs, think I’ll quote your “Wear 'em, Dude. My boat, my rules” phrase next time they want to paddle.”
You’re welcome to it! (I can testify the phrase works like a charm also in the plural (My “boats,” my rules.)–Even on flat placid lakes when one’s macho but over-the-hill (and very much out of shape)Brother-in-law refuses to wear a life vest 
A good day, indeed.
My tandem canoe skills suck.
My whitewater reading and negotiating skills suck. I only go with other paddlers who are skilled rescuers and like practicing.
I have the same rules regarding PFDs.
@Yanoer said:
A good day, indeed.
My tandem canoe skills suck.
My whitewater reading and negotiating skills suck. I only go with other paddlers who are skilled rescuers and like practicing.
I have the same rules regarding PFDs.
Oh come now, Yanoer. You misrepresent: “Suck” is only what happens when one’s decision making process has them trying to swim out of a bad grabby hole. (The day could’ve been worse for us: We could’ve been using an even heavier tandem SOT instead of a nice Royalex canoe(Inside joke >)
Looks like fun. I love tandem whitewater paddling - as long as I can be in the bow.
@eckilson said:
Looks like fun. I love tandem whitewater paddling - as long as I can be in the bow.
Eck, I’d have absolutely no problem with you at stern helm: Given your experience, I know you’d be using good judgement and your best skill set at all times, no matter what the outcome…With myself taking stern that day, it was the lesser of two potential evils, given my partner’s very long hiatus from even having picked up a paddle. Although I caught the line right going into the set we took our flop in, my pal had suddenly just ceased paddling and grabbed hold of the gunnels for dear life (like we was in a amusement park log flume ride!) --In a nano-second I knew the jig was up and no pry/backstroke was going to stop us from taking a spill.
(You can’t emphasize enough to your bow person that serious ww is not the time to lay-off paddling and “go with the flow.” :D)
Nice surfin’ pic–Almost looks like yer in a “squirt” canoe!
Yup. When in doubt - paddle. When in trouble - paddle harder!