Good point. I had not thought about it quite in those terms.
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I often think in those terms. I also contrast a totally freelanced paddling experience to lots of other nature adventure experiences that are more organized and scripted almost where there is a high degree of someone else looking after you at least to some extent.
Many years ago when I was a young man we quite often drove down to WV and went on whitewater rafting trips thru an outfitter. At that time they gave you an hour of instruction fit you with a PFD and we would all pile in an old school bus and really the bus ride on those steep winding narrow roads was likely the most dangerous part of the whole day. Once to the put in there was more instruction and introduction to the pros in rafts and kayaks the would guide us for the day. Before each tough sections we would pull over and instructions on the next rapids was given.
After a number of times some of my friends suggested we buy our own rafts and save a lot of money. I didnât feel comfortable with that and liked the idea of the kid in the kayak ready to snag me if and when I went for a swim.
In todayâs world I notice so much of our entertainment is scripted and young people not realizing the risk involved with doing stuff, or at least underestimating the risks.
If anything I like to feel I have over prepared rather than leaving to chance.
I guess that might be part of learning to paddle where I changed my thinking a little.
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I switched from a superb full carbon solo canoe (Swift Keewaydin 15) to a kayak after coming within an hour of being windbound in Algonquin. (I later heard 17 people had to be ârescuedâ from the far end of Canoe Lake that day). That was a dicey paddle down the lake in the canoe, but it would have just been a boisterous paddle in the kayak. Now if I can only figure out how more easily portage the kayakâŚ
I prefer my solo canoe, but sometimes a kayak just makes better sense. Good story.
The difference between knowing âweather can change fast on the lakeâ and experiencing âweather can change fast on the lakeâ is about the same as the difference between experiencing fast-changing weather on a 10-meter (3 and a half ton) sailboat and experiencing it in a kayak.
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When I first started surfing my sea kayaks at the beach and started learning to deal with breaking waves, that was a big change in thinking. I had a solid roll, both sides. But I realized my balance and bracing up to that point was all about being upright and balanced, and quickly regaining upright and balanced anytime I felt like I was, or might be going off-balance. Always edge - never lean type thinking. Then I felt the power of broken waves on all that volume of a sea kayak. A âlow volumeâ Greenland style kayak still has 15 to 18 feet (or some such length) of volume to be pushed around by a breaking wave. It isnât just wind acting on freeboard anymore. Itâs broken water acting on the entire kayak. And itâs also acting on your body when a wave comes over the top of the kayak. I very quickly realized that some herky-jerky âthrow-a-braceâ emergency recovery stroke needed to be revisited. Going to completely off balance and back to balanced over my kayak needed to become relaxed and fluid. Leaning into the paddle support and returning that balance back over just the kayak needed to become relaxed and fluid. Once I could fluidly rotate back up 25 degrees, 30 degrees, 45 degrees, rotating a full 180 degrees from upside down was rarely necessary. But it was that realization that if a wave is going to push you off-balance because of the intensity of the break, hoping that you can anticipate all the force against you and your kayak perfectly each time so that you can simply remain balanced upright over your kayak is a lot like gambling. You can only win some percentage of the time. Youâre going to find yourself off of the body-over-kayak balance sometimes. Committed practice made regaining balance much more of a fluid stroke and much less like throwing a brace. When youâre not worried about a need to maintain perfect balance over your hull, when things can shift on and off balance and shift from the kayak out to the paddle and back over the kayak fluidly, everything becomes more relaxed and more fun, and capabilities increase.
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Well-put, @CapeFear - Iâve got some of that realization in my head, but Iâm getting it into my guts/body now.
I went out on Lake Konstanz and it is like a giant ocean. I finally let the wind blow me to shore and I climbed into a tree. One guy was walking with his GF and he quickly looked away like he didnât see me but another guy (Eastern European) strolling with his GF ripped off his shirt and helped me out of the tree and get my boat over the seawall. Itâs going to be awhile to live that one down.
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You would love what I do. No script other than paddle downstream. (I am a lazy sot), Food, paperback books, and a sister who knows I will call about 2 weeks from now and don;t call out the dogs for double that. Green River in Wyoming Utah and Colorado. Montana the Missouri River through the Breaks, The Colorado, pick any piece below Grand Junction. (A favorite of that are Lake Powell (200 miles), Lake Mohave, about 60, or keep going to Lake Havasu City, about 140 miles. Learn to portage around the dams by not being shy and wave a 20 or 50 dollar bill to someone on the boat ramp with a truck or trailer.
Learn where the good grocery stores are along the way, easy walking distance, the good bars and restaurants, even the good hotels if you want a night with a bed and shower. Examples Lake Mead Marina good food, The Rainbow Room at Wahweap. In Green River, UT The melon Patch for groceries and across the street Rayâs Tavern In Montana Maâs , Loma, Montana. The Avi Casino along the Colorado,
Ya gotta know the important stuff.
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Do I know you? Did you just paddle the Breaks?
Paddler236, I like your style!
What Changed My Thinking About Paddling
Inflatable SUPs. I ridiculed them at firstâŚthen I tried one, and really enjoyed it! I immediately saw why theyâre so popular: theyâre easy to carry and easy to transport. they can be used like a pool floaty (lying on or sitting on), or paddled seated with a kayak paddle, kneeling with a canoe paddle or standing with a long SUP paddle. Theyâre supremely flexible and fun!
Sea kayaks and long-distance paddling. All my life Iâve been a hardcore whitewater paddler (was even a whitewater C-1 slalom racer for many years). Eventually I got tired of kneeling in my C-1. Bought a second-hand sea kayak and immediately fell in love with paddling long distances, in a straight line, on big lakes, flat rivers, estuaries, and the ocean. Also doing multi-day camping trips in my sea kayak. Whitewater? Who cares! LOL
What Did NOT Change My Thinking About Paddling
The value of paddling slalom gates to improve whitewater technique. Anyoneâand I mean ANYONE who paddles on moving water should spend time paddling in slalom gates, because there is no better way to reveal serious flaws in your technique and to improve your technique ten-fold. Slalom paddlers are the greatest paddlers on earth when it comes to technique. They can paddle circles (literally) around the most hardcore waterfall jumper or steep creeker in the world. Many times Iâve asked some class 5 waterfall jumper if he could do a simple slalom move on class 2 waterâŚand he failed, miserably. Because he had no technique.
Long Boats Rule on Whitewater: related to my point about slalom paddling above, to really get the most out of whitewater, you need HULL SPEED. Most modern whitewater kayaks have little-to-none. They feel like paddling a Clorox bottle down a river. When you have hull speed, there are SO many things you can do! You can paddle up rapids with ease; you can surf fast, flat waves. You can do lightning-fast, dynamic ferries; you can slingshot through eddies and launch into the current with a lot of speed; you donât get pushed around by boils and nasty eddy lines. In short, SPEED is everything in whitewaterâŚand I believe this idea has mostly been lost. (Thankfully, a few manufacturers and paddlers are ârediscoveringâ the joys of longer boats with hull speed.)
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When I first started kayaking 5 years ago or so, I never realized how much of a difference the size and shape of kayaks and paddles makes on the whole experience. I started with the typical 10â-12â SOT and now pilot 17â sit insides. I thought a paddle was a paddle with slight variations in size and length but went from a $100 paddle to a $700 paddle (came with a boat I bought) and WOW was that a wake up call! It increased the paddling enjoyment tenfold.
The other thing would be actual form. I thought when I started it was all an arm workout. Never realized how much torso, hips and legs helps the overall stroke. Still working on it. Kinda like traditional archery or golfâŚyou never stop learning or striving for perfection.
And lastly to add onto the TX comments, the Brazos is a fantastic paddle. Iâve done the PK dam to Rochelleâs many times. Soooo beautiful and it feels like youâre in another remote worldâŚnot a short drive away from one of the biggest traffic congestions in the US. lol. (dallas/ft worth for those that arenât familiar). The lakes around are wonderful, especially first thing in the morning when you may come across someone fishing but the wake boats and jet skiers are still sleeping off their hangovers. 
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We spent 8 years in Houston and 2 in Killeen prior to that. I enjoyed paddling Lake Houston and the San Jacinto River but would never call either beautiful .
Iâm spoiled now because I can paddle Lake Jocassee.
Iâd like to hear more about all this
(Have a house where I can see Lake Mohave in the distance)
I plan to take up windsurfing again in retirement 
Iâd like to paddle this and use the drone
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Hello Shadepine. We get along on so many counts. My principal boat for white water is a 20â Clipper MacKenzie, special built, custom layup, 3 plus inches of rocker. and it has all the characters you describe. I dare not enter a rapids close behind a rafter. I normally paddle to accelerate above the rapids because as the tongue accelerates I need to be going as fast or faster for control. Additionally, if a good steep tongue, she will get up on plane and run like a scared rabbit. O go with a large boat, because I am large and I love long trips. If in the US most rivers have unacceptable levels of AG chemicals. Many cannot be filtered out, so I carry water a couple of gallons per day in many forms, Gatoraid, Coke, beer, canned pasta sauce, it all counts, and supplies for up to 4 weeks, and me, boat, gear, supplies, I wanted a boat that was loaded to no more than about 40% to keep her high and light in boisterous water. Long fast, efficient and maneuverable.
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First image, Topok? Second image is 4 or 5 miles upstream from Lees Ferry (I think) I have paddled both. Hear more about this?
Just below the Hoover Dam hire one of the outfitters to haul you and your boat to the bottom, take only a day bag, The trail down is difficult. You can get boat, paddles, PFD, and enough food and water for the day, that is about it. Leave your gear at Willow Beach Orrrr Just launch at Willow and paddle upstream to the base of the Hoover 11 miles, current is not bad. Take your gear with you, you will over night at one of the hot springs landings.
From Willow just head south there are few places to get off for about 10 miles, Mule something wash ? DO NOT set your tent in the road, Jeepers like to come down to the river. Beyond the chalk cliff things spread out, beaches and possible camp sites frequent. Take your pick. A couple of places are public accessible, (porta potties) Other than that carry your own groover and camp anywhere. Best times, Feb to April, few powerboats. At Cottonwood Cove, food, store, motel if you are of a mind. Great campsite right around the first point to the south. At Katherineâs Landing, find an outfitter to pick you up or what I normally do is hang out at the boat ramp and find someone willing to give you a lift to below the dam. Davis Camp Park on the east side, or 50 yards upstream from the old Laughlin Casino a fancy boat ramp And the buffet at the Laughlin was excellent. 15 or 18 miles down west side, Avi Casino, Buffet, bed and room for a shower. Call in advance, they fill up.
Through Needles. Riverfront Cafe, but, extremely fast current there, solid 5mph, donât get swept under a dock or boat. A little farther down small park Manny something often a food truck on the beach. another dozen miles down Pirates on the right, avoid, fancy pain in the butt if you donât have 1.5 mill invested in a go fast, donât get me started. While, on the other side of the river snuggled up against I-40 Topock 66 Excellent food and service, easy to dock at. Topock Gorge starts there for the next 10 or 12 miles, beautiful, a few sandy spots to camp on⌠and from there another 10 or 12 miles to Lake Havasu State Park head for the light house. The London Bridge just beyond. Recommendations for Peggyâs Sunrise Cafe and Angelinaâs Italian.
I have only been down around Parker once. Foxes Floating Bar is on the water, and several state parks with boat ramps, many private boat ramps.
My single side note. Lake Mohave has a great deal of trash. Most of it, power boats at a million miles per hour water bottles, pop bottles, food wrappers get blown out. Take an industrial size garbage bag and pick up whatever is convenient to pick up.
Additionally Yes, you can travel it in summer. NORMAL 110F strong sun and a million boats and some of them FAST, really fast. Small craft should travel well to the side of the river or near shore. Waves are a pain, but some guy in a GoFast running at 120mph, stay visible if out in the lake proper I hold up crossed paddles well above my head, and usually a National Park issued red flag on a stick bungeed to the gunnel and sticking up. Colour and size. Be visible. Being legal, right and dead, well, it donât count for much.
SO, when do you want to go? I think I have an Arizona job this winter, small house to build. Coming out from Michigan in December? Should be there in Feb and March. ??? You , your husband, any others here want to jump in? Start at ??
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The key with Algonquin or any large lake, body of water, river, Windy? Stay where you are. The emergency equipment is as simple as some extra food ALWAYS and some paperback books. When in the wilderness and on the water, DONâT Eff AROUND. Stay where you are, Dead is dead and if you are dead, yes, you will be very late for work on Monday. There is no schedule to be kept when in the wildernessâŚ
Paddling since 1960 has taught plenty of things. Canoeing is a team sport. Some people take to the concept and some donât. People problems have been some of my biggest challenges. Rigorous trips can stress people. I have put together plenty of crews but most of them have not been that experienced.
Rivers can change quickly especially with flooding. All of your plans can go out the window.
Safety has to be in the front of your mind at all times.
We have to be careful not to get people in over their heads. It has happened a few times.
Now that I am older I no longer want the responsibility of looking out for newbies.
I am only doing easier rivers now and mostly just in a drift boat.
I am not as brave as before.
It is always great to get out there.
Pushing off at the start of a trip is still a thrill at age 74.
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