Beginner Whitewater Kayaking Pt. 2: Jimmy James Boogaloo

OVERVIEW

Woooaahhh do you want to try the best sport in the world? Yes? I knew it. Well, you’ve come to the right place. Given just how many people were interested in the September 6 intro trip, Max and I (Sarah) are leading ANOTHER beginner whitewater kayaking trip to the James on September 14th!

WHAT
This trip is an introduction to whitewater kayaking. Together, we’ll learn the basics of whitewater gear outfitting, basic paddle strokes, reading and running rapids, and maybeee we’ll even try more advanced skills like surfing and rolling! This trip is pretty geared towards instruction, so please come stoked to learn! We’ll try to cater to everyone’s skill level, and will be as hands off/on as you all would like.

This is a beginner trip, so you don’t need to have any paddling skills at all! However, you should be a comfortable and confident swimmer.

WHERE
We will be paddling the upper section of the James river near Richmond. Where we’ll be has some friendly class I-II rapids + a nice flatwater section for learning. It stretches about 4.5 miles from Pony Pasture Park to Reedy Creek Park. Check out this link to see what it’s all about: https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/view/river-detail/1951/main

WAITLIST POLICY:
Beginners will get priority, particularly if you’ve made it to a roll session but haven’t yet gotten on the river! We’ll also need another driver with roof racks, so you’ll get priority as well (+ your gas reimbursed with a tip–look at the club policy for more on this).

WHEN
10am – Meet at the corner of Echols Dorm, confirm boat and gear sizings, & hit the road
11:30am – Arrive at Reedy Creek park, drop car(s) for shuttle
12:00pm – Arrive at Pony Pasture, unload & learn about gear
12:30pm – Start paddling!
3:30pm (or earlier, hopefully) – Get off river at Reedy Creek, reset shuttle
4:00pm – Head back to Cville
5:00 – Back at Echols

*** These times are in an attempt to be conservative but the river (and what we’ll do on it) is unpredictable and things may run over! E.g., if you absolutely need to be back in Cville by 5pm, this trip may not be the one for you ***

WHAT WE BRING
– Kayaks and paddles
– PFDs (life jackets), kayak skirts, and helmets

WHAT YOU BRING
– Clothes you’re okay with getting wet and potentially swimming in (would recommend a bathing suit or dry-fit clothes)
– Shoes that can get wet and will stay on your feet in the river (please no crocs!) Examples: chacos, keens, tevas, sneakers
– Sunscreen/maybe a hat if you want
– Water + snacks (for post river mostly)
– Change of clothes and a towel for after
– Maybe a plastic bag or your own version of a dry bag for your stuff you want/need on the river (snack, sunscreen etc.)

*Please note that priority off the waitlist goes to those who couldn’t get onto the 9/6 beginner trip, as well as to roll session attendees & drivers (especially with roof racks/a truck)*

That’s about it! Text Sarah at 678-579-4727 with any questions!

Notice – Whitewater sports are inherently dangerous. We lead trips at a level where we feel confident about our ability to keep people on our trip safe. Your safety also depends on you and your honest communication of your abilities and state of being, as well as respect towards any safety advice.