Intermediate-Advanced White Water Kayaking

OVERVIEW

This time of year most of the local rivers are too low to run, except for just after heavy rain fall. The James through Richmond, however, is typically runnable year round. We’ll be running the intermediate-advanced lower section as it drops through downtown (almost literally!:)
At mid-high water this can be a very dangerous 3.5 miles of white water making appropriate for advanced paddlers, but at current level its quite safe for intermediates. As such, you do not need to have a solid roll in your repertoire of paddling skills, but you should be a confident paddler who has been through class 3 rapids before.

We’ll start at the Reddy Creek put-in, paddle on flat water for 1/2 mile or so and practice some rolls, then drop over “first break” (class 2) where we can practice ferrying and check out the typical mix of interesting people who are checking us out from Belle Isle. Then we’ll run “Hollywood Entrance” which has a couple of class 3 drops, and into “Hollywood”, the area famous class 4. But worry not, brave intermediates, at this level its more of a class 3 and is easily scoutable from Belle Isle (but beware of the locals!…just kidding). After Hollywood we have some flat water which will take us to a drop through a big break in a small dam (class 2-3) followed by the last rapid, “Pipeline”, a long class 3 rollercoaster.

Do NOT sign up unless you have paddled through class 3 rapids (in a kayak :). If you are not sure of your qualifications, email me at dclark@virginia.edu or call my cell at 962-9737.

After this awesome run we’ll hit an awesome local brewery called “Legends”, with excellent class 4 wings and some of the best class 5 locally brewed beer you’ll ever drink (if you’re over 21, otherwise, its some decent class 1 soda for you)!

The Club provides: all the gear you’ll need

You should bring: Swimwear, towel, change of clothes, money and ID for legends