Chasing the Flow.

Opportunities for the Privileged and Dream Chasers

10/17/2016

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I’ve wanted my own horse since I was old enough to talk. I was never able to make enough money to own one. Even to this day. But once I get my life together, I will get myself a horse baby.
When I was younger, I would get so peeved to see people that would buy horses just because they had money to blow. "Lawn ornaments". The friesians (really expensive, beautiful horse breed) with Grand Prix level dressage training (basically a horse trained to do ballet) that go to their mansion home just to decorate the pasture in the front. I vowed that if I ever got a horse, I would never take it for granted. I would ride it and spend time with it as much as possible.
Then I got the next best thing (to me). A paddleboard. I saved all my money for two years before I bought my first paddleboard. After paddling on that for a couple years, I got the offer to be a team rider for Hala Gear. This meant that I got to ride Hala boards whenever I wanted. What a dream!

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Swift Water SUP Safety and Geeking Out on Gear

10/7/2016

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Shot by UP Aerial Cinematography

With the increasing popularity of SUP, I have noticed that paddleboarding has become the primary introduction to the river for a lot of people. With this observation, and the fact that whitewater paddleboarders are going for paddling larger, more technical rapids, I feel that a post about river safety and a culture of preparedness is beneficial.
I have a pretty extensive background in the outdoor industry, but I would love to hear any input from other paddle boarders on this subject. I started paddleboarding in 2012 on rivers. It is my passion. I graduated college with a Bachelor’s Degree in Outdoor Recreation Management, am a Wilderness First Responder, and Swift Water Rescue Technician, have experience as a river guide, SUP instructor, and retail at a paddle shop.
If you are looking to get into paddleboarding on rivers, then I highly recommend starting off your research by reading this blog post by Ken Hoeve. The gear that Hoeve outlined in the post is absolutely essential for every river paddling expedition. But once you are hooked on whitewater SUP, know that there is much more to know about being prepared on a river. If you are leading river trips, please please PLEASE take the time to do your research and understand how to read a river and respect the river.
This post is not a know-all say-all. The purpose is to enlighten you on what many experienced river paddlers are doing and preparing for in every single river outing. I fear that many river paddleboarders simply do not know, or become complacent of the power of the river. As I have learned throughout my NOLS and outdoor courses, we need to identify where we stand in the levels of competence and strive to become a Reflective Master, where we are open to learning and have the qualities of an expert with automatic competence. We do not want to fall in the category of a False Master who is competent but complacent, or someone who is unaware of their incompetence. I highly recommend reading the book by Nate Ostis called NOLS River Rescue Guide to get an idea of the culture of risk management on the river.

I wanted to add to the list of gear that I believe should be essential in every river outing. In this post, I will cover river knives and releasable leashes. I have included links to my recommendations of items that I feel are suitable.

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Chasing the Flow

Opportunities for the Privileged and Dream Chasers

Swift Water SUP Safety and Geeking Out on Gear

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