Glorious Cuyahoga River Paddling

Check out this video from a personally epic trip this season on the Cuyahoga River Lower Gorge section, which is all mostly Class III.

We waited an hour for a thunderstorm to pass before putting on, and we were rewarded with nearly 1400 cfs.

Review NRS Vapor Loft wetshoe

What is it? NRS Vapor Loft wetshoe is a high-top paddling shoe that features a rugged outer sole, zip-up inseam and neoprene outer shell.

How much? Regularly $54.95, NRS has the shoe listed for sale as of Thanksgiving Day weekend for $31.96.

What does it do? The Vapor Loft has a snug and secure fit with a tough and grippy sole that makes for a great river running and expedition wetshoe.

Hits: The tough yet flexible sole partially wraps up and around the heel and toes for added protection when scrambling around on rocks. The zipper also features a hook-and-loop tab at the top to prevent the zipper from slipping back down and coming undone unexpectedly.

Misses: The wrap-around heel and toe makes the shoe seem a little smaller than its size as advertised, and this can be particularly challenging if you're wearing a dry suit with incorporated socks and thicker socks underneath. Despite this, the stretchy nature of the neoprene makes up somewhat for the space crunch.

The Verdict: This is a great wetshoe. Despite the snug feeling, the shoe broke in nicely and feels comfortable all day on the river in a dry suit with incorporated socks and smart wool base layer socks. The shoe survived a mild swim in a Class III rapid without missing a step (or getting sucked off by the river). I would recommend this for river running and colder weather, but it might be overkill for park-and-play boating. Consider getting a size larger than you normally wear in a street shoe due to the wrap-around heel and toe (and the extra layers typically worn in cold water paddling).

Where I'd Rather Be

I hate having my picture taken. But there are few moments when you know just by looking at a photograph that it has captured a pure experience of bliss.

For me, this is one of those photos.

Aimed upstream, I had just run a rapid on the tree dense, boulder-lined canyon of Slippery Rock Creek, a favorite destination for boaters from Northeast Ohio who can hop across state lines to experience some of the most scenic paddling they can find for a day-tripper.

Was I peeling out? Was I ferrying across? Or was I lining up to try and catch the wave. It doesn't matter, because I know in that moment I was floating blissfully on a warm summer day, tucked inside my Karma with paddle in hand. There are few places I'd rather be.

These are the moments we cherish. Good friends and good water. It doesn't get much better.

Performance Review - Kokatat Hydrus 3L Kayaking Drysuit

So, it's been almost a year since I picked up—dirt cheap—Kokatat's economy drysuit: the Hydrus 3L.

I've had enough paddles, and unfortunately enough swims, to get a good feel for how this suit performs in cold weather and cold water.

That's me on the far left, post-paddle, in my Kokatat Hydrus 3L. The color is mango.

First, let's talk outfitting options. You can get just the basic version with no relief zipper, no sprayskirt tunnel and no socks for close to $500. I will tell you this right now. The relief zipper itself is worth its weight in gold. I opted for all the options, and that means the suit has incorporated socks, the sprayskirt tunnel and the relief zipper, and they're all worth the extra $100 or so. 

Let's tackle these options one at a time.

First, the socks. If you don't get socks, the suit stops at your ankles with the same latex gaskets you'll find at the wrists and neck. That means you'll have to spend an extra $30 or more for wet socks, so you might as well buy the suit with incorporated socks.

Anyhow, let's get to their real value. The incorporated socks allow you to wear what's most comfortable on your feet, whether that be wool or some other cloth-type sock, which is absolutely going to be more comfortable and a better insulating base layer. This means your body temp is going to be easier to maintain than if your feet are merely staying warm via a layer of water sealed in by wet shoes or wet socks.

These socks are tough. On my first swim in the suit, the river sucked off my wet shoes and I had to scramble up the bank in the drysuit socks—something I don't recommend. I wasn't paddling alone, but I still ended up sprinting down the river bank chasing my boat, and the socks didn't tear despite the usual stones, sticks, broken glass and other debris littering the bank.

The sprayskirt tunnel has adjustable velcro.

Second, the sprayskirt tunnel. The extra layer of waterproof material allows for a snug fit of your skirt against the outside of your suit with another barrier for water wrapping tight around the outside of the skirt. The double tunnel has velcro adjustments at the waist, so you can adjust the seal between the sprayskirt tunnel and the skirt. Both these aspects of the tunnel help keep your skirt in place while making it harder for water to make its way toward the suit's one Achilles heel: the zipper.

Third, the relief zipper. If you've ever put a drysuit on, then you know just how cumbersome and time-consuming it is. Imagine having to peel your suit off, squeezing your neck through the gaskets every time, and putting it back on every time nature calls. With the relief zipper, one quick zip and you're back on the water.

We'll get to the main zipper, which really is the key to this suit's performance, but first a few quick other notes.

The fit is perfect. The neck gasket is a little tight, but a few wears and overnight stretching will get it to a comfortable size in no time without cutting. It fits extremely well with my NRS PFD. And the wrist gaskets are very comfortable and accommodating for my Seat to Summit paddling gloves.

Some people say the Hydrus 3L material is noisier and doesn't breathe as well as Kokatat's proprietary Goretex material. The suit really doesn't seem noisy to me compared to other drysuit and drytop material. I do think it could breathe better, as if you find yourself sweating a lot you will find your base layer damp by the time you get off the river.

So far, it's very durable. The suit has encountered the usual rock-scrambling, branch-brushing and other encounters with nature with no rips or punctures. 

Now, down to business. Let's talk zipper.

If this suit has one weak point, it's the main entry zipper. From the get-go, the main zipper has been a pain. It sticks often, but the big culprit is that it's not entirely waterproof. Now, if you can show me a truly waterproof zipper, I've got some prime land in Florida you might want to buy. In other words, many people will argue there are no truly waterproof zippers—especially when it's immersed upside down in a moving river. 

But every time I've practiced a roll or actually had to roll, or swim, in this suit my base layer started to get wet right at the closure point of the zipper near my waist. 

I've paddled comfortably in this suit all day with no complaints.

Now, if you're roll, or swim, is fast and you've got a few good base layers on underneath the suit, then this isn't that big of a deal. And for me, it hasn't been a real problem. But in a lengthy swim, this could be problematic, as your core could get soaked in frigid water fairly quickly—practically defeating the purpose of an expensive drysuit.

Before you write this suit off, consider user error as the potential culprit for a leaky zipper. Like a fool, I've been lazy with my maintenance and have yet to use any parafin wax to lubricate the zipper. And there's one tip I have yet to try, and that's adding a gob of Vasoline or petroleum jelly to the closure point for an extra "seal." 

Not doing either of these two maintenance tasks is a bit like taking a new gun that's sat on a gun store shelf, taking it right to the range without oiling it or the magazine and being mystified when it jams. I'll be performing these two basic maintenance tasks before my next paddle, and I'll weigh in with a short update to see what kind of a difference it makes in the performance of the Hydrus 3L.

Bottom line, this suit has everything you come to expect in the performance of a Kokatat drysuit at nearly half the price. 

If you're looking for a drysuit, but you don't want to shell out $1,100 and don't like the idea of buying used, then the Kokatat Hydrus 3L should be on your gear shopping list for this winter paddling season.

My Kokatat Hydrus 3L drysuit is comfortable, dry and warm and has been one of the best paddling purchases I've ever made, aside from my Jackson Karma.

Swimming Showers Rapid on the Stonycreek River

I managed to drag my Karma large to an eddy but had to rely on the kindness of strangers to recover my paddle.

This blog lately has trended in pairs. I would write a post about a topic, and then the issue naturally expanded into a second post with time.

So when I wrote a post titled "The Swim" I should have known better what I was setting myself up for. Shortly after publishing that little gem I took a trip with some friends to make the last whitewater release from the Quemahoning Reservoir near Johnstown, Pennsylvania, for some Class III+ action on the Stonycreek River Canyon.

We piled in the van, hooked up the trailer and set out at zero-dark-thirty, or maybe it was 6:30 am. Whatever, it was dark when we started our three-hour journey east into the Appalachian foothills. Most of us hadn't been in our boats for a few months because we haven't had enough water for local paddling here in Northeast Ohio.

Feeling more than rusty, I squeezed into my Kokatat Hydrus 3L and hiked up from the "easy" put-in to the drop in just above Showers Rapid--the only Class III+ rapid we would experience that day.

The rest of our compatriots were running shuttle, and so about a dozen of us had ample time to run Showers a few times if we were feeling up to it. The rapid offers almost a half dozen points to scout it from, including a few rocks right on the river's edge mid-rapid. I remember thinking "piece of cake." Stale, moldy one-year-old freezer burnt wedding cake.

I put in with another long-boating friend, and we ferried across the river using some eddies to try and break free of two months worth of rust. I watched a few people line up, drop and disappear into the first tongue of the rapid. It looked easy enough. All I had to do was try and stay to the left and miss the muching hole topped by a curling cross wave at river right.

Just as I lined up to drop in I felt my 4 a.m. wake-up that morning and about two months worth of paddling rust seize my hips, shoulders and eyelids. I made the first drop easy enough but was pointing too far river left while moving way too much toward river right. I dropped into the second hole nearly sideways. It was too easy for that wave to spin me like a window shade. Instead of bracing, I thought "flip and roll." Splash! Upside down and my face freezing, I remember thinking "set up for your roll, dumbass." The frigid water, bulky dry suit and aforementioned oxidation laughed off my meager roll attempt, and I pulled the rip cord. I hadn't had to swim out of my boat in months.

Fortunately, my long-boating friend and his LiquidLogic road cone were parked in an eddy where I managed to swim, dragging my 103-gallon volume kayak behind me.

The rest of the paddle, for me at least, was seamless. More than a few paddlers told me that had Showers been in the middle of Stonycreek Canyon I would have cruised through it. Next time!

A Summer Full of Personal First Descents

It was a busy summer paddling season for me, and one filled with a lot more paddling than I expected--and a lot more personal first descents of rivers for someone who's been mostly cruising Class I-II the past few years.

The only river on my list for advancing my paddling skills in 2014 was the Cuyahoga River Lower Gorge, which depending on the levels has some nice Class III-IV paddling beneath the Ohio Edison Dam.

I managed to tackle that section and then some this summer. First I was able to jump on a Keelhaulers trip to Slippery Rock Creek in Pennsylvania. Then I also tacked on the "new" section of the Cuyahoga River where two dams were removed above the Sheraton section in downtown Cuyahoga Falls (mostly Class II-III).

I was lucky enough to paddle Stonycreek River Canyon as well in early October. I learned more this summer about whitewater paddling than in the past four years of recreational paddling. Enjoy the photos!

I was lucky to paddle with a large, and stellar, group of Keelhaulers for my personal first descent of Slippery Rock Creek.

The eddies on Slippery Rock Creek are calm and plentiful.

Three members of the intrepid paddling crew about to put on the Cuyahoga River Lower Gorge.

Shoving off in my Jackson Karma.

We waited out a nearly two-hour torrential downpour in Gorge Metro Park before hiking the mile up the Cuyahoga Lower Gorge to the put-in. All the rain that day had the river running at 1400 cfs for our paddle.

Lined up and ready to roll.

GoPro pictures never turn out in focus. I love my Karma. For a big boat, it's nimble enough. Look for a review from a beginner's perspective soon.

Everyone and their gear made it off the Stony intact for a bomb day on the water.

Four of our five-man group getting ready to hit the Stony. We had a balmy high temperature of about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. It proved chilly for early October!

Two Types of Kayaking PFDs

What's a PFD, you ask? In the world of paddle sports there are two definitions for the acronym.

The first applies to all water sports: Personal Flotation Device. A personal flotation device is a must for anyone interested in paddling. Whether you're on a lake, pond or river, no one should ever paddle without a PFD.

Here's an example of a before and after of my PFD. Now, remember what I've said before. I'm a beginner paddler and a novice at best. So there are certainly better ways to equip a PFD for river running. But here's what mine looks like.

My river-running PFD before equipping it with some basic safety gear.

I picked up a basic PFD from my local outfitter. It's an NRS brand guide-type vest with all sorts of pockets for various safety equipment.

Here's what it looks like after some of my initial outfitting.

Some basic safety equipment to include in your PFD if you're interested in river running. Keep in mind many of these items are hidden in pockets and not normally visible.

I incorporated some of the basics when I equipped my PFD for river running. Some of my must-haves on the river include: a water-tight medical kit complete with bandages and gauze, pain relievers, coagulates and more; a river knife; nose plugs; several feet of webbing; multiple carabiners, including one that can be used as a clip spot for a rescue; and an emergency whistle for alerting other paddlers to a swimmer or in case I need to help rescuers find me.

You can find all these things and more at your local outfitter. What's nice about this PFD from NRS is that the pockets, of which there are many, are big, and the med kit along with the webbing and carabiners all fit nicely inside and are within arm's reach at any moment.

One piece of gear I'd like to add yet is some type of waterproof radio. On a recent trip down some heady Class III our group of eight paddlers had a swimmer who got stuck on a strainer in the middle of the current. The group got split with some in eddies along the river's edge several hundred feet downstream of the trapped swimmer, and the rest were either near the strainer plotting a rescue or in their vicinity. Two of us were downstream wondering where the group's weakest paddler was. Had he managed to catch an eddy while we planned the rescue, or was he bombing down stream, alone on a river he'd never run before.

Had we had a few radios in the group, we would have quickly known he was indeed safely parked in an eddy upstream waiting for the rescue.

What's the other definition for PFD? Find that out next time.

Kayak Combat Roll Success!

We all remember our first.

I found success with my combat roll on Slippery Rock Creek in Pennsylvania on The Mile. I took the wrong line on Nemesis rapid at a paltry 0.5 feet depth on the river gauge, and I flipped. It just happened to be my personal first descent. I paddled it again a few months later at about 1 feet, hit the right line and paddled away upright and smiling.

The next time we ran it the river had dropped again to about 0.7 feet. A low-stress paddle, I thought. Lightning struck twice. Not thinking, I ran the wrong line again, missed the boof and went straight into the hole and got flipped upside down. The video above is proof that even the meekest of paddlers can find success with their river roll.

Like anything else, practice makes perfect. I probably put in 10 hours of flat water roll practice to get that one roll right when it counted. So if you're struggling with your roll, keep at it. You will find success.

The Swim

This unnamed hole got the better of me on a cold March day.

Eventually, everyone swims.

The fortunate, or maybe the good, roll.

My last real swim came before my first-ever combat roll. The water was cold -- 39 degrees Fahrenheit -- and the air was only slightly warmer. I was in a play boat I wasn't ready for and on the high end of the recommended max weight. But I had just run the same, tame stretch of river a week before at a depth of only 1 foot lower.

The shock of the cold stunned me, and I didn't even try to set up. I just pulled my skirt, kicked free and swam for an eddy. Grumbling at my own foolhardiness, I ran down the bank chasing my upside-down boat.

Fortunately, I wasn't paddling alone and had a good buddy who helped chase down my boat, which had become pinned against a concrete bridge abutment in the middle of an icy Cuyahoga River running strong at over 1,500 cfs. After about two hours, we managed to wrangle my boat free. I had only lost my $150 whitewater paddle and a pair of water shoes, sucked off and swept down river by the current.

Everyone swims. The point is, get back in your boat and paddle again. Learn your lessons and improve upon your weaknesses. Since then, I've practically mastered my roll, hit my first two combat rolls and upgraded to a boat more my size and capabilities.

We all make mistakes. The best of us learn from them.

Easy Kayak Storage for Your Garage

In my last post, I showed you how to create a do-it-yourself storage method for your kayak that gives you more space in your garage by storing the boat up near the ceiling.

This rig, which cost me a few bucks at the local hardware store, uses some anchor bolts in the ceiling and two tie-straps. Using the tie straps you can raise the boat into its storage position with minimal effort.

I have to emphasize one element. Make sure when you mount your storage eyelet bolts in the ceiling that they are anchored into a cross member. You can't just thread these into the drywall, as it won't hold the weight either of the boat or the force used when pulling on the tie-straps to raise the kayak.

How to Store Your Kayak

If you're like practically every kayaker, then you've got more than one yak.

Storing multiple boats can crowd your garage and make it tough to use. We all know kayaks live longer when stored inside, but even playboats aren't small and they can take up a lot of much-needed space.

I've found the best way to store my boats and maximize garage space is to elevate -- get them up off the garage floor. And I've gone two different routes to make this happen. First, I bought ready-made wall hanger storage hooks from my local Dick's.

These hangers, so far, have worked well. They were fairly easy to install. All I had to do was find two studs in my garage wall, one for each hanger, and screw the hanger into the stud. Measure the height of the anchor points to ensure your boats hang level if you're big on aesthetics. The key to using these hangers is to make sure you anchor them into the stud. If you don't, the weight of your boat could pull the hangers, and part of your drywall, down.

These are a straightforward solution, but it can be a comparatively expensive option. At $30 per hanger set, it costs $60 to hang two kayaks. These hangers have kept my Dagger Axis and PureSport rec boat neatly on display when stored for almost three years now.

I opted for a more do-it-yourself route for my Freeride.

To hang my playboat, I bought two eyelet bolts and two non-locking carabiner clips. I found two cross supports in the ceiling, drilled pilot holes and then screwd the eyelet bolts into the ceiling of my garage as anchor points. Next, I clipped the two carabiners to the anchor bolts for some flexibility in attachment points.

Using a tie strap, I fed the strap through the grab handles on my kayak and then attached the hooks of the strap to the carabiners.

I can then pull on the strap to remove the slack and raise the boat up near the ceiling. And voila! My boat is securely stored leaving ample space below for other storage or work space.

By taking the do-it-yourself route I saved a ton of money compared to buying the ready-made boat hooks. All total, the stainless hardware I bought for this method cost about $15. If you're deft with a drill, stud finder and measuring tape, then you can tackle either of these mounting methods.

All in all, both methods offer a convenient way to store your boat without taking up floor space and cluttering your garage.

Elevated storage for your kayak means there's more room in your garage for other toys. Credit: Matt Fredmonsky

Kokatat's Hydrus 3L is an Affordable, High End Dry Suit Option

Here in Northeast Ohio, the old saying "snow brings the flow" rings true, and some of the best paddling can be found in winter, late fall and early spring months.

There's a catch. You've got to be properly outfitted to tackle near-freezing outdoor water temperatures (or water temperatures below 70 degrees Fahrenheit for that matter), and that means you need a full dry suit or some combination of dry gear to limit exposure to the extremely cold water.

Kokatat's Hydrus 3L Meridian dry suit. The color is mango. Credit: Matt Fredmonsky

Are you a beginner and don't know what a dry suit is? Put simply, a dry suit is a full body, waterproof suit. The dry suit features latex or neoprene gaskets at the wrists, neck and ankles (if it doesn't incorporate socks) that create a water-tight seal. Dry suits can extend the paddling season for many by preventing against hypothermia. But they are not a foolproof method for stopping hypothermia or warding off death in water temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, so a paddler should always be cautious and dress as if they're expecting to have to swim once on a cold-water excursion. You can read a highly informative article about dressing for winter paddling over at PaddlingLight.

Disclaimers aside, now on to the topic of this article: Kokatat's Hydrus 3L Meridian dry suit. I've said numerous times that I'm a novice paddler at best, so don't expect an expert-level review of Kokatat's economy dry suit. Rather, I'm offering more of an introduction for new and beginning paddlers who are gear crazy and want to paddle more than just in June, July and August. Fear not experts, for if you've not seen a Hydrus 3L, which you may have heard is a rebrand of the Tropos, you might still learn something.

Kokatat is to water sports wear what the Lamborghini is to sports cars. Their dry suits are top of the line, and the price matches the performance. Kokatat is best known for its suits made of Goretex, which is their proprietary material used as the shell for the majority of its dry suits and dry tops. Kokatat's Goretex dry suits can retail for more than $1,100.

Here's where the Hydrus 3L appeals to the entry-level paddler. The Hydrus men's suit with relief zipper, sprayskirt tunnel and incorporated socks has an MSRP of $785. I picked one up for just over $600 -- a steal for any brand-new Kokatat dry suit. The Hydrus comes with all the goodies Kokatat is known for, including its incredible warranty, fit, stitching and hardware. You can even get the base model without the sprayskirt tunnel, socks and relief zipper for $530.

The Hydrus 3L includes a chest pocket that is not waterproof and patches on the knee and butt to increase durability in high-wear spots.

At first glance the Hydrus 3L is an incredible bargain for a Kokatat dry suit. Sadly I haven't had it out on the water yet to gauge its performance, but if the test fit is any indication this suit is going to prove incredibly comfortable, mobile, durable and, most importantly, dry out on the water.

A quick note on fit, I ordered the XL based on my height (6 feet 1 inches), weight (220 pounds) and chest measurements. The suit fits well and offers plenty of room for multiple layers underneath. The neck gasket does seem a bit tight, but I haven't yet tried to stretch it over night as Kokatat recommends. I'll be sure to do so before testing it out.

Essentially, the Hydrus 3L offers all the amenities of Kokatat's top of-the-line Goretex suits at a much more affordable price. From what I've read, the one potential downside to the Hydrus is that the 3L material might not prove as bulletproof or as breathable as the Goretex suits. Look for a performance review on the Hydrus 3L soon.

The men's Hydrus 3L Meridian with relief zipper, sprayskirt tunnel and incorporated socks in an XL. Credit: Matt Fredmonsky

Learning to Kayak Roll from a Beginner's Perspective

My LiquidLogic Freeride 57 at the ONAT pool at the University of Akron. Credit: Matt Fredmonsky

I fess up. From a kayaking perspective, I'm a beginner. Okay, maybe I'm an "advanced" beginner now. I've been paddling regularly for three years and have a few different boats. So I've got a few river miles under my sprayskirt. But I don't pretend to be an expert.

This summer the roiling whitewater started calling my name, and I quickly learned that if I wanted to start chasing the River God I'd have to advance my skills and get in a boat classified for more than what my Dagger Axis 10.5 -- a solid crossover kayak -- could handle.

After much window shopping, I picked up a real whitewater boat: a LiquidLogic Freeride 57 from Wild Earth Outfitters in downtown Kent, Ohio.  I decided it was time to get serious about learning to roll after taking a swim on my second, brief outing in the new ride doing some mild surfing at a park-and-play wave in Munroe Falls, Ohio.

Enter the Keelhaulers. The Keelhaulers are a canoe and kayak club in northeast Ohio that organizes open pool sessions at various aquatic centers during the winter months. The club's many skilled paddlers can offer great tips and feedback to beginners learning and practicing some basic kayaking maneuvers, such as the sweep stroke, high brace and the roll.

I visited two open pool sessions so far this winter and received some great, free instructional tips on rolling but couldn't find success in righting my boat. On my third session, and my fifth time in my new Freeride, I finally found success in the ONAT pool at the University of Akron.

You can watch all the instructional roll videos and read all the technique articles you want on rolling, but nothing beats actually getting in the water, tipping yourself upside down and trying to turn right side up.

As a beginner, I won't pretend to offer expert-level advice, and I'll stay away from specific techniques. But here are a few tips I can share about learning to roll your boat.

1. Be flexible. I was convinced I needed to learn a sweep roll, and I failed miserably for several hours at a few pool sessions. Finally, a new acquaintance suggested I try the C-to-C roll, and I got it on my first attempt (if you count rolling with such power that I rolled right over and back under before righting myself on the second try with a little less force).
2. Learn in the pool. For most of us, it's winter and that means water temperatures slightly above the freezing mark.The pool is a safe, warm and calm place to try new maneuvers.
3. Join a paddling group. I haven't formally joined, but the Keelhaulers are a great group of boaters who advocate for paddlers locally and arrange a multitude of pool sessions to keep us sharp in the winter and facilitate instruction for new boaters.
4. Don't get discouraged. It's easy for a few failures at a pool session to chip away at your passion for the water. Keep at it. You'll get that sought-after skill, whether rolling or boofing, with practice.
5. Keep your head down! This applies mostly if you're learning to roll.

Happy paddling!

"Snow Brings the Flow"

The upper Cuyahoga River as it runs through Kent, Ohio, proved enticing this weekend as melting snow raised the water levels to create some mildly challenging yet fun obstacles.

Check out the video to see a few spots of the river between Fairchild Avenue and Stow Street. Sadly data for the USGS water-level gauges has been unavailable for the upper Cuyahoga River the past few days, so I can't say what the stream flow was at. I'm awaiting delivery of a new drysuit this week, and I'm hopeful I can get out on the water if temperatures continue to cooperate and stay in the mid-40s. If so, stay tuned for more video.

Throw Bag for Kayaking River Rescues

Like most kayakers, I filled my Christmas wishlist with new gear.

And as a beginning paddler I put a rescue throw rope at the top of my list. A throw rope is an essential piece of safety gear for anyone planning to tackle rivers offering more than just flat water.

A Seals throw rope will come in handy when paddling in my LiquidLogic Freeride. Credit: Matt Fredmonsky

Thanks to an in-the-know family member I got a Seals Rescue Throw Bag with 50 feet of rope as a welcome Christmas gift.

If you're a beginner paddler like me, then you might not know what a throw rope is. On the river, when paddling challenging rapids with a group it's commonplace for a few members of the group to crowd the shore around a particularly challenging obstacle should someone need to bail out of their boat in a pinch and take a swim while trying to run it.

Here's where the throw rope comes into play. A spotter on a rock or the river bank can toss the rope to the weary swimmer to help guide them in to an eddy, or even the shore, and most importantly out of the rapids and to safety.

Watch a video about throw rope techniques here.

Even though Ohio is in the midst of a Polar Vortex creeping across the central and northeastern U.S. I'm optimistic I might be able to get in some practice with my new throw rope soon (the forecast is calling for temperatures in the mid 50s this weekend), so stay tuned for video and photos of the bag in use and a review of its performance.

How We Ride Gravity

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New Year, New Blog.

Here I am perched above the Nisqually River in July 2012 in Mount Ranier National Park wishing I had a kayak.

To ring in the new year I'm tackling something I started months ago, this blog, with its inaugural post. Look for equipment reviews, videos, photos and other content revolving around my favorite hobbies: kayaking, cycling, swimming, motocross, hiking and shooting.

So here we go; writing about riding gravity.