READ THE RIVER
Yes you must learn to read the River
Just as when driving down the interstate you must learn to follow the SIGNS and be constantly aware of the cars, trucks, signs, road conditions so must you READ the RIVER.
Rivers and other bodies of water are ALIVE with ever changing dynamics that have a direct impact on your and your fun and safety on the water.
Let’s examine the complexities that impact your time on the water.
Most paddlers will paddle only on a pretty day in a lake or a slow moving stream and will have double-checked the weather.
WE are blessed with so many places to paddle in the Deep South that we sometimes forget that we must take our paddling environment very very seriously before anything else we must be aware of the 3 Ws
Water – the amount, the temperature, the depth, the contents
.
Wind – a gentle breeze on a spring day is so relaxing and refreshing, but let that breeze start growing and getting into the 5-10 miles per hour range and a paddler can have problems. Water can start entering your boat, you may be paddling into the wind or have a crosswind, conditions that make your trip much harder and introduces elements of DANGER. Wind will greatly affect the air temperature and your exposure to the potential problems of hypothermia.
Waves – A flat pond, a seamless river, and the flat ocean area are paddlers dream spots. But let the wind pick up and now you have the potential of waves. Waves are water being forced at you as you sit in your boat on top of millions of gallons of water.
Water does not compress – it is constant. One-gallon weighs 8 pounds
Waves can make even the most experienced paddler sit up and take notice. Their nice outing can become an extreme competition with the Waves to survive to the shore.
Onto the River
As a stream flows to the Sea, [yep that’s where all of that water is striving to go to SEALEVEL] it has all types of interesting things going on in it and around it.
Let’s examine the Suwannee; it has just about all of the characteristics of all Southern streams, yes-even whitewater.
She traverses 240 miles from the Okefenokee to the Gulf of Mexico, one of the longest unfettered unpolluted streams in the country. It has been a source of transportation for the Indians, Spaniards, American Revolutionaries, all sides in the Civil War; it had historic ferries, bridges and marvelous healing springs. Today, she serves primarily as a water source and a great recreational asset. In times of drought she becomes a trickle, in flood she carries millions and millions of gallons of water from the Swamp to the gulf.
Beginning in the Swamp, the tannic acid stained waters begin the epic journey flowing out of the peat moss bogs into a narrow channel at places with trees growing in the middle of the channel. Passing expansive pine forest and into the areas of great limestone bluffs rising from the riverbank with trees flowering plants such as the grand Wild Azaleas and onto the white water at Big Shoals.
As you travel this majestic stream you have the opportunity to experience just about every obstacle in the sport of paddling except great big round river rocks – the Suwannee has her limestone.
So what will you encounter as you go to the SEA?
Trees – trees grow from the very river especially as she starts to rise with winter rains and hurricanes and begins to encroach upon the sandbars and banks of the river. What were grand camping areas only days ago slowly disappear beneath the tannic acid waters? The trees rising from the water- small trees and majestic Cypress, Tupelo and at times Oak and Pine. These trees present a gorgeous view as you travel down the river BUT they also begin to present problems and concerns to the paddler who must now be ALERT and Read The River.
Trees float and become floaters, bobbers and strainers [see below].
The currents undercutting the riverbanks dislodge trees; they fall into the river to float or to become obstacles in the river
Trees become part and parcel of the very river channel. As the waters swirl around the trees, the dynamics of the river current become a little crazy. The tree have profound effects on the actions of the currents creating swirls and crosscurrents and as we call it “Funny Water”- water that you just sometimes don’t know what it’s gonna do or where it’s going.
As the river leaves it’s banks and enters the flood plain, it reenters the river from a hundred different directions creating extreme “Funny Water”. Water reenters in great BOILS and strong current streams.
Added to the funny water can be trees solidly attached to the ground but in midstream with the current carrying you straight into the branches or even monster tree trunks and limbs. But you may not get carried straight in, you may have the currents coming at you from any and all directions with the TREE or TREES with their limbs and branches looking like the trees in a horror movie sitting in a position that requires you to go around and back always against the convoluting currents. GETTING PINNED IN THIS SITUATION IS NOFUN been thee done that – did not get a tshirt.
Now that you have exited your first hairy tree problem comes the next chapter in Tree World
Strainers – these are trees, bushes, and any other debris that draws you towards it allowing the water to flow through but not you. Little trees, big trees you don’t want to go there – you must be ever vigilant and stay away. When the currents undercut the bank loosening a tree and the tree topples into the river you have a problem. Think about it. THE swiftest current on the outside of a curve is where your tree will normally be. That same current is going to try to take you – you guessed it –right into the fallen BIG STRAINER. This is a real good reason for you to stay on the inside of a curve. You do not want to follow the current to the outside. Once you have been pushed up against / into the strainer, you will now be PINNED. You will have the whole river coming against you and even at 3-4 miles per hour the pressure of that water will be over powering. You will need help just to get your self safely out of the river. Strainers are one of your biggest dangers on a moving Southern river if not your biggest.
How to avoid Strainers -> READ THE RIVER
1. You must always put yourself in a position to SEE what’s downstream. Always paddle yourself to a position that allows you to SEE around the next curve. It may be longer and harder to get to that point but you cannot go downstream BLIND
2. BE AWARE of your surroundings look at the conditions if you see banks washed out and little trees laying down or floating in the water – EXPECT more and bigger things to come.
3. If you see “V’s” or ripples some thing is under the water EVEN IF YOU CAN’T SEE IT AVOID IT
BOBBERS – Trees and other things get caught in the river and the current’s force along with the weight of the object causes said object to go UP and DOWN [hence BOBBER] sometimes submerging for minutes or longer then coming back up JUST as you gracefully float on top of the object. IF you find yourself AIRBORNE with hundreds of pounds of tree trying to resurrect itself BE CALM don’t rock the boat. Let the boat try to right itself and float. It is quite a rush to have been calmly paddling and enjoying the trip and your BOW paddler was now READING THE RIVER and suddenly you and your fully loaded canoe are gently rolling over into the water.
How to Avoid Bobbers – READ THE RIVER
Floaters – take your pick – trees, coolers, picnic tables, tires and anything else that has been thrown into the water or has broken loose. Anything that connects with your boat is a potential for disaster and may just give you that unexpected chance to try out your new PFD [cause you are wearing it]
How to avoid Floaters – you know the answer – READ THE RIVER You need to have your River Radar going all the time. Looking for not what’s there but what shouldn’t be there – like a floating Volkswagen. [Yes, they do float] A sealed freezer will float. So will a dead animal –Trust me – you don’t want to run into a dead deer on the river.
If you start with the presumption that the river should be nice and flat just like a mirror and you should always bee able to see 100% of it and then sort looking for things that you won’t find on a nice smooth mirror you will learn to read quickly.
1. Why is the water rippling? It may be a tree or cross currents but once you have seen it if nothing else you want to avoid it – try to give it an ample berth.