Whitewater Kayaking: Essential Lingo
Bracing – A maneuver involving the reverse of your boat’s momentum as it’s rolling sideways to prevent capsizing.
Class – The grading system used to categorize the difficulty of a river based on water flow and layout. It ranges from Class I (easy) to Class VI (extreme).
Drop – A steep and abrupt descent in a river.
Eddies – Sections of a river that move upstream. They allow for kayakers to take a break and rest or scout other sections ahead.
Edging – Stabilizing your boat by tilting sideways. Edging allows for more precise turning.
Holes – Patches of river where the water on the surface flows upstream, opposite to the water below the surface. The hydraulic effect created allows for freestyle tricks and maneuvers.
Playspot – A desirable place in a river that features enjoyable attributes like standing waves, holes, eddies, etc.
Rapids – An aggressive section of the river where water flows at high speeds.
Roll – An important kayaking maneuver using the body and/or paddle movement to right a capsized boat. It involves lifting the torso and pushing the hips.
Spray Skirt – An accessory that extends from around the kayaker’s waist to the lip of the kayak for watertight closure.
Standing Waves – Intense downstream water that creates an upward flow as it pushes down.
Technical – Used to describe difficult paddling techniques and/or a rapid that requires high skill levels to maneuver.
Whitewater Kayaking: Essential Vehnicles and Tires
To get to your remote kayaking destinations, you need the right tires. You want tires that are built to last, can tackle tough terrain and get you where you need to go safely. Choosing the correct off-road tires for your vehicle gives you the secure headspace you need to focus less on the road and more on the river.
With the right off-road-ready tires and a solid roof rack for your kayak, any vehicle can become a whitewater kayaking adventure rig. As road conditions vary greatly from destination to destination, and trips may also include a lot of highway travel, choose a tire that suits your needs from the trail to the river and back.
The tire you choose will depend largely on where you live and travel, and how far off-road you need to travel to get to kayaking sites in those regions. Based on that geography, if whitewater kayaking will only occasionally take you off-road, a great initial mod to your vehicle is the BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A tire. Designed for heavy highway travel and light off-road use, this Severe Snow-rated all-weather tire keeps your vehicle adventure-ready all year round.
For a rig that you know will see a lot of highway miles as well as some fairly rugged off-road trails, the BFGoodrich All-Terrain KO3 tire is a great choice. As practical as they are capable, the BFGoodrich KO2 and KO3 tires are all-terrain tires through and through, designed to conquer any task you put in front of them on the highway or the trail.
If your trips take you through considerably more rough terrain than pavement and especially if you frequently encounter sticky patches of sand, mud, loose soil or river rocks, a thoroughbred off-roading tire is what you’re looking for. The BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 tire is a great choice for drivers looking to maintain traction in looser terrains, and when aired down is a champion rock-crawler.
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