Reading the River (3): Three White Water Moves in a Canoe on the Ardeche and two swims

[@CperlgroupLaw]

I use these videos to keep my mind sharp on techniques when I cannot be on the water. Thanks for putting this material together! It is well done.

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

thank you. More to come 😊

[@tonystacey3347]

Very clearly explained - I particularly liked the voiceover of the front of the boat stuck into the eddy which takes the effort out of breaking out of the flow. Also your buddies paddling tandem with the turn on the front paddling side is always more difficult to perform than if they were breaking out of the flow on the rear paddlers side. Great content again - well done Ray. 🛶👍🏻

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Many thanks! Yep I agree with the tandem choice of paddling side. In the stern I always prefer to be on the inside of the eddy turn but I do practise both. When it gets hard there is little you can do on the outside as it is too easy to compromise the edge/lean. Again thanks Tony.

[@tonystacey3347]

@@RayGoodwinCanoe as well you know we used to get our guesties to always have bow paddler on left - the urban myth being the number of significant eddy turns were greater on right- making it easier. It was actually more to do with reducing confusion with the bigger group sizes and the amount of different coaching staff that were setting up the rapids!

[@akcarlos]

your camera work and editing are only surpassed by your clear explanations, I wish I was at the other side of the planet so I could do some of your courses

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

That is so kind of you. Thank you so much

[@PaulKirtley]

Good video Ray. Thanks for making these.

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Glad you like them!

[@liamjay1249]

My spiritual home! Hard for me to express my love for this place and I think you've picked the three best to chat about too! If you ever need an extra hand do let us know! haha

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

It is a fantastic place. I love it too.

[@ellon118]

What a great video Ray, really good to see the split screen showing different ways going down the river. All the best.

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Many thanks for the feedback and kind comment. Cheers

[@TheFatKayaker]

Great to meet you on the Dee today mate from the swimmer on the serpents

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Hi Ben, good to see you too. Yep most of us have swum Serpent’s at some time or other. Just a case of joining the club 😁

[@scheisstag]

Very educational! Good work. Thank you!

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Glad it was of interest. Thank you.

[@inkpenproductions3373]

Thank you for the work. Me and my sons use your videos as lessons

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

My pleasure. Glad to be of help.

[@grahamrowe6278]

Very low conditions Ray. Nice work. Looked like a quiet time to be there.

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

It was very quiet with the overnight forecast of heavy rain. We saw no other boats in the gorge on the first day and had the bivouac totally to ourselves.

[@KanoottiTomaatti]

Very informative! Thanks again Ray!

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

You are most welcome. Thank you for watching and commenting.

[@johnnyyukon7887]

good video, very instructional. Well done. Cheers

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Thank you.

[@basw4406]

Great informative video again! Thanks!

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

My pleasure!

[@patriceturbide2917]

I just discovered your videos, very nicely done and clear explanations. I canoe in Québec. To cross the first whitewater near the cliff, instead of stoping in the eddy, I would have moved to the right using a back ferry. I would have avoided cliff without stoping. I did not know that canoeing was a thing in the UK.

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

It is very big in the Uk. Yep a back ferry is another good solution to the problem and very neat. I do use that technique but I think I favour the breakout on this one. But good choice either way. But I have done a fair bit in Canada and am a member of the Council for the Canadian Canoe Musium in Ontario (a real honour for me). Thank you for commentating.

[@murraylongworth5214]

Great stuff - thanks Ray. Super helpful as we're off to the OCF Drôme festival again this year and hope to paddle the Ardèche afterwards. Great to see Rod and Sharon's starring role - we had happy days on the Allier with these lovely people.

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Glad it was helpful! Yep I love the Drome, Ardeche and Allier. Great rivers and all quite different.

[@mikeongena2605]

Very informative! Great video!

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Glad it was helpful! Many thanks

[@MrMjt888]

Nice one Ray

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Thank you Mike.

[@StevanOutdoor]

I'm adequate at canoeing. But if I wanted to become an expert sure take your classes.

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

kind comments there. Many thanks

[@CyndiLH]

Great video!

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Thanks!

[@tonywrobleski5185]

Thanks again

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

You are most welcome

[@kevinbungles]

Very interesting

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Glad you think so! Thanks

[@markl2815]

Nice to see these. Really clearly explained That rock at Madalaine is a tight bit which I have come seriously close to in the past.Missed it but only just ! Ps. Happy New Year

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Yep it can certainly get tight as some levels. Hope you are well and wishing you a good 2023

[@Tim8o1]

Yet another great video Ray, not containing too much information for viewers to forget, but enough to build a foundation in the understanding the positive and negative effects of eddies. Going off on a tangent do have my beady eye on your paddle. I am quite hard on my paddles, I tend to break my deep water paddles. I know the WW Big Dipper is predominantly aimed at white water, do you find you can use it all day on all types of water? (I would be using my Nantahala on shallow water) Cheers Tim

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Many thanks for your comments on the video. Yep it is that balance that I am trying to achieve and it never feels easy. Paddles: Love my WW Big Dipper to bits and it has been my go to paddle for WW and windy conditions for years.... I paddled the flat sections of the Great Glen with it in 2022 so you can see how much I like it. However I have now been given a Cygnet which has the same sort of blade area and I am tending to use that for flat water. As a besides the WW Big Dipper seems to last really well for me and I use it in all sorts of shallow and rocky rivers. Hope that helps

[@Tim8o1]

Thanks Ray, I sorta guessed how much you like the Big Dipper. It is the strength of the paddles shaft I need more than blade area, I seem to be rather heavy handed with my paddles I either break them in half or decorate them with stress cracks. I can paddle all day with my Nantahala but it lacks the finesse and feel of a wooden blade. And as I now live by the coast I will be paddling on the briney more. Looks like the WW Big Dipper is the one.

[@chriswiles8617]

Noddy the Eddie blocker 😂

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

A terrible occupation but there is always someone that likes to do it. 🤣 But we forgive him because he rescued the capsized canoe.

[@Igorfun]

Almost drowned in the Ardeche 30 years ago, whilst kayaking 2 days after a big thunderstorm , it was the month of may I think, the water had risen enormously ... and we had very little experience... just the roar of the water at some places, frightening... that was a lesson ... see you Ray

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Yep it is easy to underestimate the Ardeche. I love it when it is high but the French authorities now have a cut off point and don't allow paddling above a certain level. Glan you survived!

[@tonystacey3347]

92 the river was unbelievably high may and June - several fatalities that year. The main rocks at black tooth were submerged, as was the big rock at Madeline. Toupine was a massive boil all the way down to the next turn in the river (whirlpool) which almost sucked my entire 16ft open boat under - there was only an inch of freeboard left at the cockpit combing.

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

@@tonystacey3347 Wow! Did they change the permitted paddling levels in later years?

[@tonystacey3347]

@@RayGoodwinCanoe they must have done. Milesy backlooped a 16ft Canadian round the corner from leper colony, and there were nasty boils behind toupine. Black tooth river left had a nasty undertow that sucked a few swimmers through who thankfully got spat out after a hole in one of the huge rocks. It certainly wasn’t for the faint hearted - that’s for sure. They did have a marker at /above peach to say permitted river use level but I’m sure that has been lowered. The company I worked for had all “instructed “ clients /guests so I think that was part of the reason we were the only ones allowed on at the time.

[@kristaps2010]

That water has lot of force to throw canoe around like that. They thought they made it but next second capsize.

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Yep get the wrong lean crossing an eddy line and it is a quick quick capsize.

[@woody40000]

I've heard some scary stories about that particular rapid/undercuts can anyone confirm the one about someone going underneath that cliff and popping out elsewhere

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

I have heard the same stories but can confirm no more than that.

[@grahamfisher5436]

have ya used the drone yet ?? 🛰

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Thank you kindly. Using it later this week. Lots of practise to do.