Reading Water (Intermediate Level) | Ep. 152

[@hitmc6327]

Thanks for the videos and the great content! Really enjoyed it. I would also love to see a video of you floating with commentary explaining what you are looking at to decide your lines. The "sketch" ability mentioned already would be really helpful with that.

[@johnjones850]

I had commented on your first video on this subject. I had watched these 3 (beginner, intermediate,advanced) before my first rafting trip on Monday. None of it made sense. lol. After 12 hours on the water Monday, so much of this makes sense. You are an outstanding teacher. I learn visually, so the whiteboard and your explanation style is beyond helpful to me…..especially the video clips of what this all looks like. Thanks again

[@GearGarageTV]

I’m stoked to hear that

[@maverickusc]

Very nice work, Zach! Best simple lesson on hydrodynamics and the rock -> sleeper -> hole -> wave process I've seen yet. Thank you sir.

[@westernsoutherner1]

The ole frowner hole! Great video to reinforce current skill sets and learn new material. Thanks again - this is the best stuff out there on these subjects.

[@GearGarageTV]

Yep the old frowner hole. Hopefully that part made some sense. I don't have any good video that demonstrates it.

[@PieOnPot]

Helpful. Well explained -- thanks for sharing. The explanation on recognizing holes was especially helpful.

[@adrianrafaelmagana804]

Love it, thanks for sharing and congrats on getting number two on best raft your outfitters, I'm with ARTA and we would have loved to have up keeping you company up top

[@howitzeroutdoors]

That was super informative and well explained. The holes made a lot of sense. Can't see it? Avoid it! Thank you!

[@henryswood]

Let’s hear more about smiles and frowns. -how they fill in -how difficult to get out of -how the shape or type of rock will give you info ie: sandstone versus granite

[@CoconutBaba1]

Thanks a lot, Zach! I have done three pretty easy rivers packrafting, but with no studying in advance i hit all the rocks and even went under on one occation. Your videos have made me much better prepared for my next river, thanks! One tip for improving your videos even further is if you can use an editing-tool on your videos to mark the features in the river even better (draw the "V"'s for example). The white-board sectioins were great preparing thos the real thing (videos)). Looking forward to more content!

[@GearGarageTV]

We have a better version of this video that marks the features in our online course at whitewatereducation.com/.

[@Kal-Reegar]

THANK YOU! There is so little instruction on KZbin for rafting. This is awesome, I would love if you went even more in depth. Paddle strokes and when to use them is another good one. I know you've made a few but they really help!

[@GearGarageTV]

Are you referring to paddle strokes for R-2 or for a guide?

[@Kal-Reegar]

@@GearGarageTV R-2 primarily but i like to learn all I can.

[@yoboo6167]

I think alot of Beginners and intermediate people get in trouble when they have a few good runs and decide to take on bigger rapids. Instead of choosing a safe line, they choose a more adventurous way and next thing ya know...

[@benoitturcotte3117]

Thanks for the amazing video. Very helpful! What kind of boat do you use and do you know where i can buy one? :) thanks

[@sterlingtenor]

Zach, I love the content. I have just bought a Pavati drift boat to guide here in Maine. Any recommendations on how they are different from rafts?

[@GearGarageTV]

Unfortunately I’ve never run a drift boat so I don’t have any insight

[@bearsharkp3901]

Your shirt was cooler in the last vid

[@troymorton6829]

Thanks Zach ! a lot of good information on trying to determine what's what on a river . If you don't paddle and don't observe these subtle features, you never learn to read water . It is truly an art form! Look forward to your videos

[@hukphin740]

What cfs flow did y'all film this at?

[@hukphin740]

What cfs flow on the Illinois?

[@GearGarageTV]

I think that was from 2 different trips - one at 650 and one around 800

[@hukphin740]

@@GearGarageTV thanks!. I grew up in GoldBeach and never had a chance to float it. I have a 2person Sotar ik and want to do a low water trip. I'm thinking probably 150-300cfs would be fun and still safe. Its dang tuff to catch the narrow window and have it line up with life's calandar, but I keep tryin😎✌🏼

[@scottarrants4327]

Future video, GoPro mounting on boats.

[@middleofwherever7157]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXW1poupaZh5kK8

[@yoboo6167]

Great video! Very informative! BUT... The real question is... If its the 15th day of a spring month and snow pak is below or above average, the winds are blowing at a steady north to north south and its rained within the last hour not less than .001 inch but not more than 2.99 inches on the south facing slope of the west north canyon of that one place ... Can my Subaru make it out of Birch Creek??? Thanks!

[@brettstomps]

Greetings from White Salmon. Thanks for the video!

[@johncsorenson]

Dig the videos Zach! Keep it up! The video footage is really helpful to illustrate your points. If you had some sunday night football.. play, pause, slowmo, sketch ability (software) that could really up the game. I'd love to see "how to pick the line" from the top of a rapid. Made some recent bad calls on "read and runs" and trying to hone my water reading skills. Appreciate the content, you are meaningfully contributing to the whitewater community!

[@GearGarageTV]

I looked into the sketch ability but there's not straightforward way of doing that. It's on the list of something to add down the road.

[@alexmcintosh4392]

Great video! Depending on flows. I'll use holes to slow my approach make technical moves ahead. Once the water gets to higher stages than my mind switches to navigating away from them.

[@jasonphillips150]

Thank you for these great videos! I appreciate your humble straight-forward approach. Great info!

[@OutsideChronicles]

Another great explanation, on to the advanced video.

[@GearGarageTV]

Glad you liked it!

[@b_gumm]

Thank you

[@zacharywinters1841]

You talked about different materials and how they slide over rocks differently. How about the different shapes of boats/craft? Tubby's bucket boats, catarafts? Would you ever split shallow rocks on a cataraft that you would avoid in a bucket boat or tubby?

[@GearGarageTV]

Yes I split rocks all the time in catarafts if I'm paddling a tunnel frame. I'll work on a video that demonstrates that in the future.

[@aaroncluett]

Thanks for the video! My wife and I are new to paddlesports and trying to learn. How can you tell if the crashing whitewater is a rock or simply a wave? We are on kayaks.

[@GearGarageTV]

A good generalization is that friendly waves have more wave behind them. Holes don't. We say "Friendly waves have friends."

[@aaroncluett]

@@GearGarageTV Thanks for the reply! That makes sense and now we have an easy saying to remember!