Current is some of the most fun you can have in a sea kayak, once it stops being scary. Every move across an eddy line uses the same four things. We call them SETA.
The short version
Main flow, eddies, eddy lines: know the features and you can plan your moves from shore.
Speed, Edge, Target, Angle. Get them right and the current does most of the work.
At Level 2 that means current under 3 knots: river mouths, narrows and gaps between islands.
Know the features
SETA
Carry enough speed to get across the eddy line. Keep paddling through it, don't coast.
Show the current your hull. Tilt so the new current hits the bottom of your kayak, not your deck. Show it your deck and it grabs your edge.
Pick the spot where you want to end up. Look at it, and paddle to it.
Use the clock face. Current from 12 o'clock: ferry at 1 to 2, eddy turns and peel-outs at 2 to 3. Faster current, point closer to 12.
Try it on the clock face
The current comes from 12 o'clock. Pick a move, set your angle, speed and edge, and see what the river does with them. Then make the current faster and try again.
On the Niagara.
Introduction to Sea Kayaking in Current is two days at Fort Erie. Day one gets you into gentle current. On day two we eddy-hop upstream, so the water gets harder as your skills do. Then Surf Mission: Montreal is the natural next step.
Related: Coastal Missions · Tides for Great Lakes paddlers · A 20-minute practice circuit
0 comments