The Approach

Boofing is the technique of jumping off of ledges and over holes. Keeping the boat at a horizontal, or near horizontal plane as it passes over a steep drop is the safest, and smoothest way of dealing with big holes and vertical ledge drops. By boofing over the top of the hole, our downstream momentum will continue across the top of the reversal current of the hole. Holes become much more problematic when we must deal with the full force of the reversal current on our kayak; by boofing, our kayak stays on top of the reversal, and we face only a fraction of the stopping power of the hole. We are also concerned with the potential risk of hitting shallow rocks or other obstacles that could lie below the surface of any hole, and by boofing we will minimize this risk by keeping our boats high and dry on the surface.

There are three main components of any boof that I find are essential to address: the approach, the launch, and last but not least, the landing. Most people focus much of their attention to the launch itself, but each of these three components plays an equally important role in the success of every boof. In this tip we will talk about the approach, and how to set up for consistently good boofs.

The main goals of the approach are to hit the correct launching point with the desired angle and speed, and to time the strokes in order to plant the launch stroke in the right place at the right time. In order to hit the desired launch pad we may have to deal with any number of issues on the way there; dealing with rocks, waves, eddy-lines, etc, is all part of the approach to our launch pad. The first aspect of the approach is simply taking the time to read the water and develop a strategy to get us where we want to end up. Reading our water will also help us to pick the optimal spot to boof.

Picking a launching point is really a matter of learning to recognize some classic river features that frequently lead to great boofs. Most great boofs are fairly steep; vertical, or near vertical drops tend to provide the easiest avenue to launch our kayaks airborne. Classic boofs to look for include: steep pour over holes, rock slabs with a curtain of water spilling over the sides, rounded rocks with a gradual slope into the water, and vertical ledge drops. It is possible to boof all kinds of holes and drops, but it is far easier to boof a more vertical drop with a cleanly defined horizon line. In most situations you will want to aim for the highest vertical point of water, and/or the furthest downstream point in the ledge. The highest point of water will tend to provide the most vertical drop, as well as the greatest distance on your boof (more air time will allow your boat’s momentum to carry you further). The furthest downstream point is usually a safe bet, because you will land closer to the exit point of the hole.

In order to get a good boof, one of the most common issues that we will need to address is the tendency for the water to deflect our boats from hitting the ideal launch pad. We usually want to launch off the highest point of the ledge, but water is following gravity and will tend to pull us towards the lowest point. Rocks above the surface, and even those near to the surface, build up cushions of water in front of them; there may be only a slight build up of water, or there may be actual waves built up in front of the rock (or ledge). We need to learn to identify even the most subtle cushions and deflection currents, for if we don’t address the waves and cushions deflecting us away from our goal, we will not make our boof. Often a slight angle is helpful on the approach to compensate for the cushion, and some speed will also be necessary. With a stronger cushion we will need to have more speed, and a more precise angle to compensate for it; too little or too much angle and we will be pushed away from the boof or spun sideways by the power of the cushion, not enough speed and we will not be able to drive through the cushion.

The other main goal of the approach is to time our strokes and build up some speed to maximize our launch. A lot of people get all amped up and charge at the launch with great speed, and yet still end up with marginal boofs because they didn’t time their strokes as well. To maximize the launch we need to plant our “boof stroke” at the ideal moment: just as the boat is driving across the lip of the drop. The idea is that we need to drive the boat across the fall while holding our boat in it’s horizontal plane; if we don’t have a stroke in the water at that critical moment, our boat will tend to fall more vertically into the depths of the hole. A well set up approach allows us to casually time our strokes for an explosive launch and a controlled landing…

Safety note: This tip, does NOT apply to paddling over large drops and waterfalls. This technique is ideal for use on ledge holes, and smaller drops with a good deal of aeration in the landing zone. Landing flat on any drop CAN injure your back; the two greatest risk factors to consider are the height of the drop, and the “hardness” (more aeration will soften the landing) of the water in the landing zone. For safer landings this tip assumes that you are boofing off drops no higher than three or four feet, and that you are landing in moderately aerated water. For any higher drops or “harder” landings it will be imperative NOT to land flat! With experience much of this technique can be MODIFIED to use in a wide variety of applications (including certain play paddling moves); it is therefore highly recommended that intermediate paddlers learn to use this technique on smaller features in class 2-3 water.

Look for more advanced boofing technique in Boofing: The Launch and Boofing: The Landing