The Escape!

The first thing to do once you enter that monster hole is to sit up straight and keep your boat underneath your body. This is mostly a balance issue; if you’re sitting up straight you will have better edge control and keeping your weight centered on top of the boat will keep your paddle free to be used effectively. Leaning way back or way over the side of your boat will reduce your range of motion, edge control, and the ability to use the paddle effectively. As long as your posture is good you will have better edge control, which is a key ingredient in getting out of the hole. (See my tip “Body Language” for more details)

Most of us have heard the old adage to “lean downstream” when surfing a hole. While it can feel nice and reassuring to lean way away from the onrushing current entering the hole, it can cause some major problems to our control, as well as our ability to exit the hole. Obviously if we don’t edge the boat downstream at all, the upstream water will pour onto our deck and flip us. Shifting some of our weight to the downstream edge is crucial; however edging the boat too much will create more problems than not edging enough. By edging the boat too far downstream we give the backwash of the hole a better surface to grab hold of; thus we are pulled into the deepest part of the hole (The Pit). This is probably the worst thing that we can have happen as it is far more difficult to control the edging of the boat while in the pit and is very difficult to move; often this becomes a static position that we are unable to get out of without some help. So the proper amount of edge is just enough to keep the upstream water from catching our upstream edge. The deeper that we are sitting in the hole the more at risk we are of having our upstream edge grabbed by the inrushing current. Often by sitting upright and not over-edging the boat, we will tend to ride up slightly higher in the hole to a much more stable position.

The big advantage that you now have with your good posture and precise edge control is that your paddle is not preoccupied with supporting your weight or keeping you in balance; now you can use your paddle to get yourself out. There are two main ways of using the downstream paddle blade while in the hole: using the backside of the blade in a “low brace”, and using the power face of the paddle in a “high brace”. Basically you will decide which to use by deciding weather you want to back up or go forward, and often you will need to alternate back and forth to develop a rocking motion and build up some speed for the edge of the hole. To move forward place the (downstream) paddle in the water and take a slow but steady forward stroke, continue moving the paddle behind your hips towards the stern of the boat. By positioning the blade about a foot or two behind your hips and rotating the blade face slightly (not quite parallel with your boat), to catch some of the downstream flow under the backwash, you are essentially utilizing a “stern draw” stroke, working to squeeze the boat forward. Try the exact opposite motion to back up in a hole: push the backside of the paddle blade into the downstream side of the hole, and push the paddle forward towards your feet. You can either take several short reverse strokes from your hips to your shins or, better yet, use the paddle in a stationary stroke near the front of your boat, by leaning forward and holding pressure against the blade you should be able to back up effectively. Pushing the paddle down into the hole into more solid water will often be more successful than leaving it on the surface. Play around with the paddle to find the position(s) where you find the most purchase, and have the greatest effect at moving the boat. Don’t just give up and hope that the hole gets tired of playing with you; be persistent! This is probably more important than anything else; DON’T GIVE UP, KEEP AT IT!

All of these are things that take time and practice to perfect (just like that good ol Eskimo roll). You should try to practice and hone these skills first in easy places, like friendly play holes. Hopefully by the next time when you find yourself dropping into “The Hole from Hell”, you will have some idea of how to get out intact and in your boat.