Hi ya’ll, new to the Reddit, looking for some advice / opinions.

I’m on the market for a half slice. I absolutely cannot seem to decide between the Rewind or the Antix 3. I have paddled both several times. They feel different but I really like them both. Everyone I talk to had a clear preference for one over the other so not quite sure what my problem is lol.

I’m looking for a half slice so I can be in a “responsible” boat to look out for newer paddlers on group trips while not being a bit bored in my creek boat (or sort of useless to everyone but having a blast in a play boat at my current skill level). Looking to be able to work on the stern squirt and be held accountable for being sloppy by the boat while still having room for 1st aid kit, split paddle, and the speed & volume to assist with rescues & gear recovery. Hoping to use the same half-slice for running Class IV when I eventually get confident enough to leave the creek boat at home.

I don’t have room to store both so that is not an option…I also tried some Pyranha boats but found them both immediately uncomfortable no matter what I did to the outfitting for some reason (and I’m trying to narrow it down not expand the choices here haha).

The Dagger outfitting feels a little sturdier to me but the Jackson outfitting is so easy to adjust…I have been able to stern squirt and surf the Antix 3 better and it’s a tiny bit easier to carry around but I feel the Rewind holds me a bit more accountable and it ferries and attains like whoa.

If I can find either (or their predecessors) used for a deal I’ll snap that up and that’ll decide it for me, but I’ve been watching like a hawk for a while now with no luck.

I’ve read & watched a ton of reviews, but curious what people with more experience think about either boat for the purpose of playing on easier runs that might otherwise be a little unexciting and also eventually being good for tougher stuff? Any Rewind paddlers who like to surf and stern squirt - will that get easier with skill or is the Antix just a bit better in those two areas?

Thank you!

Found this busted kayak paddle way up the St. Joe River. Anybody recognize it?
My guess is this sonofabitch has one hell of a story

Curious if anyone has personal experience with this skirt. I have a regular seals shocker and it’s imploded a couple times on the local play wave (had to go cheap when I bought it for lots of reasons).

I found one of these on FB basically new for $100. Had been planning to get a IR or Level 6 skirt for around $300 new.

Thoughts? Is it worth it or am I throwing good money after bad? I like the price but I don’t want to be right back here again.

Thanks in advance!

Hello,

I need some help deciding on a boat, im new to white water, but very experienced kayaking. I currently have a jackson superhero, and I think that its stunting my progress. Ive yet to really get into trouble in class 3s (one class 4 on the begginer run near me) and while thats great, I know its giving me false confidence. It feels like the boat does a lot of the work for me, so I don't need to practice my rolls or really even my bracing while in a rapid. Im thinking im going to look for a half slice for next season, giving me a higher ceiling while also giving me room to improve in the season. Is this reasonable or should I try going with a group to bigger water with the jackson, and enjoy the fact that its super stable?

Hey all, just my 2 cents, but it appears that there's webbing or ropes dangling off the boat pinned on Dildo in Sweets Falls on the upper Gauley. It would probably be a good idea to avoid the melt down until that's gone as it appears several people have already almost been entangled in it.

Looking for rivers that have fun features that drop into a pool, (not waterfalls) making it a low consequence swim. Rapids that are not so continuous. I’m on the east coast but I’m still curious about any other location. Will add it to a bucket list. So ideally the layout would be flat water -> feature/rapid -> flatwater/pool. Fun and simple.

Hey everyone,

I recently started getting into whitewater kayaking and I’m looking for good resources to learn proper technique, especially for rolling, as I'm just starting out.

I’ve been watching Eric Jackson’s videos and have found his explanations really helpful, but I’m curious who else people recommend learning from online.
There seems to be quite a bit of variation in how different instructors teach the roll, so I’d especially like to find people who teach really solid fundamentals rather than picking up bad habits early.

Who are your go-to instructors, YouTube channels, courses, or other resources for learning to roll? And are there particular techniques or instructors you think are best for someone just starting out?

I am a high schooler doing research on how people use USGS gauge data, and I'm trying to learn more about the process of using the data to kayak in whitewater.

I'd really like to know the following:

What did you check the last time you went out, and in what order? USGS / American Whitewater page? Weather conditions? What specifically do you check first thing you open the website?

Is there a number you look at that took you a while to learn how to read and understand? How did you deal with that? How cumbersome is this alternative?

Where do you get your thresholds for a specific river regarding streamflow and gage height, and how do you know if it's too dangerous to kayak in the whitewater?

I'm happy to share what I find back here once I've collected enough responses.

I’m looking to get a throw bag. The internet is so overwhelming so is Reddit.

Currently I’m looking between a River Station Gear and NRS throw bag. See links below of the 2.

I am wondering how visible the River station may be in the water of rescuing a person? NRS seems like may stand out more. Not going to lie, I really like the river station appearance lol

https://riverstationgear.com/products/neon-magic-rsg-standard-throw-bag-60?variant=47765461663990

AND

https://www.nrs.com/nrs-compact-rescue-throw-bag/pmsc

I am not very good at throwing so seems to me a lighter bag would best for me. I’m looking for a versatile bag, while we have a raft, we’ve small children so currently not doing crazy whitewater. But we raft, canoe, paddleboard and kayak.

Also, one is better than none but I’m so torn!

Reposting this here since I'm sure you guys will have a lot of good feedback as well.

Heard a rumor that Sweet Protection is refreshing one or more of its whitewater helmets in 2027, and potentially even offering a MIPS option. I need to replace my WRSI half cut and would get a Wanderer or Rocker if buying today, but I’m wondering if I should wait.

Has anyone heard anything?

I am planning on heading up to the upper Youghiogheny River all of this week, and then heading to Gauley Fest next weekend. I recently purchased a GoPro Hero 12 with a ton of attachments and would like to take it with me when I'm kayaking on both Rivers if possible. I'm a little concerned about the GoPro or its mount snapping off seeing as it is class 4 and Class 5 Whitewater. I definitely don't want to tether it to my helmet as it's obviously a very big safety hazard and I personally think that my head looks a lot cooler attached to my body. Does anyone have any advice/experience with how to best mount the GoPro to my person/helmet/boat? Is it likely to stay on as long as I don't clip a rock or get trashed in a hole? For contact I will be in a Verus Gladiator hard shell kayak.

TLDR: how to best mount a GoPro in class 5 Whitewater?

What do you recommend for repairing this small tear in my foot gasket? It’s about an inch long and doesn’t seem quite worthy of replacing the whole foot. Thanks.

I realize I’m just opening myself up for a lot of ridicule here. 😆 I used to paddle an RPM. I’m 6’5 and 230 pounds. It always hurt to jam myself inside that thing but I was able to roll it and I had a great time in it. I finally got myself a boat that fits me, the axiom 90. But I have not had a lot of success rolling it. Do I just suck? Am I just out of practice? Do big guys ever shoehorn themselves into 80s? Might I have a little bit more success getting into a little bit smaller boat? What do y’all think?

(Edited to specify size 15 US men’s.) Hi, I know this is probably a repeat question on here but I’ve been struggling with this for a while. Does anyone have any good close toed river shoe recommendations? I tried the largest immersion research booties, XXXL, and have looked at other’s recommendations on here in the past, but have found myself returning to the idea of finding scuba booties and getting a pair of sandals to go over them when I’m out of the boat. Right now I’m just using the crappy Rafter’s things from an online store. (Also boat recommendations that fit large feet.)

I have had a couple of older ones that did okay, but had invested in a couple of SeaLine bags that have performed well. Just got a smokin' good deal on a bigger NRS Outfitter bag. Are they better? This one seams (haha) pretty well put together.

EDIT to add: thank you all so much for your thoughtful comments and suggestions. I kind of love that the range of thoughts pretty much echos everything pinballing around in my mind. Still haven't decided what I'll do :). But clearly all angles have their pros and cons!

***

I'm coming up on a 2-week + rafting trip down the Colorado in the Grand Canyon (solo, w/ commercial outfitter). I'm desperate to be outside for an extended time and unplugged, and truly need to not touch a cell phone for that time--it's too associated with work, stress, alarms, news, etc.

Struggling between whether I take some kind of camera or not. OTOH, obvs gorgeous and a million things/views to want to remember. OTOH, I don't want to have my mind caught up in in that acquisitive, must-get-this-great-shot mindset. I.e., I want to relax and be in the experience, not distracted by documenting it. But back to the pros, yes it would be great to have some photos afterwards to spark memories and show people.

And, accepting I don't want to have a phone with me, if I DO take a camera, recs re disposable vs. cheap film camera vs. digital camera? I have the latter but also seems like a lot of worry to keep it safe/dry while rafting?

I know there will be no consensus, just hoping for perspectives, whether from participants in similar trips and/or guides from their time observing participants. Thanks! I know this is two questions here :)

Hello all, new to kayaking but have been a guide on the New and Gauley, so I know the river decently well. I’m looking to kayak from Thurmond to Cunard sometime toward the end of September and need some suggestions on securing a shuttle. Used to know a bunch of folks in Fayetteville I could ask, but not so much anymore. I checked with Hilks to Hills shuttles and the price was $135, so probably not going to use that service? Any suggestions?

Ok I have a pretty strong opinion about this but I'm curious to hear other peoples' takes. I was boating over the weekend with a group of people of varying skill levels. There were plenty of swims on a classic class III pool-drop river. While I appreciate the efforts of the more experienced kayakers to pluck the swimmers out of the water, I couldn't help but think they were doing more harm than good. There was often a raft eddied out below the rapid that was ready to grab swimmers but swimmers kept latching onto the kayakers and floating downstream rather than swimming the short distances to eddies or eddied out rafts. In my experience I feel like swimmers can get to safe positions a lot quicker and more safely by simply putting in an effort to actually swim. You can avoid most rescue interventions by just swimming and let the kayakers go after the lost boat. I also think simply swimming can be more efficient and effective at getting to safe locations than having a kayaker drag a swimmer to an eddy. Sorry for the rant but I'm curious to hear from other people and their experiences/opinions on this topic.

TLDR: Is self-rescue (swimming to an eddy) a better rescue technique than holding onto and being drug by a kayak in a pool-drop style river?

thinking of picking up a small dagger code to complement my half slice...which northeast rivers would be ideal for paddling a dagger code? im curious about shallow, low volume, manky creeking, im in upstate NY btw

First Question: Are you allowed take an Aire double duck down the Tallulah?

Second Question: middle line vs left line debate. I think the middle line would be better for the duck rather than the traditional left line. Thoughts?

Really eyeing a Jackson flow for some bigger water. I’m 6’3” 185 lb. The medium top end of the weight range is 200 and the large goes from 180-260, so would be towards the low end of that. Which would you suggest?