h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Surely It should be white water kayaking rather than rafting.
And don't slalom boats have pointy ends

Please lets not perpetuate the myth that you have to be able to roll to go white water kayaking. You don't have to. It helps of course in that you might not go for as many unexpected swims than if you can't roll. As long as you're able to master the support strokes and know what to do in the event of going upside down (exiting the boat or eskimo rescue) then it'll be ok.

How about adding squirt boating, ultra low volume boats, made to fit the paddler. Not quite floating on top of the river, more as part of the river, with mysterious moves performed underwater.

I am a 2 star kayaker, and have been canoing for 2-3 years. How dare you call the eskimo roll 'BASIC'! I would recomend before you start canoeing that you do not learn the 'simple' roll. I sugest you

- Don't wear a spray deck
- Learn How to pull of a spray deck
- To begin, kayak in a local pool or cluB!

From Slartibartfast

I am a 2 star kayaker, and have been canoing for 2-3 years. How dare you call the eskimo roll 'BASIC'! I would recomend before you start canoeing that you do not learn the 'simple' roll. I sugest you

- Don't wear a spray deck
- Learn How to pull of a spray deck
- To begin, kayak in a local pool or cluB!

From Slartibartfast

I agree (see the above post) that rolling isn't the first thing you need to learn when kayaking. Basic boat control, stabiliation and rescue techniques are MUCH more usefull.
I've been kayaking since I was in uni (about 8-9 years) and can easily roll in a pool BUT I've never managed it out on a river

Keep paddling, have fun and stay safe,
Phil

Phil,

I have never tried to roll in anywhere but a pool, so call me ignorant but apart from the phsicological difference I see no reason why you should not be able to roll on a river?

from Slarti!

The main difference is psychological I think. In a pool the water is usually warm, on a river it's cold. That is a big difference. Physically the fact that in a river you might still be moving and that there are other hazards (rocks, walls, stoppers etc) changes things.

As you say I SHOULD be able to roll on a river (I aught to practice at the end of the next trip ) but I've just not managed it. I'd rather avaid having to roll in the first place

I see now, as a choice of dipping my head into some nice warm pool water, doing a nice fancy stroke (looking a bit of a show off). Or Sticking my so-far dry head, into some cold, muddy and generaly unpleasent water, mucking it up, and getting cold and wet. I would certainly choose the foremost opition!

As one of the researchers on this page I must emplore the that you are both not entirly correct. I agree that it isn't good to first learn the eskimo roll before you learn how to exit the boat. I have been kayaking now for 12 years, white water, sea, long distances( 300km ) you name it I have done it. I give lessons in white water kayaking and my highest kayaking class has been WW VI so I do think I know my way around with a kayak...

There are some misconceptions in the page itself. for instance the slalom. It is the object not to score points. You may not hit the poles and you have to finish the track. The time it takes you to finish a track is raised by the score in seconds. So the more poles you hit the worst you are for time....

Indeed rafting doesn't belong in here it should be white water kayaking.

Thank you for this moment in time to relieve my anguish about this....=

Go for the waves, born to paddle...
Next holiday go to France and Italy to go white water kayaking....= My is very happy about that....

You've been kayaking for 8-9 years and you can't do a roll in a river?? jeez. I don't know where you are
from, but where i'm from, we teach the roll as basic safety technique. its unsafe to be swimming
in a river, if one can help it. basic strokes are just as important as learning how to roll. this is what
i teach my students.. besides, learning how to roll teaches you so much more than just learning
how to roll. it teaches you about bracing, it teaches you about leaning.. and it gives you confidence
to try things you normally wouldn't, because you know you won't have to go for a swim.. all you have to
do is flip back up.

-brooke.

The article says "Learn the basic Eskimo roll before you start any kayaking." That is the part which I take umbrage with. It implies you have to be able to roll a boat before going anywhere.

As to me having paddled for a while, I took up paddling while at uni (about 8 or 9 years ago). After I left I sort of dropped out for a few years and have only taken up the sport again about a year and a half ago. I don't paddle as often as I would like for various resons and so have never mastered rolling in a river. I know the solution is to get out more and paddle so it's up to me to do something about it!

Well, seeing as there is so much dispute over the accuracies/inaccuracies of this article it makes me wonder whether or not it should be in the guide. I agree with the comments on slalom, etc. There are disciplines that have not been mentioned:

Canoe Polo: My preferred form of kayaking. And yes, it is also known as kayak polo.

Rodeo: The most 'dudesque' form of kayaking

With regards to rolling, wouldn't it be a good idea to mention the different types of rolling; the screw roll; the polata roll; etc. I personally prefer the screw roll. I agree that canoeing in a straight line is perhaps the first thing one should acheive.

A may have to write an article on the subject of kayaking myself.

And seeing as it seems neccessary to qualify one's views with personal information, I have been kayaking for 7 years - and play Canoe Polo for St. Albans. In 1999 I was part of the National Championships winning youth squad (also runners up in the 2000 champs'). Okay?

Yes ok so you are experienced and I also like Kayak-polo...living now in Italy and doing kayak-polo with a team in Nervi-Genova. I must however say this on my defence of this article. I have writen the initial article and there was no mention of rafting.

I think the HitchHikers Guide should check out it's sub-editors because this one really made some bad changes to my article and I am not at all pleased about this... There is however nothing I can do about this as I am not a subeditor... Sorry

You should if you feel it's been badly subbed mention this to Anna or one of the assistant editors http://www.h2g2.com/team for links to their pages.
The other is that you could rewrite your original article and then try submitting that through the new peer review process.

Phil (who's finally got round to buying a kayak)

Yeah, you should!!!

I'm going canoeing next weekend!!!

I hope you are all happy with the corrections...
Anna is a great girl, she got back to me as soon
as she read my comment on the editors and the article....

Greetings from a addicted white water jock...