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Avoid Swimming - Hit Waves Straight
Rafting and kayaking the river there are a few key skills which can dramatically increase your chances of making it through rapids bottom down. The most fundamental and important of these skills is hitting waves at 90 degree angles. If you can hit waves straight and with speed it will dramatically increase your chances of coming through still in your boat.
Hitting waves straight with your raft or kayak sounds like a pretty simple concept, but waves are not always, perpendicular to the current. Often waves come from different angles off of the side so you must turn your boat to the right or left and have it angled in the current to actually hit a wave straight. These side waves or “laterals” are one of an inflatable kayak’s toughest foes.
On an Orange Torpedo Trips raft tour our guides will always try to let you know when a challenging lateral wave will be in a rapid so you can go in prepared to take on this river feature. See the video below for some examples.
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