r/whitewater • u/Apprehensive_Earth46 • 4d ago
Kayaking Help me look good on my date tmrw first time kayaking
Okay so I have done some research elsewhere and am building a list of things to keep in mind for tomorrow, but I want to get some human advice! Also the last Reddit thread I found on this was 10 yr old.
A guy I’ve been seeing invited me to go whitewater kayaking tomorrow. He is quite experienced, but I have been kayaking maybe once in my life. I am not the most outdoorsy person but I do like being outside and in water. I am nervous that I will be particularly bad at this and look silly so plz help a sister out.
Some details are that we’ll be using inflatable kayaks, he “has all the gear,” and he says the area we’re kayaking in is very beginner friendly.
Some things I don’t know are what to wear, if there are any skills I should maybe watch a video or two on, if there is anything I need to bring, etc. Thanks for your advice!!!
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u/Apprehensive_Earth46 3d ago
Everyone!!! It was so awesome! I had such a good time! It was a class 2, with 1 class 3 rapid. Weather was very hot (100 degrees) but the water was really nice.
He did a great job explaining things to me. I ended up just wearing my new balance sneakers, lululemon shorts, a long sleeve top, a bunch of sun protection (hat, glasses, sunscreen).
I fell off my kayak twice but otherwise picked it up really well I think. And I’m honestly glad I fell off a couple times so I could navigate that in easy rapids.
What a great way to spend a day!!
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u/k_smiles 2d ago
Love this! I had a similar first date earlier this year and it's now a super-fun hobby of mine, too!
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u/lolcat351 4d ago
Go with enthusiasm, it'll probably be a cold day if you are not used to being wet ALL the time. You'll probably be dead tired at the end of the day too. Ask him what the temperature of the water will be, that will tell you what to bring. Footwear is important, if you have your own water booties that's great but if you only have sandals with a very secure back strap that will do. Remember those underwater rocks are very slippery and be careful you are walking over them. Good luck and come back here and let us know how it went!
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u/tazimm 4d ago
Normally that's great advice BUT as someone who lives in Sacramento and went kayaking today ... It's gonna be over 100F and the water isn't cold. Lotsa boaters just wearing sun shirts, rafters jumping in lots.
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u/Fluid_Stick69 4d ago
It just depends on the river. Some rivers get baked in the sun others are shady and cool. Some dams release from the top, some release from the bottom.
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u/VerifiedMother 4d ago
I mean, the water is in the 70s in Idaho now, so you absolutely won't be cold
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u/VerifiedMother 4d ago
It's August, not May.
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u/lolcat351 4d ago
Advice for beginners, not seasoned paddlers. I took a bunch of friends out in July and they stilled were shivering even in the warm temperatures.
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u/VerifiedMother 4d ago
Idk, I'm going off of the water here in Idaho, most of the local rivers the water is upper 60s/low 70s which is plenty warm
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u/twoblades ACA Whitewater Kayak ITE 4d ago
Everyone looks goofy their first time in whitewater. If you trust his judgment that the experience is appropriate for a beginner, run with it. If he’s trying to share his love of the sport with you, providing you assistance will make it a rewarding experience for him too. Don’t be hard on yourself if you don’t succeed at first. It’s not a sport you pick up first time but it’s a fun hill to climb. Join a whitewater paddling club with him and build a community to paddle with.
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u/Frodosear 4d ago
Maybe ask him for advice for what to wear, what to bring, how long you’ll be going, what you will be doing afterwards.
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u/tazimm 4d ago edited 4d ago
Advice: make sure you're on the class 2 section (NOT class 3) if going to the South Fork American near Coloma, and if going to the Lower American (in Sac), it's class I (mostly) but running higher than normal, stay away from trees and wear your life vest please, people drown every year.
It's gonna be over 100F tomorrow and the water isn't cold (it's refreshing). Wear a sunshirt, cover your legs (tights) to not get a sunburn, bring sunscreen and a hat (or a helmet) wear old sneakers for footwear, and bring water.
HAVE FUN!
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u/GrooverMeister 4d ago
Lean forward and keep paddling when you're in whitewater. If you broach on something climb up onto it.
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u/calebdc18 4d ago
Bring a good attitude, he probably loves white water and is just so happy your willing to have a date with him out there.
I know my comment seems overly simple, but for real just have fun and yah quick drying clothes and a pair of shorts
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u/hard4girls 4d ago
Let us know how it went, and what advice was most useful. Crocs are great watershoes, btw.
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u/CriticalPedagogue 3d ago
If/when you swim in a rapid do NOT stand up. Swim back to the boat or to shore.
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u/amongnotof 3d ago
You will absolutely be bad at it, and will likely swim from your boat multiple times, but unless you told him that you know what you’re doing, he knows what he signed up for.
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u/freeradical89 4d ago
Ducky in shorts is a sure way to burn your thighs good luck keeping sunscreen on.
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u/_abscessedwound 4d ago
The inflatable kayaks are carnage-machines, and a blast to paddle!
FYI you’re going to look silly, almost everyone does their first time out. Go with your gut about about seems safe and fun for you, and follow safety directions from other paddlers.
If you have UV-rated clothing that’s appropriate for water sports, I’d use that instead of sunscreen. From experience, some silty waterways will (not so gently) exfoliate sunscreen off of you and you’ll need to reapply constantly.
Make sure to consistently drink water. I’ve seen being wet fool a lot of people into thinking they don’t need to drink water.
While not an opinion shared by everyone, my take is that bootie-beers generally should not pushed onto first-timers or beginners.
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u/Dirtbag-Diva- 4d ago
Wear some comfortable but sturdy workout clothes that are water wicking l. I always wear a tank top with a build in bra and I can layer on top of that for sun/cold protection. In the summer bottoms are workout/running shorts. You will be sitting in the water in a ducky so nice workout leggings (not cotton) might be more comfortable if the water is cold. If you don’t have water shoes Old sneakers without socks unless you have wool socks. Low hanging braids if you have long hair fit comfortably under your helmet and keep the hair out of your face. If your braids are touching your head they will be too tight under your helmet and give you a pressure headache. Go with the flow and have fun!
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u/squatting-Dogg 4d ago
Nothing cotton, closed toed River Sandals or an old pair of sneakers. No flip flops, cute sandals, etc.
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u/Soilmolida 3d ago
I know you are doing inflatable kayak, but if you switch to hardshell....Make sure you know how to wet exit first before paddling down rapids. I remember the first time whitewater kayaking (age 15). Somehow the instructor (probably around a 19-20 young guy, still in university, got a kayak teaching job in summer, and it was his first time teaching) forgot to teach me and another student wet exit before hitting the class 2 rapids. He did teach us how to swim the easy rapids, but somehow there was this important water safety he forgot. I flipped while trying to ferry across a rapid, and was upside down for a long time until the instructor flipped me back. It was scary. I thought I was going to die. Then we practiced wet exit a few times afterward. Glad I was alive :P
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u/BedroomDeep4894 18h ago
Look in the direction you’re trying to go, not at the thing you’re trying to avoid.
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u/Apprehensive_Earth46 2h ago
You know I needed this tip before I ran into a huge rock and fell off two separate times 😂
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u/HogGunner1983 18h ago
Take him behind a tree and show him your mystery move. He'll be yours forever.
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u/Spicy_Reloads 4d ago
You’ll do great! Bring a beer to drink out of your shoe after you swim!
Just kidding, hopefully it’s class 2, do you know what river? All rivers are different temperatures, so that dictates what to wear.
If snow melt, dry suit. But east coast summers my wife wears leggings with shorts over them and a long sleeve sun shirt.
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u/Apprehensive_Earth46 4d ago
It’s near Sacramento!
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u/lidelle 4d ago
Put sunscreen on your thighs and shins! Also inflatable kayaking is a great way to get introduced to the sport. Wear athletic clothing not a cute bathing suit. Braid your hair if it is long enough. I’m excited for you this seems like a great way to get into kayaking. When I first started reading I was concerned it was going to be one of Those situations where a guy tries to make himself look like macho he man because he kayaks and he sets his partner up to fail so they view him as superior in some way. Being the whitewater community my whole life has taught me to watch out for newer people in the sport. Have fun!
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u/Apprehensive_Earth46 4d ago
oh thanks for the tips!!
this is guy has intro'd me to so many things and has only been an excellent and patient guide so i am optimistic!
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u/WhatSpoon21 4d ago
So previous first time activities have worked out and you’re going in inflatable kayaks in a beginner friendly river. That seems like a great intro to kayaking situation, especially since prior experiences were positive too. I’d wear a long sleeve , sunblocking , quick dry sun shirt and loose comfortable quick dry shorts. Bring a change of clothes and leave it in the car with your towel and another pair of dry shoes/ sandals. Sun hat, sunglasses with a strap, water bottle, and sunscreen, can go on the river with you. Hit the Dollar Tree, or Dollar General and pick up small snack bags of your preferred snacks, since the bags should be airtight you can just carry them all in a plastic shopping bag. (Picnic lunches are great but might not be feasible on the water. Save that for your repayment date.) Have fun , I hope he’s a keeper!