{"id":17293,"date":"2018-08-16T10:00:10","date_gmt":"2018-08-16T17:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/community.nrs.com\/?p=17293"},"modified":"2022-01-06T07:46:20","modified_gmt":"2022-01-06T15:46:20","slug":"gearing-up-for-squirt-boating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2018\/08\/16\/gearing-up-for-squirt-boating\/","title":{"rendered":"Gearing Up for Squirt Boating"},"content":{"rendered":"

Squirt boating is a unique form of whitewater kayaking or canoeing in which the boat is designed to be as low in volume as possible while still allowing the paddler to float. Squirt boats are most commonly used for performing tricks on eddy lines, in flat water, or for the \u201cmystery move,\u201d which is where the paddler uses the current to get completely submerged under water. If you aren\u2019t familiar with squirt boating or aren\u2019t sure if it\u2019s a style of paddling you\u2019d be into, check out my previous blog, \u201cMystery Moves, Charcs and Squirt Boat Gatherings.\u201d<\/a> Once you\u2019re convinced to give it a try, this break down of the necessary gear, which is a bit different than what you usually wear in a whitewater boat, will make a little more sense.<\/p>\n

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Photo: Jeff Campbell<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Starting with the boat: A squirt boat is constructed using a heavy lay-up of fiberglass for two reasons. One, this construction makes the boats durable enough to handle sliding in and out of the river and hitting rocks. And two, it allows for easy customization to fit a specific paddler.<\/p>\n

But should you buy new or used? The benefit of a used boat is cost\u2014obviously. If you aren\u2019t sure if squirt boating is going to be your thing or if it\u2019s something you will only do on occasion, it\u2019s worth saving the money. Start with Facebook\u2014seriously, it\u2019s your best bet\u2014and ask to join the group page called Charc. Even if you don\u2019t find a boat here, you\u2019ll benefit from the community. The key is to find a boat that fits your body. The previous owner should be similar in weight, height, shoe size, and inseam. It doesn’t have to be exact but as close as you can find, the better.<\/p>\n

My used boat was a pretty close fit for me but my feet were not in the foot bumps, which are in place to give you a bit more foot room. Because of this, I dealt with some pretty horrible ankle pain, which made it hard for me to stay in my boat longer than 30 minutes.<\/p>\n

There are pros and cons to the used market but you can always sell the used boat and upgrade. My second boat was a Slip (a Jim Snyder design) custom made for me by Murky Waters. Paddling a custom-fitted squirt boat was a huge game changer. Suddenly, I was dropping mystery moves longer than I was comfortable doing, my flatwater freestyle tricks became easier and more fluid and I could stay in the water much longer than 30 minutes. It was totally worth the money getting a brand new squirt boat custom fit for my body\u2014and my custom graphics are pretty awesome.<\/p>\n

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Two companies in North America make squirt boats: Murky Water Kayaks<\/a> in Ontario, Canada and PS Composite Kayaks<\/a> in Pennsylvania. Both make fantastic boats. But the absolute key to getting the perfect fit is doing a float test. When the boat is nearing completion, get it on the water, hop in and figure out how low you want to sit in the water and seat location. The lower the boat sits in the water the better it will mystery. If you\u2019re more into running rivers over mystery moves, then you don’t want it super low in the water. But it all boils down to personal preference. I wanted a mystery machine so mine sits as low in the water as it can and still allows me to fit inside.<\/p>\n

The boat is your number one priority, but there are some other essential pieces of gear for squirt boating. Some are obvious, while others are unique to this subculture.<\/p>\n

Some squirt boaters prefer paddles while others use hand paddles. In my opinion, river running and freestyle tricks are easier with a paddle but mystery moves are easier with hand paddles. Jim Snyder started a company, Rivr Styx<\/a>, that makes custom wood squirt boat paddles that I consider a must-have if you\u2019re going to use a paddle for squirt boating. I use your typical plastic pair of hand paddles for mystery moves but I totally need to get myself a pair of ES Paddle Works wooden hand paddles. They\u2019re beautifully crafted and work so much better. The major difference, the wooden hand paddles have zero flex making my strokes noticeably more powerful than when I\u2019m paddling plastic.<\/p>\n