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<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\nOne: Be reliable.<\/strong> Two: State your intentions.<\/strong> If you\u2019re on a longer trip (think, multiple days) and you plan to boost before the trip is over or need to head your separate way at the take-out, let people know ASAP. Figuring out trip logistics also includes details like food and shuttle. Leaving mid-trip may mess up other people’s plans or even leave them stranded. Not cool. Really, not cool.<\/p>\n Three: Time is precious.<\/strong> Regardless of your crew dynamic, when your friends start loading boats, that’s not the moment to send \u201cone more email.\u201d If you\u2019re running late, let people know. Maybe they can run shuttle to save time, or find a way to make up for it down the line. We all misplace our keys or forget our shoes on occasion, it\u2019s cool. But if you consistently operate in your own personal time zone, don\u2019t be surprised if people stop inviting you along.<\/p>\n Four: Help with shuttle.<\/strong> Pro tip: no matter whose car you\u2019re riding in, share the heavy lifting. If you’re hitching a ride with someone for those longer distances (two thumbs up for environmental consciousness), a little gas money or other thank yous can go a long way.<\/p>\n Five: Know your ability level.<\/strong> If you end up over your head, people won\u2019t hate you forever for admitting, \u201cI\u2019m not ready for this.\u201d While it is typically better to realize this prior to a run, portaging rapids or even hiking out are acceptable practices. It\u2019s better to know your limits than put your crew in danger. If you have crew members who are comfortable on stuff way above your ability level, remember that while there are days they are stoked to float and get on the water with you, you may not always get the invite when they head to harder stuff.<\/p>\n Six: Safety first.<\/strong> At a minimum, you should always have a throw bag in your boat and have practiced using it. Kill time on your next shuttle while waiting for Always Late Larry with a few practice tosses. If you forget your rope, tell your crew, and offer to carry one of theirs instead. In addition to a swiftwater course, having some basic first aid knowledge and knowing how to do CPR is a literal lifesaver. You don\u2019t need to brag about these skills to find a crew or add them to your LinkedIn profile. Show them when you paddle. Demonstrating awareness of hazards or others on the river by looking back at people, adjusting your pace as needed, and catching eddies\/offering to set safety can earn you lifelong friends.<\/p>\n Seven: Exercise good judgment.<\/strong> Eight: Limit the invite.<\/strong> Try not to let it upset you if you run into people you know on the river but they didn\u2019t invite you to join them (awkward<\/em>). It\u2019s not that they don\u2019t like you. They may be on a time crunch, have rallied last minute or preferred a smaller-size group that day, or forgot to text. Okay, if it keeps happening, maybe it’s because they don\u2019t like you or like paddling with you. Or maybe you did or said something that made them uncomfortable. You can always ask?!<\/p>\n Nine: <\/strong>Respect.<\/strong> The flip side of this is\u00a0<\/strong>refraining from judging others for wanting to run a specific rapid or section of river. Remember, you don\u2019t have to paddle with anyone. You have the power to remove yourself from situations that make you uncomfortable. If things do go wrong (i.e. you felt \u2018pressured\u2019 to run a rapid before you felt ready or someone told you that your skills were good enough for a particular river but you felt way in over your head) \u2014 rather than play the blame game, reflect on what happened, adjust and move on.<\/p>\n Ten: Don\u2019t forget to kayak when you go kayaking. Bonus: Be flexible.<\/strong>
\nWe all have that one friend who is a waffle. They want to go, but they don\u2019t know if they can, or they don\u2019t want to commit in case something else (read, something \u201cbetter\u201d) is running. When people call to go boating or make plans, they want to know that when you say \u201cyes,\u201d you\u2019re in. Maintaining paddling friendships is hard when you get up early for that dawn patrol lap and see the text that says, \u201cBrahhhh\u2026 sorry. I bailed,\u201d at the take-out. It is a cold, hard truth, but if you frequently renege or bail last minute, you\u2019re unreliable. Repeat offenders usually stop getting invited.<\/p>\n
\nIf you’re on a certain timeline, let your crew for the day know and make sure they are down. A quick, \u201cHey, heads up, I need to be off the water by 4 pm. Does that work for you?\u201d goes a long way. There\u2019s nothing worse than getting halfway through and finding out you need to rush because you\u2019re behind a schedule you didn\u2019t know about, and their car is the take-out vehicle.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/05151403\/JKlatt_Lofer_WWKayaking_20221106_0877_RGB1800px.jpg\")
\nEveryone\u2019s time is valuable. Know your crew\u2019s dynamic. Pre-dawn work hustle? Lunchtime hot lap? Post work\/weekend chill and hang? In some crews, everyone runs late. Even when you set a time, you know Chad will roll in 10-15 minutes behind schedule or want to meet at the put-in. (To all the real-life Chads out there, sorry to throw you under the bus.) Other people run on military precision. To be early is to be on time, and on time is late.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/05165258\/IMG_1004-100x100.jpg\")
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\nIf you want to paddle the river with other people, I strongly recommend having a way to shuttle multiple people and kayaks. Yes, it saves on air drag\/gas mileage to put the front seat of your sedan all the way down and strap your boat next to you in the front seat. While transporting that way lets you gently stroke your boat and tell it to think good thoughts about the run ahead, it doesn\u2019t help your friends. Yes, kayaks are heavy. Yes, loading boats on the roof solo can be hard work. But they make racks for every car, even your sexy, two-door sports car.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/05165313\/IMG_0220-100x100.jpg\")
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\nOne way to lose paddling friends is to consistently try to jump on runs that are above your skill level and turn your paddling homies into your personal non-stop rescue crew. If people are scared when you\u2019re on the water, they probably won\u2019t enjoy paddling with you. While everyone is between swims, there aren\u2019t enough bootie beers\/thank-you-24s in the world to make up for consistently putting yourself or others at risk. If you\u2019re headed somewhere new, research the runs beforehand. American Whitewater and YouTube are both great resources, as is the whitewater.guide app. Don\u2019t forget to check flows! A river you ran at low water in the fall or summer might look drastically different in spring.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/05151602\/DTD23_Eli-Paddling-Crew_1192.jpeg\")
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\nSafety should always be your number one priority. You want to be able to trust everyone in your crew to handle any situation that may arise in the river. Taking a swiftwater rescue class is worth its weight in gold. Your crew\u2019s lives are worth even more! But training doesn\u2019t mean much if you never take safety gear on the water.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/05151512\/JKlatt_Austria_Oetz_WWKayaking_201006-0451_RGB1800px-100x100.jpg\")
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\nNote: Swiftwater training does not replace good judgment. Acting crazy or reckless on the water\u2014or even off the water\u2014in person or on social media or doing or saying things that make people uncomfortable may turn people off to the idea of paddling with you. We don\u2019t all have the same sense of humor, and what impresses some people might fall flat with others. Read the room and adapt to the mood of the crew the best you can. If you misread a situation, own it. Be a class act out there. People are always watching! On that note, please pick up your trash at the put-in\/take-out!<\/p>\n
\nSome people are very social on the river, inviting everyone and anyone to join the fun. Others prefer to paddle in smaller groups with those they know. Whatever your vibe, typically, the more people you go with, the longer a run will take. Depending on the group dynamic, a creek that normally takes two hours may take six with a bigger group thanks to the faff factor, chatting, loading boats\u2026 If you\u2019re going with a crew you don\u2019t know, maybe ask before casually extending the invite to two, three, or seven of your closest paddling friends.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/05151548\/JKlatt_Austria_Lofer_WWKayaking_201020-1491_RGB1800px-100x100.jpg\")
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\nRespecting the river is a big one, always. But it\u2019s also important to respect the decisions and opinions of your crew members. No one should be made fun of for walking a rapid or bullied into running something they don\u2019t feel comfortable with. And if someone tells you that you should walk a rapid or that there’s a move you aren\u2019t ready for yet, it\u2019s worth listening or asking why rather than arguing.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/05151432\/JKlatt_Austria_Oetz_WWKayaking_201006-1566_RGB1800px.jpg\")
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\n<\/strong>While your kayaking buddies can become your closest friends, the river is a way to have fun, relax, and leave the stress, etc., behind. My daily sprint session helps me process things going on in my life. Sometimes I want to talk about it; sometimes, I don\u2019t. I appreciate a crew who is willing to listen when I need advice or need to vent but doesn\u2019t pry. There are days when we\u2019re happy to sit in the eddy or chat through the flats, other days, there is solidarity in silently pushing hard.<\/p>\n
\nNo crew is set in stone. Some days, you may be the most experienced person on the water. Other days, maybe you\u2019re the least. Embrace learning how to be in both roles. Take ownership of your choices and progression. Work on your skills, scout whenever you can, set safety, and speak up if you feel over your head or uncomfortable. Get to know people in the community. Spend time with them off the water, get to know them, and see what they paddle, ask them for help and advice. Finally, never be too cool to say hi to someone you don\u2019t know\u2014it could be the start of a new friendship and your next crew.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/05151557\/JKlatt_Austria_Lofer_WWKayaking_201020-1391_RGB1800px-100x100.jpg\")
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