Paddling the Hudson

[Ichabod Spoonbill]

 Man, do I feel dumb. Hey, someone pass me the dunce cap, please!

[eastbound]

i believe there was some life insurance which was a disincentive for a simple breakup!

[Zooport]

So if a girlfriend takes out a big life insurance policy on you and then asks you to go kayaking, think twice? 

[Ichabod Spoonbill]

And if my wife recently did that with me, should I be worried?

[Zooport]

LOL.  Are you worth more dead than alive?  Just don't go if she asks you to go BASE jumping or suggests you go SUP Maverick's.

[spookini]

If your wife never visits the 'Zone...
Yet inexplicably you catch her reading the "Do Sharks Attack Us?" thread... 

[Zooport]

Then you find chum stuck to your PFD or the bottom of your board. 

[pdxmike]

Watch out for the old "lifejacket approved for a CAT 3 hurricane" trick:


http://www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php/topic,26382.msg271358.html#msg271358 (but video doesn't seem to work anymore).

[spookini]

That young lady really got her rocks off (or was it sand?)

[michmich]

Thanks everyone! I'll keep up the good paddle and see how it goes!

[Zooport]

Sorry I hijacked your thread, michmich. 

As your stroke improves and your strength increases, I'll bet those same currents will cause you little trouble.  You will be amazed at what a good stroke will do for you.  Most beginners use their arms to paddle.  You will find it much easier when you learn to use your core muscles and not your arms.  Here's a good vid.  Notice he is not using his arms much but paddling with much the same muscles you use to do situps.  Arms mostly straight and using stomach and other core muscles to paddle.  Seems weird at first, but works great:

[lucabrasi]

Watch out for the old "lifejacket approved for a CAT 3 hurricane" trick:
http://www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php/topic,26382.msg271358.html#msg271358 (but video doesn't seem to work anymore).

I kind of remember seeing that post but missed the "CAT 3 hurricane approved" line........oh my word. No way the good stuff here is made up......DJ's adventures, paddling on the Hudson (oh, that's this thread), home depot runs......cuz when it is you get crap like that. (wait, that gruzzywald lady isn't far off from the hurricane vest, she must of watched that or some old barbaby jones or mannix)

[Victoriapaddler]

From my first paddle on it yesterday the Hudson definitely has challenging tides, winds, wave chop and boat traffic. It combines the traffic of Victoria BC's harbour, with seemingly no speed or traffic restrictions, with the tides and wind of coastal water.

Not to hijack the thread but if anyone is paddling the Hudson Sunday night or Monday morning, from Manhatten and has an extra board to rent send me a PM. I'm visiting from the West Coast and would love to do a liberty paddle. I tried renting a board from a shop but they would only let me take it out with a guide so we did a 45 min little paddle on the river.

Cheers

[Ichabod Spoonbill]

Victoriapaddler, I sent you a PM.

[burchas]

First let me share a very good resource for paddling on the Hudson and the area:
http://hudson.dl.stevens-tech.edu/maritimeforecast/maincontrol.shtml

This is the most comprehensive resource I know and it tells you everything you need to
know about all the important conditions: Tides, Currents, Winds, Wave field, Water temperature
and so much more, not just for the Hudson but the whole region!!!

You'll be able to visualize the condition before you get to the water.

I've been paddling the Hudson for a while, on my Red Explorer inflatable, and it is no joy when the
elements are against you! It's a good thing I love hard workouts since this is exactly that!

Trying to go up river when the tide/current are full force against you on an inflatable, you'll be making
no progress at all as a beginner. It takes me sometimes an hour or more to cover a mile, it's a little easier
if the wind is blowing your direction but it makes for a bumpy conditions.

Doing it in reverse when the current is with you but you're going upwind can be fun since you'll be making progress but you'll be bouncing up and down all the way since the bumps are coming your way.

The problem with inflatables (at least with mine) is that they are not good at catching bumps and use then waves/wakes to your benefit, so you're missing a lot of downwind opportunities where you can just
enjoy the wind/waves carry you along.

My best advice for you is spend some more time on safer water and get to know the conditions in your area. Make sure you go on land and spend sometime casing the areas you're going to cover, in different conditions. You'll learn a lot.

Also, you can join some of the tours the paddling groups out in the area putting together, you'll be safer
with more experienced paddler who will only go when the conditions are safe.