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< Sept/Oct 2000
	Skills
How to Read the Bad Holes Kent Ford

You spend the first half of your paddling career trying to stay out of holes, and the rest of your paddling career trying to stay in them. The expression is a daunting joke to rodeo competitors...but seems to be quite true for most paddlers. The less you know about holes, the more frequently you seem to get stuck and trashed. The more you know, the better you are at picking ones within your ability.

The Basics: Wave Holes and Ledge Holes

Holes with more of a wave shape are intimidating, but typically less hazardous. Very little water is recycling back upstream. Even huge wave holes will usually just tumble you a time or two before flushing you out. Ledge holes are not so nice. These go by different names...like pourover, keeper, sticky hole, etc. The water drops down, goes underneath, and some recycles back upstream. This water moving upstream can be tricky, and hold a boat, and, in some cases, you. Learn how to identify the ugly ones so you can avoid them.

Big Backwash Is Bad

The distance the water in a ledge hole is moving upstream tells you a lot about its danger and power. If the backwash is approaching four feet, there is a greater chance you can get recycled in there if you swim. If the current moves upstream a greater distance, it is getting really nasty and dangerous. A ledge hole with only two feet of backwash might be pretty sticky for sidesurfing, but as soon as you swim it will flush you out quickly.

Irregular Is Better

A hole or ledge hole that is irregular is nicer, since there are more likely jets of current breaking through the backwash. Hook up with one of those irregular spots, and you're on your way out. If the backwash is wider, stretching across more of the river, it is worse.

Width is Worse

The worst examples are low head dams, which often have dangerous hydraulics because they are wide, have several feet of backwash, and no current blowing through. If you look carefully, you can spot the horizon line from upstream. A ledge hole that's only a few feet wide is less dangerous, since it won't take as much effort to swim out the side.

Smiling or Frowning?

The thing to remember about this famous memory trick is that it refers to the view looking downstream from the water. Basically, if the ends of a hole are angled downstream, it is smiling and will tend to feed you out the end. A frowning hole has both ends angled upstream, and is more likely to hold you. A hole that is angled relative to the current flow will be more friendly, since it will tend to flush you out the side into the current.

Rare Exceptions

If the ends of the hole are closed, like angled upstream or against a wall, it can be hard to escape. Another exception is a hole with unusual power moving back upstream. These are rare, but the worst examples have a rock underneath, aiding the backwash. Some low head dams are designed with this feature, making them extra dangerous.

What to do

Smart paddlers never run drops blindly. When you can't see clearly downstream, either to the end of a rapid or the next sure eddy, stop and get a better view. Scouting is always a good option, and a good opportunity to share knowledge.

--Contributing editor Kent Ford recently released Whitewater Self Defense, an instructional video designed for recreational whitewater paddlers. This, his other videos, and books are available through nearly every whitewater shop and catalog. Find more tips at www.performancevideo.com.

Getting Out

Getting out Swimming

Swimming in holes can be fun with the right wave hole...but it's no fun in large pourovers. If you feel stuck in a hole, don't just swim for the surface. Simply changing your shape may cause the hole to spit you out. First, swim aggressively for the sides where water rushes by. You may improve your chances to escape if you swim upstream to hook up with current flushing out underneath.

Getting Out in a Boat

Riding a hole sideways is called a sidesurf. To stay upright in a sidesurf, you must keep the upstream edge of your boat clear of the green water falling into the hole. If this edge catches, it's an instant flip. However, if you tilt the boat too far downstream, you'll look to the blade for constant support, then you won't be able to maneuver effectively. Steep ledge holes force lots of boat tilt, so it is hard to stay balanced.

Your goal is to find an ideal balanced position, so you can use normal forward, or reverse strokes to move your boat. If you don't have enough balance for forward or reverse strokes, sacrifice power and incorporate a brace. The high brace combines easily with a small forward sweep to propel you forward. The low brace works nicely with a reverse sweep to move you the other direction.

There's one more stroke option for moving around in a hole: stationary strokes. These take advantage of the current under the pile to pressure the blade. You'll use a combination of these propulsion strokes to get out of a hole. In a deep hole, you're literally climbing out, so momentum will help. Sometimes you have to back up, and get a run at a good exit.