Why isn't OCing popular on the west coast? (or is it?)

[Al Donaldson]

???

Have you noticed the posts on this forum from Milkman (Lower Columbia Canoe Club)?

--al--

[PAC]

Chris you're going to have a blast.. going west is a great road trip! Just dress for it, be flexible and be ready to get side tracked A LOT! I'm jealous!

[Wiggins]

The last time I checked there are no whitewater kayak makers out here either.

I think the single biggest reason is the lack of dealer support out here. To someone looking to get into boating the price point on a canoe makes kayaking look attractive. Then you combine that with there being almost no dealers to visit to look at boats or get information from (I know of none in Washington), and the few dealers that are out there do not get stock in on a regular basis and you have a recipe for making a lot of kayakers.

Talking to some of the old timers there used to be a lot of canoers in the west, but they started to vanish once plastic K1s came onto the scene.

When I got into canoeing I watched Craigslist and boater boards for a couple months looking for a used boat without success. Ultimately I had to buy a new boat from Mohawk just to try it out. I was lucky that they had the design I liked best, and the best price!

I have seen the opposite ratio of OCs to C1s that Pat described. C1ing enjoyed a brief rivival in my neck of the woods about six years ago. I know a lot of people who still have C1s in their quiver, and I see C1s out on the water more often than OCs. Things are getting better though. Right after I bought my first boat canoes started popping up regularly on the rivers. One friend of mine who sold her Quake a year before I bought my Probe because she did not have anyone to paddle with remarked that now she knows half a dozen people who canoe on a regular basis.

Kyle

[Paddle Power]

In general, there are less canoeists because the thrill is in the skill and most people would rather not work that hard.

[oopsiflipped]

Canoeing isn't popular anywhere.

[eddyhops]

Canoeing isn't popular anywhere.

Must admit... I was waiting for that, Gabe

[Cheeks]

Canoeing isn't popular anywhere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwTGGHaCHAE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Gabe, when I start my canoeing company, I'd like you to be head of PR. We'll be doing a million bucks a month in no time.


And yes, I have seen Milkman's videos. They're awesome. I'm just wondering if there are more people out there that canoe, or that want to canoe. I'm guessing there is.

[TheKrikkitWars]

I don't fully understand the "people don't have the flatwater canoe exposure" logic... this is true for big chunks of europe and (where paddlesport is notable in) asia, where C1 slalom is the most likely route into "real" paddlesport. Certainly I was first introduced to canoeing through Slalom and then Freestyle (which was how I realised I liked it more than kayaking, almost perfectly paralleling the reasoning Will gives for getting into canoeing in the LVM segment) it was only through the happy accident of living close to the UK mohawk dealer, and a couple of oc1 paddlers that I came to paddle OC1 at all.

Moreover however you get introduced to paddlesport it takes a certain mentality to decide that you'd rather use a craft which is more technically demanding on whitewater; I know plenty of people who's first passion is "Trad" canoeing, but who paddle whitewater predominantly in a kayak, canoeing only on carefully selected whitewater for special occasions.

[johnd]

The main reason there are not more canoes is that kayakers and kayaking clubs don't really want to paddle with canoeists. Most people get sick of being the "unwanted stepchild" and switch to kayak. Except for me. It only makes me more determined. (emotion would go here except it's not a joke).

Signed,

Unwanted, one-bladed stepchild

[ian123]

Must be a geographical thing. Slalom isn't really a big deal at all in my area. I ve never even seen a slalom C1. Flat water canoeing on the other hand is almost a childhood prerequisite.

[TheKrikkitWars]

Must be a geographical thing. Slalom isn't really a big deal at all in my area. I ve never even seen a slalom C1. Flat water canoeing on the other hand is almost a childhood prerequisite.

That's definately true, in eastern europe (and to a lesser extent France) competitive canoeing is king (sprint, wildwater & slalom); In Britain there's a strong history of kayaking (which is very much in the public conciousness) but canoeing is only starting to get the same recognition and more as part of an exploration of what wilderness we have left than as an end in its own right.

[truckeeboater]

Wow, great topic gang! My 2Cents: Being a New Englander transplanted to California I'd have to agree with most of the points (i.e. lack of: reps, product demo, available instruction, doing something that's generally harder just BECAUSE it's harder). I got into OC1 almost on a dare from some fellow OB instructors up in Greenville, and immediately fell in love. I too grew up paddling flatwater with family (and still do now with my own family), so I believe that early exposure is also a factor.

However, I feel that many of our rivers here particularly in the Golden State could potentially be quite canoe friendly. Lots of pool and drop, lots of regularly scheduled dam release, not a whole ton of "warm", but also not a tremendous amount of bitter cold water either. Granted, if you're paddling above 4000' in any state you're bound to encounter a bit of brain freeze, but it's definitely been my experience that OC1-ers tend to be a hearty breed . We've got a little bit of everything that any open-boater regardless of skill level or size of b***s could possible want: high-elevation, granite canyon runs with low-volume, technical moves; low elevation, rolling hillside, wide open cruisers; you name it we got it, just wish we had a few more folks to enjoy it with!

Really looking forward to seeing everyone @ WestFest, and also really hoping this SoFo Armada comes to pass!

[Dooleyoc-1]

I think there's one simple reason that canoeing isn't as popular out west. Lack of eddys to stop and empty. Period.

It's too frustrating for most people to stick with canoeing (which has a longer learning curve) and get good enough to enjoy III-IV out west. It's much easier to learn in the drop pool confines of the east or just kayak if you live in the west.

I personally love canoeing out west. I've gone to Colorado every year since 2004 and I hope to hit Washington, California and New Mexico over the next couple of summers. It's incredible to have the snowpack run-off and get to pick your rivers running reliably every day and not have to wait on the rain. Also the scenery is spectacular.

But I've been on a lot of fast, wet continuous runs out there that are not canoe friendly (Fish Creek in Steamboat is several miles long of continuous IV-IV+ and there are maybe at best only 4 eddys on the entire run. I caved in an Ocoee on that run one year when I was slam full of water and pitoned a boulder in the middle of a long section.

Canoeing is awesome out west. But you have to get the skills to enjoy it (even on class III) and you have to survive a lot of long cold fast swims and lost gear to get the skills to have fun out there. It's much easier to learn the skills in the east and translate them to the west for canoeing.

That's my two cents. I love canoeing in the west and I would love to see more open boaters get started out there. Back home people are used to seeing canoes but people look at me like I'm crazy when I drive up to the put-ins of rivers in Colorado by myself with a canoe looking for people to paddle with folks.

[Yukon]

Any one out East thats wants to Paddle in West and North come on up, I have boats, shuttle vehicle, Extra drysuits. After u paddle here maybe u can share some insight for us.

Lets Paddle Get on the Plane Dooley, just bring your favorite paddle

[Dooleyoc-1]

I'll take you up on that offer. I would love hit the Yukon in 2013!