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I still remember my first instruction like it was yesterday...

Me: Alright, you got me in a boat. Any words of advice?

Louie (laughing): Go with God.

Me: That's helpful.

Louie: What do you want me to do, coddle you? Just try and keep up. If you swim hold on to your boat and paddle. Since you can't paddle good, paddle hard. When in doubt, eddy out.

Me: What's an eddy?

Louie: Nevermind. Just follow me.

Me: Hmmm...this should be interesting.

Been hooked ever since.

We save "When in doubt, eddy out" for the more advanced, second hour on the water. For the first hour we stick with "When in doubt, straighten out".

We used to tell them "lean downstream" but that just confused them - just like it did that first time I was dragged down the Little Tennesse behind that swamped Explorer... With my wife to be sputtering beside me... It was a while before she got in a canoe with me again

2opnboat1 wrote:Faster eddy turns and a quicker roll and how to play the whole river with style

dancing on water? ..... just got to make it look good ... i need to get time to learn to roll .... but with school during the day and 2nd shift during the week for work .... leaves weekends to learn how to roll .... when did life get complicated?

anyway yeah i like the when in doubt eddy out, or straighten out ... also when in doubt ... paddle ...

I got much the same advise from louie. If you can't paddle well paddle hard, if in doubt eddy out, speed is your friend.

do SOMETHING.. even if it's wrong. and never give up, paddle paddle paddle, it ain't over till it's over. oh.. never scout for more than 2 min. (that's just me)

I recently retook the ACA Open Canoe Instructor Course. I tried to stay serious throughout, but at the end of the 5 page exam, I gave several bonus answers for the final question, "When in doubt...?"

I started with "Scout" and "Paddle it out", but couldn't resist the opportunity to "request a stout, "not trust the lout", and sit on a rock and pout".

"when in doubt....get the ffff out".... of ur boat that is.

or when in doubt...swim really hard.

I was hopeing to teach some rolling and playboating

one thing for sure about learning from Louie is it's never very long before you hear....."GET MY BOAT (your name here)!!! that's the main instruction I remember anyway.

would love to learn to roll but i dont see any spare time coming up ...

Things most often heard on the river when being instructed by Louie:
1. Stand up
2. Get you sh...stuff
3. Get to the bank
4. I remember this one time when the (insert river/run) was at (insert insanely high water level) and we had to (insert a Paul Harvey).

Actually, the GDI is fairly helpful. You always know what just caused your swim. They will point you to the best line through a rapid. I just wish I knew what I was doing rather than just paddle hard and hope for the best. All with time, I guess.

2opnboat1 wrote:I was hopeing to teach some rolling and playboating

Awesome!!