Groovin'

[Cone Bone]

Wannabe Playboater C's the light:

I bought the Groove that 'edg' listed for sale last month. Yesterday, I spent a couple of hours on an easy stretch, trying it out. Very fun!

There was a huge pool in the river, below a class II rapid. The pool had two river segments feeding it. Both streams were trying to create an eddy right where they ran into each other. The back currents never became strong, the river just pooled up. All this resulted in a fifty-yard-long fold line up the middle of the pool. The fold line was deep and strong.

I started to repeatedly paddle the Groove across the weaker current, perpendicular to and into the stronger current. At the fold line, if I leaned forward enough to start the bow down, I could slip straight down and under until my body was in the water. After a while, I realized that with almost no forward momentum, I could do the same thing with more control. Of course, I would fall over in a variety of directions, but the thing I am most struck with is the mellow and gradual transitions that occurred while going up and over. I had one or two good bow stalls. I never did get the stern down.

I ran the rapid once, and was graphically reminded that I rock back and forth a lot in my boat when I am trying to power up for a rapid. I have been working on that in my Forplay, but I WILL improve on this item in the Groove - or pay the price. I ferried the tail-out of the rapid several times. It was fast and wide, covered with 12" chop. It was like riding an exercise ball across the river, but not one that you would easily fall off of.

The bow of the Groove is always willing to start to fly underwater, even when pointed downstream. However, the currents never felt grabby on the boat, and I just seemed to be in a different equilibrium location at all angles of lean. Very 3D. The best analogy I can think of is discovering deep powder after skiing on top of crust for one's entire previous skiing experience. I gotta say, I am pretty smitten. Class II just became a lot more enticing.

[Sir Adam]

"Class II just became a lot more enticing"...I know EXACTLY what you mean . Depending on your weight, and the cut of the boat, I"m not sure you'll be able to really mystery it much (as in head under water mysteries), but you should be able to cartwheel it like there's no tomorrow (no hand ("Irish Whips")), and you haven't known a loose hull or freedom until you've had the Groove on a wave .

As an added bonus, when you hop into any of your other boats, you'll noticed your skills (and comfort) will really have improved .

Keep on Groovin'