What is big water?

Louie · Post by **Louie** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 12:54 pm

Where I am from 1200 on the Cheoah was referered to as big water.
I always think the Gauley at 2800 is big I thought 4000 was really big water.
Do you have to have "big water features" eddies with foot high eddie wall, randon formin "brain waves", whirlpools?
Phil from Alambama made fun of us when we called Tellico at 3.8 as big water, do you figure in the steepness of the river when you make you assment?
Is it only big water when you change from your normal boat to your big water boat and do you have a big water boat? Changin from a super fly to an Ocoee to do the grand canyon doesn't really count that is more like a comfort thing. I only ask this question because I see so many ALF'ers show up with a couple of different boats to meet the different river they think they might do.
Is the Obed above 3000 big? I know it was at 40,000 and Monty Smith even called us "canoe crazys" The big south fork at 5000? Is it only big water when trees and dead animals are floatin by? BTW did I ever time you about the time me in a canoe and a couple of buzzards riddin a dead burror were fighting for a slot in Mexico.
Is it big water only if some western cowboy who normaly run massive volume says it is. Does if change if you are in some 16 foot OCA vs a 7 foot 11 and 15/16 inch Teaurea?
Is big water only determined by CFS or do you have to figure in the FPM?

For extra credit on this test please define flood, simplistic answers like "when it is more than a bankfull" will recieve min extra points.
Please state you geo location and what rivers you normally run, as well as your boat type.

philcanoe · Post by **philcanoe** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 1:36 pm

I made fun of you because, you can let it happen so easily.

As for what's big water... it's usually bigger if I'm there, than if I'm not...

I have noticed for instance - that 12 plus feet on the New, didn't look all that big from the bridge.

Louie · Post by **Louie** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 1:37 pm

that is what I figured

greybear · Post by **greybear** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 1:39 pm

I live in Southwest VA and I guess big water to me are higher volume rivers or higher cfs. The New Gorge at +1' I consider big wate. The French Board over 3000cfs big to me. Whitetop Laurel at 1' or over is big, the pump runs alot and one can't avoid the holes. The Big South Fork of the Cumberland is big water over 2000cfs to me. Where I live thats what is big to me, but others may have a different view. No doubt about it the Noli gorge over 2000cfs is big but very fun.

Louie · Post by **Louie** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 1:40 pm

In 1983 I saw God on the New river at 9 feet, and I didn't even swim.

philcanoe · Post by **philcanoe** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 1:44 pm

so glad my edit (new river addition)- was just in the nick of time

dgmonster · Post by **dgmonster** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 3:47 pm

A little off topic but what does God Paddle? I would imagine he paddles an old 17' glass flat bottom open boat with no float bags. Using and old beaver tail paddle, but please correct me if I'm wrong.

I consider big water to have large irregular wave holes that pop up out of no where. I also think it includes a wide body of water that will result in a long and possible terrible swim should you be in the middle of the river, when said swim occures. On the same note recovering a boat from the middle of the river is difficult to impossible because the shore is so far away. I think big water tends to be very pushy with either a lot of volume or a lot of speed. Just my two cents. I normally paddle the Gauley and New river in a 5'10" playboat so my opinion may be a little skewed

philcanoe · Post by **philcanoe** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 4:01 pm

... some people say he paddles a Whitesell. But I think they, were just blinded by all the flashing cameras.

Craig Smerda · Post by **Craig Smerda** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 4:02 pm

When you feel like a human foamy... that's BIG WATER

TheKrikkitWars · Post by **TheKrikkitWars** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 4:07 pm

Big water? That's probably more of an African thing, 1250000 CFS on the Congo or the Victoria Nile's more sedate 300000 CFS.

dixie_boater · Post by **dixie_boater** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 4:42 pm

To me big water starts at bankfull on the Chattooga around 3 ft. or LRC at 12". Flood is the Chattooga at 6 ft and flashing. My measure of big water doesn't change whether i'm in the short or long barge

A run in flood has big debris floating by like logs, dead animals, stairs or decks, big propane tanks...you get the picture. The Chattooga at 6 ft. and up floats lots of big wood since the hemlocks are dying from the wooly aldegid in large numbers

philcanoe · Post by **philcanoe** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 4:48 pm

Yeah Africa. yeah... that's pretty big - but you're only talking volume.... at 11,000,000 CFS the Amazon would dwarf both put together.... and then there's the Tsango, in China - where the guage was wiped out at 400,000 CFS, what an incredible sight at 100 foot plus Hidden Falls.

I just paddle little itty bitty whitewater.

marclamenace · Post by **marclamenace** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 5:11 pm

When looking at this video at first you can even think they are on the sea or something... pretty big.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/vide ... 376&ref=nf

But apart from that we northern vikings have the exclusivity on big water in america, right phil?

philcanoe · Post by **philcanoe** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 5:13 pm

my folks where just impressed w/Columbus.... and what did they know? (btw- that's same video posted above, different link)

Louie · Post by **Louie** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 5:18 pm

Ok that is bigger than what I would want to do but if I was going to do it I swear a jet ski looks like it would be more fun.

C-Forum

What is big water?

What is big water?

I paddle in the SE US in a Caption, Whitesell or Encore