Rubber Duckie, You're The One!

Rubber Duckie, You're The One!

by Nick Daily

Publication Date: July 2001

For you whitewater enthusiasts that say whitewater rafting is not as exciting as it used to be; or those wanting to take it to the next level but are really not sure they are ready to slip into one of those small kayaks, even though they look like a ton of fun; and wow, what about all those techniques you need to learn in order to kayak down even a small river? What you want is something that is between the two.

We may have found just the thing for you during a recent trip Heather and I made to the Smoky Mountains. While we were there, we stopped and visited some friends of Extremz at USA Raft in Hartford, TN. Having rafted the New and Gauley Rivers in West Virginia every year for the past six years, we were ready for something different. We had tried creek kayaking in Kentucky, but were not quite ready to tackle full-scale kayaking on a Class III and IV river. Here is where USA introduced us to some little water crafts called Duckies (and no, they weren't yellow with little orange bills; and yes, they were too big to fit into a bath tub).

A Duckie is a cross between a whitewater raft and a kayak. They are an open-faced, inflatable, one-person kayak. These little water crafts are extremely stable, unlike most whitewater kayaks. They are also very responsive, making it extremely easy to navigate around or through any rapid, as we would soon find out.

Once we arrived at the river, we could already feel this would be a little different from any rafting trip we had ever been on. I felt the excitement building as we approached our first set of rapids called Power House (Class III+). Heading into the rapids, I could tell it was a lot different from being in a six-person raft. I was actually able to maneuver around in the rapid as I saw fit, not just where the guide took me. I definitely got a new perspective of some of the rapids, mainly because I was much lower in the water than I was used to.

Almost immediately after we came out of the first set of rapids, one of the guides asked if we wanted to do a little "mountain surfing," which means paddling your craft back into a wave and attempting to surf it. This maneuver is much like surfing in the ocean except the wave here is stationary. We were also introduced to "Hawaii Five O" (an extremely large wave). Hitting this one was like being launched off an aircraft carrier - being in a small boat, we literally hit the wave and went almost fully vertical. Then, just as fast as we went into that incredible mass of moving water, we were rushed out. Before we knew it, we were already on top of the next wild ride.

One of our guides had already gone down the rapid to scout it for the best line (route) to run. On his signal, we were instructed to enter. As Heather entered this major rapid, she noticed that our guide was directing her to go further to the right. Evidently she was not lined up for it, as she headed for water that was a bit more intense, or as our guide called it "The Meat." Heather, being the woman that wants to do it all, decided she was going to take the line she was already headingactually, I think she just lost control and was sucked in.

Heather hit the first rapid and ran it as if she had done it a hundred times. The wave that immediately followed, however, was just a tad bit more than she was prepared for. In the Class III+ rapid named "Accelerator," she learned what happens when you're not lined up properly for a rapid while in a smaller boat - taking an unexpected swim, that's what happens. In the end, the guides were glad she was OK, but even more excited that she never let go of her paddle! Heather knew from her whitewater rafting experience that your paddle is your friend and you don't let go of it.

After fishing guppy girl out of the river, we hit a couple more killer surfs before ending our two hour trip down the Big Pigeon.

Now that we have tried the Duckies, we definitely recommend it to anyone that wants more out of whitewater rafting, such as kayaking, but has no experience. The greatest thing about a Duckie is that you are totally in charge of what it does. Duckies can be rented at most whitewater outfitters for $30 to $60 per person depending on trips available.

We would like to give special thanks to USA Raft, and our guides for providing us with a great trip down the Big Pigeon.

Notes about the Big Pigeon River: It is fed from the Carolina Power and Light Plant in Waterville, NC, where the dam releases 1200 cfs (cubic feet per second). The upper section is five miles long and has 12 Class III and 3 Class IV rapids. The Big Pigeon is located at the Hartford, TN Exit on I-40, between Knoxville, TN and Asheville, NC.