All topics in this driving technique:
For some, white water is the supreme discipline of stand-up paddling, for others it's a closed book. But paddling in moving water offers one thing in any case: fun, adrenaline and adventure at the same time. You should never go into white water alone. There are far more dangerous spots and potential dangers lurking in and on the river than on the lake. Therefore, always set off on a river tour with at least two people. This also includes a thorough
Preparation: Checking the water level and the weather, familiarising yourself with the course of the river, dealing with dangerous spots, entry and exit points, transfer points, bank areas that cannot be entered (nature conservation, bird protection, private property) as well as checking and testing equipment. Once everything has been checked and the preparation completed, it's time to hit the water. You can find out how to get through the white water with the best possible technique from the expert.
Read the water
Before we venture into white water, we should know how the current will affect our board. Every river has a main current, which usually has the most water and also offers the best travelling line. If there are obstacles such as stones, branches or trees above, in or under the water, a different route may be necessary, for example in a side current. Finding the best route along the course of the river is part of reading the water.
The picture above shows the optimum route: the paddler follows the main stream or main watercourse, as this is usually deeper than other branches of the river. He also paddles where the water is "calmest". It is usually also deeper there than in choppy areas (rippling water), where there may also be stones directly under the surface of the water. The best riding line is also along the highest waves at the edge of the main current. If you want to have more fun, you can ride directly over the highest waves.
Safe areas and quiet spots in the river are the eddies, which are usually located behind large stones protruding from the water and at the edge of the river. You can rest in the eddy or wait for other group members. Stones lurking under the surface of the water can create waves, rollers or holes that can be dangerous. Undercut stones in particular can be a deadly danger. Recognising these before paddling or recognising them while paddling is also part of reading the water.
Learning to read water is not something that can be learnt overnight. Above all, it takes experience. It is therefore safest to go out on the rum ipsaimar river with experienced whitewater paddlers who know the course of the river and can point out dangers. Whitewater courses at SUP schools teach you how to read the water as well as the basics of whitewater paddling.
Three different stances for white water
Anyone who has attended a SUP course on a lake or at sea will be familiar with the parallel stance (both feet next to each other in the centre of the board at the handle) and surf stance (one leg in front, the other leg behind in a line). The parallel stance is usually used when paddling forwards, while the surf stance is used for turning manoeuvres such as the pivot turn. When stand-up paddling in white water, there are two additional positions for standing or kneeling: in the Indian stance, you don't stand with both feet in a line like in the surf stance, but offset behind each other on the board. This means that if the left foot is positioned on the left side at the centre of the board, the right foot is on the right side at the back of the board. In this case, the paddle should be on the right-hand side, creating a stable triangle with the standing position and the paddle and allowing the paddle to be used as a support.
The safety stance provides even more safety when paddling through rapids, swells, rollers or waves, where the feet are positioned in the same places as in the Indian stance, but you no longer stand with your back leg, but instead take up a stable kneeling position on the board. As soon as you can continue paddling safely, you return from the safety stance to the Indian stance.
The cable ferry
The rope ferry helps you to get from one side of the river to the other without drifting downstream, for example to prepare the optimum entry into a difficult passage or to get to other group members. Here, too, you usually start from a eddy and manoeuvre to a eddy on the other side of the river, for example. For whitewater beginners, it is usually easier to practise the cable ferry first before manoeuvring in the eddy, as this is somewhat easier to learn. However, you will also need a suitable practice spot with an opposite eddy on the right and left bank of the river. With the cable ferry, the correct edge must also be loaded, namely the edge facing the current that you want to enter.
Turning water: exit and entry
One of the most important currents in whitewater paddling are the eddies, which are usually very easy to recognise. Safely entering and exiting these low-flow, sheltered areas behind stones or other obstacles is part of the basics of whitewater SUPing. From the outset, eddies also offer ideal training opportunities that do not require kilometres of river. You can hone your eddy technique for hours at a short and suitable practice spot without getting bored. And even after many years of whitewater experience, switchbacking is still as much fun as it was at the start of your whitewater career - even if you will usually fall into the water more often at the beginning because you haven't put the right weight on the edge of the board.
It is therefore particularly important to load the edge correctly when entering the eddy or leaving the eddy into the main current.
The exit from the eddy (1 to 5) always takes place with the bow against the main current. The bow of the board is steered out of the eddy in the direction of the current (2 to 3). As soon as the bow has crossed the eddy line (4), the edge facing away from the current is loaded in order to avoid upstream water. The water pressure on the underside of the board and a paddle stroke (pull stroke or bow stroke - depending on which side the paddle is on) cause the board to turn in the direction of flow.
Falling in is allowed: You can usually tell if you've put the wrong amount of weight on the edges by the fact that you fall in. But this is part of the learning process. It is important to approach the eddy as directly as possible, i.e. in as straight a line as possible to the eddy. You should enter at the front of the eddy. If the eddy is behind a rock, for example, you should head for this rock to create the entrance at the front of the eddy. The angle of entry of the board should generally be between 45 and 90 degrees, depending on the speed of the current.
Interview with Toby Hüther, white water expert
Toby Hüther is one of the most experienced SUP whitewater paddlers in Germany. Born in Saarland, he runs the SUP Club Chiemsee, which focuses on flowing and white water as well as stand-up paddling and wing sports. In tours, courses and trips, Toby Hüther imparts his knowledge to whitewater beginners or tests new waters. In 2022, he and two friends embarked on a unique experiment: paddling as many rivers as possible from Lake Chiemsee to Grado on an e-bike and SUP.
How did you get into whitewater paddling on the SUP?
I had my first paddle at the age of ten. Canoe slalom was also my introduction to whitewater paddling back then. My coaches and team mates gave me a solid technique from an early age and made it easier for me to discover the fascination of white water. After about ten years of canoe slalom, I spent another ten years doing freestyle canoeing before I stood on a SUP board for the first time in 2011. At the time, I was also thinking about taking the board into white water. I initially gained my first experience in the current and with small waves on the Rhine, the Isar and the Reuss (Switzerland).
What do you find so fascinating on a SUP board in white water?
On the SUP board, you often find smaller and sometimes bigger waves to surf that you couldn't surf with a kayak or a short surfboard. That's something that always fascinates me. In technical white water, where you have to find your line between rocks, I find it fascinating that in grade III to IV white water the bar is already set very high, but the dangers are still relatively low. In the boat, my upper limit back then was white water in grades V to VI, although there were often dangers lurking here that could be your undoing if you made a mistake. But the adrenalin kick is still there in whitewater SUP. Last but not least, the team spirit that you experience with the SUP in white water also counts. Because on the river, you are generally never paddling alone, but in a group on the water that is welded together by shared experience.
How do you get started in white water?
The easiest way to get started is with experienced paddlers or in a SUP school that offers whitewater SUP courses and tours. The basics for white water are taught here. Safety is then always guaranteed by experienced whitewater guides. Due to the potential dangers, you should not go into flowing water without experience, as different rules and laws apply here and other dangers lurk than on the lake or sea. Many clubs now also offer courses and tours for whitewater SUP. If you want to ease your way into whitewater paddling, you should start by honing your stroke technique. In white water, pull strokes are the measure of all things. These can also be practised very well on flat water. You can also practise your feel for edge loading in advance by edging (loading the edge facing the paddle) and edging (loading the edge facing away from the paddle).
