Is whitewater kayaking techniques very different from touring or just plain recreational kayaking?

Question

I want to take up kayaking this summer, so I started looking around online for places in Massachusetts that give lessons. I found a place not to far away called Zoar Outdoors. The problem is the only clinics that they do are for whitewater kayaking. According to their website they have a beginners class that requires no prior experience. My main question is: if I learn to whitewater kayak, will I know how to or at least have a good solid start to other forms of kayaking?

Answer 1

The answer is YES, white water is very different and much harder than recreational/touring. I have a touring and a whitewater boat. Started out with the touring boat, and loved it. Tryed whitewater, and well, lets just say, i don't really have much skill for it, i was out of the boat more than in. As far as white water goes, i think i'm more of a riverboarder than kayaker.  I live south of boston and actually got my ww boat at zoar, but took lessons in maine where it was cheaper. Eastern Mountian Sports has a kayak school that gives lessons, for all types of kayaking, and the prices are pretty reasonable. Take lessons for the kind of kayaking you want to do, tiz my advice. Good luck!!

Answer 2

You'll know how to padle anyway. You'll be less likely to show all the beginner traits meaning you'll paddle hard and turn quicly.

However white-water kayaking makes much more use of your boat rather than your paddles. You edge quite a bit to both manouver and allow the flow to pass under your both.

There's a lot of new aspects involved in picking lines, catching eddys and using signals. It rewuires you to be very dynamic.

To answer your question. You will find it much easier to pick up seeing as your paddling should be good but you probably should take the begginer course. When you do it first, a 2 foot drop looks like a challenge. Through this you'll meet other people into WW and you won't need to do any further courses. Just go peer paddling.

Enjoy yourself

Answer 3

You will learn skills in the beginning whitewater class that will serve you well for your flat water kayaking.  

You will learn a lot about kayak control that you would not learn if you just go out and kayak on your own.

White water kayaking is all about reading the rapids (not going to be particularly useful to you) and controlling the boat to go exactly where you want it to go, how to stay upright, and how to get back upright, in adverse conditions.

If you tell the instructor that you are really interested in touring and flat water paddling, they may give you some extra pointers on paddling style for straight and distances.

Answer 4

Thats a tough one, Whitewater Kayaking is the most challenging form of kayaking, obviously because it involves alot of fast moving water.  The techniques are obviously different because with White water everything has to have an immediate effect otherwise you may end up stuck on a rock or rolling over.

With touring kayaking the focus is more on efficiency and technique, using the least amount of effort to cover the greatest distance so you don't run out of energy 1/2 way to your destination.  

If your main interest is in touring kayaking i would try to get the basics in that because they will teach you how to do it properly in a controlled environment, and you can then take those basics into a white water environment as opposed to learning in a fast moving highly reactive environment.

Answer 5

It will be easy to transition to other form,s of kayaking from whitewater kayaking. Once you learn to handle a kayak in whitewater the rest is all technique. after all it tacks more skill to deal with all that speed and current change,s then to paddle down a slow moving river or across a lake. you would do well to learn whitewater first, YAK ON !!