Video Review: Getting Beat Down
Some boaters are drawn to big munching holes, others avoid them at all cost. Sometimes you make it through, other times you and maybe your boat go along for the ride. Watching videos on how holes have turned out of others is a great part of whitewater education. Here are some great examples of getting beat down.
Tappan Falls
This is a great example of you ran the big hole but your boat didn't make it through. This sticky hole is located at Tappan Falls on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. You fell out and now your boat is still in the hole going for a ride. If you have a very athletic, parkouring, individual you may try to float by and have them jump aboard. While this is an option, it is a pretty risky one at that.
As long as the people in the boat are on shore after swimming, this is a fairly stable situation. Make sure to have folks upstream warning boaters coming down that there is a boat blocking the river. While it may be in there for a long time, it will come out eventually.
It's a Maytag
"Maytag!" A very true statement for this video. Similar to the above video this boat is enjoying its time surfing and going in circles. The crew did a nice job staying in the boat and doing their best to keep it up right. It seems pretty simple to just toss them a rope right?
However once you get them a throw bag that becomes a significant hazard. Especially for those in the raft as it spins around in circles in the hole.
Kayaker Swims in a hole
Steep and smooth bedrock slides can really create some great munching keeper holes! The uniformity of this drop really helps created a retentive hole. When stuck in a munching hole it can be helpful to reach for water that seems to be moving downstream. Also it can be helpful to try to ball up and exit the hole deep out of the bottom.
Don't forget, ropes create huge hazards! If you are going to deploy your rope make sure the swimmer and everyone around you knows what is going on. This group of kayakers is lucky no one was tangled up.
This crew was running out of options and decided to add in a tethered rescuer. An high risk maneuver as it puts another swimmer in the water. Definitely don't try this without training and practice. Not sure I would have sent a swimmer into the hole from the top. It won't be easy to help pull that swimmer back up the falls.
Harvey's Wrath
Green Wall on the Illinois River is the run's most infamouous rapid. Here we see a boat without oars or humans, going for a 20 minute surf. Now that's what I call a sticky hole!
