EBarnacle in a play boat--- that'd look sort of look like a
teddy bear stuffed into a gardening clog!

"Our" piece of the Delaware has, depending on the flow (ironically,
LOW water tends to leave it most frisky due to protruding
rocks; at high water it's just an expressway) some Class I rapids
and an occasional Class II. In between, it is grand, wide, smooth,
and scenic.

I like to say that "you can make a class I into a class II by
screwing up on purpose." I think every rapid contains some
higher class pieces if you find it and steer into it. That's
a good way to learn, because if you screw up, you and your
boat blow out into safer conditions, to either recover yourself
or think about it.

Steer into some standing waves on purpose--- maybe ones
a foot or two high: You'll be amazed how, just when it appears that
you're toast, the bow of the kayak lifts up and over. Just keep her straight and don't fall off sideways in the trough, otherwise you'll
be all a-glub in no time at all. But don't get scared when a wave
bursts and soaks your crotch--- that's part of the fun.

Go for the 'bad' spots... just keep it straight, you'll be fine.

Pass close to a big rock or set of rocks (not so close
you get sucked in) and when you are right along side
the rock, start an upstream turn into the eddy just
downstream of the rock. You have to start the turn
sooner than you think. But don't over-lean; use your
paddle, not too much body-English or you'll dump the
boat. Forget what you see guys doing in the play boats---
they're simultaneously 'dragging' the turn and preventing
a capsize. Keep the boat well-balanced while you 'force'
a sharp turn with the paddle.

This is where the Pungo's long straight run of keel may
fight you; you're going to have to figure out how to overcome
its good tracking manners.

You can 'sit' in the eddy for quite some time,
and if it's substantial enough, you can paddle upstream
in it. Just there at the top, it is sometimes possible to have
the bow in upstream water, cutting like crazy, with the back
2/3 of the boat 'stuck' in the eddy. This is really kind of
fun.

Just be careful there at the top, where it reverses--- the boat
may try and sheer off sideways, and the key is to make sure that any time you spend sideways changing directions to point down-stream is spent in relatively calm water, such as the middle of the
eddy. You don't want to be ejected sideways into standing waves downstream of the eddy!

If you can't get fully turned, then come out backwards and
re-group in calmer water. Beats sideways any day!

I find that this kind of playing around is best done in
a boat between 10 and 11 feet. At 12 feet, I find I can't
force the boat around like I want and am at risk of screwing
the pooch. Don't even get me started about tandems.

I'm kind of sad to see that Old Town has discontinued the
Loon 111s--- they've been our favorites for a while. In
fact, they don't have a new 11-footer, but the new 100 (10
feet) looks pretty nice.

Now, I grew up in little boats, swim well, and am not really
afraid of tipping over. I can't remember the last time I did
so accidentally. I'm also not really happy unless I arrive
at the take-out with my shorts wet from a bow wave. I'm not
trained in rolling and recovering a kayak--- we don't use
skirts and helmets anyway; too hot and overkill for the kind
of waters we're in. But I think with a bit of river play some
place like our Delaware most folks will get very comfortable
very quickly. My paddling partner did, and she went from 'never
been in a kayak' to really good in just a few sessions.