I just got this one in my email and man is it ever cool! And usually the kind of thing that only happens to me, so it's even cooler to see it happen to someone else!
Be warned, there is no SMURF filter on this video and there are some NSFW words, as one would expect when one's boat enters a state or rapid deconstruction while shooting rapids.
https://paddling.com/learn/whitewater-kayak-explodes-in-waterfall/?utm_source=paddling.com+subscriber+list&utm_campaign=e82ba3bb63-Newsletter_1-31-18&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f2ead8a079-e82ba3bb63-212708641The really rough bit on this is (for those not familiar with whitewater kayaks) is that the forward half of the boat is usually filled with an air bladder rather than just leaving it hollow and having foot pedals. Paddlers in these boats sit in them and inflate the bag and brace their feet against the bladder, and this helps maintain flotation if the skirt should pop (or come loose) in rough water.
In this case however, with no stern and the heaviest part of the boat (by far) being the paddler, who is sitting at the point furthest back (since the stern went off on a solo career) the bow would float upwards while the paddler would go down, resulting in a 90 degree rotation. The danger here is that the paddler is then just below the surface of the water, and fighting the remnants of the boat (and it's flotation bladder) to get back up. With the forward part of his skirt still attached to the cowling and his feet trapped inside (ordinarily you just pop out, but it would be very difficult on this angle, as you would need to go backwards, and the skirt would bring the bow with you), this could have gone very bad very fast.
I'm glad the paddler is okay, but I totally get why he is kind of in shock at the end!
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