#1. Protect your back at all costs. Standing in the water can provide some back support but after a strain that took me a couple weeks to fully recover from, I became much more aware of my digging form.
#2. Pace yourself. My instinct is to dig like crazy, all day, until the sun goes down. I only did that a couple of times before I learned the whole experience was much more enjoyable if I could stay awake during the 2 hour drive home and didn't spend the whole ride suffering from shooting pains in my hamstrings and aching hands barely able to hold the steering wheel.
#3. Maintain your health. I refuse to stop for an official lunch break although gifts of yummy food will occasionally convince me to sit down for an al fresco meal that may look a bit foreign to the uninitiated.
Frequent bites of food and swigs of water keep my energy level steady during all the exertion; digging in water may provide some support but it also adds an inordinate amount of resistance to every movement.
I'm rarely bothered by insects on the water but the sun is a big concern. I always apply sunscreen but just noticed these additional instructions:
I thought the whole point of the spray was not having to rub it in!
#4. Keep your gear light. I have been teased for taking too much stuff with me but if I get chilled in the water, it's over. I have to get out and warm up to regain functionality and that's a big chunk of time wasted. Depending on the weather, I will load up an extra dry bag with a fleece shirt and leggings and wool socks as well as chemical handwarmers, in case my core temperature drops; I've never been good at retaining body heat. I was using my 14' kayak with the trolling motor and battery but that weight is more of an issue when loading up at the end of the day. Still, when a neighbor offered me an 8' kayak for FREE, I snagged it, thinking I could surely paddle an 8' kayak for miles without getting tired.
This little kayak was small enough I could pull it into my living room to puzzle out how to attach my gear but when I got it on the river, it was hard to steer and sluggish, completely the opposite of my expectations. So I attached the trolling motor to it.
Spectacular failure! Luckily, no one was around to witness it. Once again, I felt strong admiration for the well-used 14' Wilderness Systems Tarpon 140: it's a barge, but it's a sleek, stable barge. Now the 8' kayak is relegated to the rare friend who wants to come along and instead of making them paddle, I tow them up and down the river.
This is Mike, on his one and only time accompanying me to the river, being a tremendously good sport as we transported frames for our screens.
This summer I've been working out in anticipation of my second season on the river. These guys thought I could move some gravel before. I'll be a machine this year!
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