Dart Loop: Two runs, twice the fun!

After our long, cold, dry spell it has finally been wet this week. I didn't manage to get out for a paddle during the week, so I thought I better make up for it with a day on the river on Saturday. So Louise and I headed to the river Dart to paddle the 'Loop' section. The Loop does seem to be the place to be these days if your an intermediate. The Car park was crammed full, and so was the river!

Me trying to get a cartwheel out of the Pyranha Z:one on top wave

Louise and I kitted up and hit the water Tandem in our Open Canoe for the first run of the day. There had been a lot of rain over night, but it had stopped before sunrise, so the river was now on the drop. But it was still at a great level when we got on. The Slab at Newbridge, the usual rule of thumb gauge, was covered, somewhere around 6ft on the old gauge. This meant that the rapids would be big and bouncy, and with the odd hole thrown in here and there for good measure!

Grrrr, it wasn't this busy a few years ago.......!

We had a great run down, after we'd blasted down to spitchwick corner to avoid the crowds! Lovers leap caught us out slightly, there were some big waves, and we took on a fair bit of water, then the hole in the middle got us and that was us swamped! Oh well, we paddled into an eddy river left after the island, emptied out, and then ferried across above splat rock.
Triple once again posed a swamping threat, but this time we got the line, despite me shouting 'left' when I meant right, and 'right' when I meant left. But luckily Louise knew what I meant!

Jack Russel enjoying top wave

After making use of the shuttle service back to Newbridge, I swapped Canoe for Kayak and headed back to the river. The level had dropped quite a bit, but there was still water on the slab, and flowing over the top corner. I had the shops Demo medium Pyranha Z:ONE and was keen to see what it would do. First stop Top Wave. The Z:one surfed well, as you'd expect from it length and shape, but it would also spin. It took a couple of attempts to get used to its extra length but once you'd got accustomed to it it was fine.
I also bumped into local paddler, coach, inspirational speaker, and all-round nice bloke, Jack Russel. So we set off together to run the rest of the river.

Jack hand surfing the wave at spin dryer

The Z:one was fast, quicker than any other whitewater boat I've paddled in a while, but then it is longer than any other whitewater boat I've paddled in a while! It was great to use the extra speed to zip about, ferrying, eddy to eddy with less effort. It run all the rapids on the loop with ease, and I even managed to pull one of the smoothest rock spins I've done in it!
On the Wave at triple three it surfed well, but it span better, once it had gone round about three quarters of a spin there was no stopping the momentum! I just let it get on with it, it was only when I got dizzy and dropped an edge that I flushed off!
And that was it, all to soon I was back on the shuttle bus. The river was starting to look to low to make me want to do a third run. But with more rain forecast overnight it was time to head back home ready for another day on the river!