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Old 12-03-2010, 10:47 AM   #3
jimbo
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Default Duct Tape

It was early April on the Cheat River in WV, and we were attending a whitewater open canoe class. We were sitting in an eddy, and the instructor was about to go down the rapids to set up, and said ?Whatever you do, stay left and don?t switch hands, or we will duct tape your hands to the paddle!?
One of the guys said ?I?ve done this before, I will go first?. We could see through the mist the bottom of his boat, and the instructor throwing his rope. It was good that I had my dry suit on to keep my heart in my chest. I paddled my 13? WW Mohawk canoe out of the eddy and down the chute. The water was pulling me to the right big time, and I thought ?just switch hands and pull the boat to the left?.
My high float PFD got me to the surface quickly, and his throw was right on. We were standing on the shore, water dripping from our helmets, and the instructor looked at me and said ?I am getting the duct tape?.
Later that month we all graduated by doing the lower Youghiogheny without dumping.
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