If you have grown in height, or notice the paddle is hard to grip, then it is time for a new paddle. Notable signs of wear and tear like warping, peeling, cracks, or chips also signal it is time to replace your old SUP paddle with a new one. If you are looking for a paddle with more speed, upgrade your SUP paddle to better suit your needs.
Seven inches of rain and 5 inches of snow-melt in the past week had all the rivers in southern New England up this weekend. I was busy on Saturday, but got out on one of my local favorites on Sunday – the Salmon River in southeastern CT.
The Salmon has about 4-miles of continuous class II rapids with a class II+/III- drop at the end. At yesterday’s level it was mostly wave trains with some rock dodging and nice surf spots. The banks are lined with hemlock and mountain laurel, and small water falls tumbled down the banks into the river. We enjoyed the waves as we worked out way down to the largest rapid - the broken dam.
The broken dam is a class II+/III- rapid with 3 drops - each around 2’. I went first in hopes of getting some pictures of the rest of the crew coming through. I took the usual line (slot on the right) and filled up the boat in the large standing waves below. By the time I got to shore, Paul was already through. I got in position to get some video of Tim and Dave, only to have the battery in my camera die – oh well. They looked good, but you will just have to trust me.
