I went on a trip to the Ocoee for my first time last year the weekend of finals.  It wasn't the smartest idea, the other part that wasn't smart is that i was paddling a 28 gallon jib through the ocoee at about 2x the normal flow.  They had the upper running as the same time as the lower and got pelted with rain the night before.  Needless to say it was a hell of a weekend, the rapids were big and scary and I contemplated not going the second day, but I did. 

The biggest scare i've had while kayaking occured on the first day on double trouble, you may or may not know there is a damn big hole on RRthat rafts like to suft.  Herm decided to take on a "safe" RR to RL approach to the rapid, me being in the jib screwed things up.  As I was moving from right to left, my boat just decides to stern squirt, killing all my momentum, then i go stern squirting into that hole...just then a raft is pulling into that same hole to surf it.  I hit the side of the raft in the sterm skuirt and flip backwards, pinned up against the side of the boat surfing the hole the force of the water was unbelieveable.  I just got pushed flat, not able to move hardly able to hold onto my paddle I did a back deck roll, thank god I had one because I woulda been in some hot water. 

Anyhow, i greatly await my next trip to the Ocoee in a boat 20 gallons larger.

Entrance rapids:

as you can see, the back of my boat is under water, never a good sign in an eddy.

it's still underwater....

least i'm still alive

Where is this?:

this is living proof that my boat was too small

Tablesaw:

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