I was disturbed by a recent Facebook post from a paddling friend who said  “my session (at Lee Valley) today was completely ruined by the hoards of extremely selfish slalom paddlers..”

an update that led to a long stream of comments about the difficulties of slalom paddlers and others sharing the same stretch of whitewater.

As someone who spends time in both slalom and plastic boats I think I can appreciate both sides of the debate. With a bit of courtesy, patience, awareness and realistic expectations slalom paddlers and recreational paddlers can get along just fine. So here are some observations and suggestions that are intended to increase mutual understanding and tolerance.

First up, let’s understand the likely motives of slalom paddlers while they’re training.

Slalom paddlers will typically have selected a highly specific gate sequence to practice, often at speed.  Before setting off they will have a very clear idea about exactly where they want go – it’s unlikely to be a random float down the river. This means that any interruption to their run will be a source of frustration.  I remember paddling at the Argentiere slalom course in France a couple of years ago while on a river running trip to the Alps. I pulled out of an eddy in my creek boat without looking upstream, to be greeted by loud French swearing. I’d got in the way of a slalom paddler half way down a full length run, so now he was faced with getting out of his boat and walking all the way back to the start.  My carelessness had wasted at least 15 minutes of his time and energy.  I felt really guilty because as a slalom paddler I’ve been in the same situation and know how annoying this can be, especially in the middle of a good run.  And despite most slalom paddlers having excellent boat control, they will be loath to slow down or deviate from their chosen path unless they really have to.

How is this different from a recreational paddler?

The slalom paddler’s highly focused approach is very different from a typical recreational paddler’s.  Whether in a creek boat or free-styling, plastic boaters are usually far more relaxed about where and when they want to go, and will meander down the course in a fairly random way.  Plastic boats are harder to maneuver precisely and, especially in the hands of less competent or confident paddlers, are going to travel in less predictable ways.  At courses like Lee Valley, there will be a wide range of paddling ability, and especially for less experienced paddlers the sight of a serious-faced “athlete” charging around in a pointy boat and not stopping to chat can be off-putting.

So at a basic level, it’s good to appreciate that a recreational paddler is typically on the water to have fun and doesn’t mind too much how or where they go, while a ‘serious’ slalom paddler will get their satisfaction (a different form of fun) from being in control and precisely mastering the course.

Here are some things that we can all do to help everyone enjoy their time on the water:

Slalom Paddlers

  1. Be realistic about what you can achieve in a crowded open paddling session. Don’t try to do quality full-length runs, and be prepared to compromise or abandon a run in order to stay safe.  Generally doing short 2 – 4 gate sequences is more realistic during a crowded session.
  2. Don’t put a gate in or near popular play spots or eddies where free-style and recreational paddlers will congregate.
  3. Remember that not everyone on the water can control his or her boat as well as you. Cut others some slack, especially if you can see that they’re not so confident.

Recreational Paddlers

  1. If you see a gate in an eddy, realize that it is highly likely that a slalom paddler will soon be aiming at it at high speed.  Avoid sitting around near the gate because it’s the target zone!
  2. Always look upstream and check before you peel out of an eddy.  Same as you would check for a raft, check for a slalom boat on a charge.
  3. If you’re in an eddy and see a slalom paddler waiting upstream, give them a wave if you’re willing to wait till they’ve passed.


Be friendly and courteous  – we’re all paddlers after all!

What’s your experience?  Comment here or on the  Facebook page