How To: Paddle straight & fader boofs in whitewater kayaking

Mr. Shane Benedict describes the delicate balances necessary to hit that perfect boof every danged time.

We are continuing from previous posts on boofing technique, adding the basic straight boof and the stylin' fader boof. With the addition of these two, your boofing arsenal should be nearly complete. The most important thing to remember about boofing is that each location requires some adjustment to these basic techniques. Just remember, keep your weight centered over your boat. Go ahead and check out the video and discussion below.

The Straight Boof:

The Approach: So you want to approach the lip of the drop as straight on as possible. You may not necessarily always be perpendicular, but close enough. The main thing is to have your momentum moving straight away from the drop when landing so you make it to where you want to go. Speed is good, just don't get so much you miss your stroke timing. A well timed boof stroke will help you out much more than speed.

The Stroke: A vertical paddle stroke is crucial. This will help direct all your momentum forward instead of turning your boat off the lip. Plant your paddle blade on the lip of the drop and be sure to pull through. Your boof stroke will be longer than a typical paddle stroke, so be sure to keep pulling past your hips. Because it's such a long stroke, you want to make sure to be pulling your paddle straight so that you don't turn at the last minute.

The Body: A combination of slight edging and a vertical paddle will help you accelerate straight off of the drop without danger of spinning out. The less water on the lip, the more important is to focus on keeping your boat flat and driving straight. Often, if the lip is shallow the boat will catch on rock and can easily rotate, landing you sideways in a nasty pourover or on rock.

The Fader Boof

The Approach: The Fader is probably the most "technical" of the boofs we've talked about so far.