Charlotte Whitewater Center

[dwd58]

Any of you OC-1 ever go to the Charlotte White water center? Just wonder how canoe friendly the park is and how rough the rapids? Thinking about a trip.

[sbroam]

If the tell you that you can't bring in a canoe, insist on speaking to somebody else. Or don't tell them it is a canoe.

[ncdavid]

I've heard of one canoer who was denied access. I don't go often, even though it is only 30 minutes from my house. The right side is plenty tough in an open boat. There is stuff on the left for everyone. If you make the trip, dwd58, give me a shout. I'll make a few laps with you.

[Mike W.]

I had to be in Charlotte for work the other week. I paddled my Big EZ C-1. One afternoon there was an OC there. I banged the stern a couple of times in my 7' boat. I'm pretty sure you'll bang it a lot w/ a real canoe.

My thought on the place is it's weird if you're used to paddling a river.
-I did enjoy the conveyor belt taking me back to the top.
-Some of the eddies are scarier than the rapids.
-It's a neat place, but having tried it I would not make the drive there if a real river was within a comparable drive time.
-$30 per day (5 to park & 25 to paddle) gets old quick & there is no weekly pass.
-The posted schedule is more of a guideline than an actual schedule.
-It's shallow water over broom finished concrete. Take your beater paddle.

[griffen_williams]

Having worked there for the last two years, Ive seen quite a few c1's and oc's at the center. I paddled my prelude and my delta there all the time this spring. John Gordon Raft operations manager and Dave Hepp are both C1ers and paddle an oc on occasion. If anyone at the kayak check in desk should give you a hard time, which i highly doubt they would ask to speak to either one of those guys and they will make it happen.

The Comp channel is great fun in an open boat, but as previously stated its quite shallow so its hard on boats, paddles, gear, and your body. The eddys are challenging when your full for sure. This is why i have a pump now.

The wilderness channel is a little bit deeper and the water is quite a bit slower so the eddies are more realistic and there's some decent play, but again either pump or you probably be bailing alot.

[RapidMediaTVGuy]

Scott paddled the L'edge there for our Digital Extra Review in Rapid. They didn't have any issues with the boat and Scott only swam once....

Here is the link to the vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i1pqVCstkM this was the 'left' channel. The right side was pretty boily and they ended up turning it off before we had a chance to shoot any footage.


Dan Caldwell
Rapid Media TV Guy