Inflatable Kayak Blog

I have a couple more terms about river kayaking that I thought might be of interest to beginner kayakers that I wanted to share. Personally, I don’t want to be anywhere near either of these on the river, but at least I would know what to call it if I did see them some place. The first is a part of a fast moving river that is called a “Chute”. When a river becomes constricted either naturally or from the presence of obstacles, it creates a section of fast moving water. At the end of this stretch of water a chute is formed. I would think that white water kayakers would enjoy the thrill of going through one of these.

The other term is often found along with a “Chute”. It’s called a “Haystack”. “Haystacks” are large standing waves that can be found at the end of certain types of chutes or other narrow passages of water. They usually indicate the water is deep and likely rock free. This would be another challenge for white water kayakers that I certainly am not ready for.