Sweets Falls on the Upper Gauley:

SUP The Upper Gauley are you serious…

The Gauley River is one of the most impressive whitewater runs in the country and boosts three distinct sections, the Upper Gauley, Middle Gauley, and the Lower Gauley. The Upper is the hardest, the middle is the easiest and the lower is between the two. Last year I paddled the Middle and Lower Gauley and it was really one of the most memorable SUP experiences I have had period. It was a challenge, great senery, and a crazy work out. The most difficult aspect of the Middle and Lower was that I got really tired from balancing with so many rapids. SUP is a work out…but whitewater SUP is an even better work out.

This year I wanted to SUP the Upper Gauley. I have the right gear…body armor from Sixsixone…Shred Ready Full Face Standard…Stride Airlite HD River SUP. I had tough gear and all of it could take a hit with a smile.

So you have to crawl before you walk and I felt like the Lower and Middle were just that, but I still wanted to get a taste of the Upper Gauley before diving straight into the whole run. I was lucky enough to get a ride to Sweets Falls on the Upper Gauley and from there I took a run down the drop. Well it was really tough!!! REALLY REALLY Tough!!! If you know who Jeff Snyder is he is the man…

My line down the rapid involved trying to keep my nose up and boof the bottom of Sweets Falls into the semi chaotic left side just behind Dildo rock. Everything went pretty well until I hit the back of the hole and my board’s tail caught some of the fast water and shot out from under me and up into the air the board went. Well I was not expecting to have a really successful run the first time. I did learn alot about how to do it better.

After Sweets Fall there is a number of class 3 rapids before the take out to practice on which got me thinking about all the rapids between all of the other big rapids on the rest of the Upper Gauley. There is alot of rapids. Personally I feel that I could get down the Upper Gauley on a SUP…just not the way I want to just yet…and am I in good enough shape for that many rapids…hummm. Back to working on the big water skillz on a SUP.

The Gauley area is great for SUP because you can start in Summersville lake and work your way up from there…going to the middle gauley and the to the lower gauley and eventually ….is the entire upper possible standing up?

Related Topics:
Stride Airlite HD SUP River Board
Shred Ready Full Face Standard
SixSixOne Body Armor
Whitewater SUP Instruction on Video