The
Ottawa River, Canada
article by Alan Leonard
The Ottawa River is the chosen playground for some of the
most amazing freestyle kayakers in the world. It’s
a place where every move is possible, where many were conceived
and where many will continue to be created as the sport
evolves.
A
host of household names can be found struttin’ their
stuff on the Ottawa such as Billy Harris, Eric Jackson,
Tyler Curtis, Pat Camblin and the Young Guns to name a few.
What attracts so many paddlers to this playboating paradise?
Well the reasons are many and plentiful! The river boasts
waves such as Buseater and Garberator, holes that provide
the platform to try any twisted move your mind can conjure
up and an atmosphere that is second to none.
Myself, Mark Leonard, Tim Kenyon and Ciaran Rowan spent
6 weeks on the Ottawa River where we hooked up with some
amazing people from home and abroad! This article is intended
to help Irish boaters who are thinking of making the trip
to the Ottawa Valley.
Your Kit:
To bring a boat or not to bring a boat?? My advice is do
not! Firstly, because it will add hassle getting over there
and in addition kayaks are a lot cheaper in Canada. I picked
up a 2nd hand Space Cadet for $600 (about €380) and
brand new boats are a lot cheaper too (about €900).
You can also pick up X demo boats for a very good price
After that all you need is a thermal, pair of shorts and
maybe a shorty cag. Some days can get cold so a shorty is
advised and it will stop water getting into your boat too.
You can pick them up pretty cheap over there and that goes
for any gear your thinking of buying.
There is a shop (www.Boatwerks.com) at the put in where
you can buy just about everything you will need, including
boats. This is a truck that pulls up during the days and
Justin is the man you’ll want to get in touch with.
Like any paddler, Justin may decide to go paddling rather
than opening the shop! If he says he’ll be there for
9 turn up around 12, if he says he’ll have your boat
in 3 days be prepared to wait a week! Other than that it
is a great service and he will sort you out with demo boats
too, which is what we paddled for the first week.
So now you need to get there…
Your best bet is to fly to Montreal because it is an amazing
place with a radiant night life and also brags some of the
world’s best waves –
Lachine Rapids! Once in Montreal you can get a bus to Ottawa,
change buses there and then get off at Cobden. From here
you will need to get a taxi to your campsite. All the campsites
are reasonably close to each other and our taxi cost $50
for 4 of us and all our gear. Of course if you rent a car
this is all made a lot easier but we preferred the challenge!
Flights can vary in price depending on companies and the
amount of stop overs you’re prepared to make. We were
very fortunate and took advantage of a mistake on the internet,
getting flights for €130, however, you can get flights
for about €550. I found Canamerica (www.canamerica.ie)
very helpful with the flights.
Where to stay… 
We decided on River Run (www.riverrunners.com) because it
offered us the best deal and had we heard so many good things
about it. I would recommend it to anyone but other options
are Wilderness Tours and Owl Rafting. We agreed a fixed
price with River Run for the 6 weeks we stayed there which
included shuttles, Breakfast, Dinner, take out and camping
but for shorter trips you should check out their site for
prices
The River:
It’s a 
river
for your summer holiday but what month you go will dictate
the water levels you get – The later you leave it
the lower the levels and the warmer the water! The average
levels are as follows:
May: +19 to +24
June: +8.5 to +16
July: +4 to +7
August: -2 to -1
We got there on August 10 and the level was at zero on the
Owl Gauge. Garberator works between +2 and – 2, while
Buseater comes into play around 20 on the gauge but most
of the other playspots are washed out at this level.
The
river was between +2 and -2 when we paddled it and some
say this is the optimum playboating level. The first rapid
(Mc Coys) is the biggest and can be slightly intimidating
on your first run. This rapid alone has 6 brilliant playspots
ranging from fast green waves to big churny holes! You can
spend all day playing here but don’t completely tire
yourself out because there’s a lot more paddling to
be done!
There are 2 Channels, The Main and The Middle. We didn’t
venture down the Middle because the levels were too low
but at higher levels this is meant to be a great run.
The rapids are not too technically difficult but are fun
and there are playspots every where you go! For more info
on the river itself and the features check out ottawariver.com
There
is a lot of flatwater paddling on the river and when I say
flatwater I mean non flowing water, like a lake! So you’ll
be mighty fit after a months paddling!
Are there any dangers?
Well
apart from the white water the main thing you should watch
out for are rafts. They don’t wait in line in the
eddys! I was joined in a hole by a raft and then ended up
getting stuck underneath it. Ciaran Rowan was run over by
one in an eddy so just beware!! Most of the raft guides
are considerate but others don’t care and won’t
try to avoid you.
Other dangers include snakes and bears but these are not
very common. One of the most destructive animals is the
racoon! They come out at night and take anything that is
left around. They have been known to open tents and cooler
boxes so lock everything up when you go to bed.
So you’ve spent your time on the Ottawa, what
else can you do?
Lachine
is a must! Situated in Montreal City, this can be a very
daunting set of rapids on your first visit but the waves
are world class. Nasty holes shadow you all the way out
to Big Joe so it is essential that you ask paddlers about
getting out there. A swim here will be long and, potentially,
very dangerous.
However, once you catch the wave you will see what all the
hype is about and, wow, can you go big on this wave! It’s
steep with a nice foam pile and a large pit which acts as
a ramp for each aerial move you throw.
When it all ends and you wash off the wave you then begin
the frustrating and long climb back up to the eddy. There
is a rope structure in place so you can pull yourself back
up but this can take a long time! There is no alternative
– you can’t walk and you definitely can’t
paddle!
Also…
Niagara Falls is only a few hours drive away and is well
worth the visit. It is one of the most awe inspiring spectacles
I have ever seen. We didn’t have a throw bag that
day so didn’t want to risk running it!
In Conclusion…
The Ottawa provided me with amazing experiences and I would
recommend it to paddlers of all ability. It’s a place
that Irish kayakers should seriously think about visiting
for both the craic and the paddling! Ask anyone that’s
been there… We all had a great time! If anyone wants
anymore info or wants to ask any questions feel free to
drop me a line… alanlenny@hotmail.com
Enjoy!
Alan
A
few points to note:
•
Ottawa River Festival and Canadian Cup are on usually around
the end of August and worth being around for.
• Phils Hole Rodeo – This is very funny, its
not an actual rodeo but more a fun event where people enter
the hole in whatever contraption they can make!
• Links: www.boatwerks.net
(check out the message board for local knowledge and advise)
• www.riverrunners.com
(accommodation)
• www.wildernesstours.com
(accommodation)
• Owl
Rafting (accommodation)
• www.ottawakayak.com
(general info on the river)
•
www.liquidskills.com (Ken
Whitings white water school)
• www.Ottawariver.com
BACK
TO RIVER GLOBAL
