Tips for Kayaking the Coosa River
Last April, on a beautiful sunny day, we decided that we wanted to try something new. Kayaking down a river instead of the calm waters of our lake. I did a little research and found several adventure companies near by that we could rent the kayak and have transportation to our drop in location. We went with a company out of Wetumpka, AL called Coosa River Adventures. Our cost was $25/per person for a sit on top kayak and this included your life jacket and transportation. If you are looking for sit-in kayaks, you will need to bring your own. These are too much of a liability and you can’t usually rent them for a river adventure in our area.
They took us to a point about 7 miles from where we would exit, unloaded the kayaks and helped us get in the water with no issue. We thought this all sounded easy enough. Get in, float 6 or 7 miles, ride a few rapids, get off, and up the ramp when you come to the bridge. Then I asked the most important question, “What type of rapids are on this river?” The Coosa features three major sets of rapids: River Falls, Moccasin Gap, and Pipeline. The most well-known and largest of the three is Moccasin Gap (Class 3 rapid). Since I had never been kayaking down a river before, I needed further instruction on what the classes meant and could I handle these since this was my first river adventure.
The journey
I should have paid closer attention when the instructor was explaining the different rapids. Getting in the water was easy enough, paddling was easy and relaxing. Then you hear it….the rumble of the water down the way where the first rapid is located. We were told that at any time you can get out, walk your kayak around the bank until you are passed the rapids if you aren’t comfortable going through. This is not true. The brush and trees in this area are so thick, there is no getting off the river. Be ready, you will fall in if you are not a pro. We would love to fall in, sounds like fun, swimming and enjoying the river….one problem….it was April and the water was 56 degrees. Falling in was painful, cold, and exhausting. Trying to get back in our kayaks was a different story. I don’t know that I have ever felt water that cold on my entire body and I hope I never feel it again. It literally takes your breath.
What to bring
You must put everything in a waterproof bag or it will be damaged. I cannot stress that enough. We were smart about this, but the group behind us lost everything before the real floating even began. Water shoes are a must, clothing needs to be anything that is comfortable but breathable. Sitting down for 4 hours is stressful on your body. If you have your water shoes, you can get out in the shallow areas and stretch your legs.
The smooth parts of the float were so beautiful and peaceful. The rapids were not fun and extremely stressful as we had never done anything quite like it. Would we do it again, yes, only this time it will be July/August and the water will be around 70/75.
This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a commission.
