What to Expect on a Sac Trip
What is it? Sac refers to the Prairie du Sac Dam on the Wisconsin River. A Sac trip is the introductory whitewater kayak lesson to moving water.
Am I ready for it? You should be comfortable with the basic skills such as forward, backward and sweep strokes and paddling on flatwater with your boat tilted before going to Sac. The current is strong and will most likely flip you so the better prepared you are, the more fun you will have. Knowing how to do an eskimo rescue can help a lot. You should have at least been introduced to an Eskimo rescue before you go although it is not a requirement. The only requirements to go to sac are to have passed your lake lesson and swim test.
What do I do when I arrive at Park Street Circle (PSC)? Go downstairs to the boathouse to get your gear. In the boathouse, there may already be many of the "regulars" who will be getting their boats and gear together. This can seem overwhelming to a newcomer because it appears that everyone knows what they're doing but you. Don't worry- we are all happy to help newcomers- just ask! If you'd like help getting started in picking out gear, it is best if you find the leader or a boater that seems to know what's going on, introduce yourself and tell them it is your first Sac trip. They should be able to help get you fitted into a boat or they will direct you to someone else who can.
How do I pick out gear? See Boats and Gear for a more thorough explanation about picking out gear. The first thing you will need is a boat. You will need to sit in the boat and make sure it is outfitted to fit your body. Is it snug in the hips? If not, you can add hip pads or extra foam in between the strapped-in hip pads and the boat. Does the adjustable back band touch your back? Do you have foot foam or have you adjusted the footpegs so that your feet touch something? Do the footpegs/ foot foam allow you to hold your legs in a bent position so that your knees fit in the knee braces?
Next, you will need a black neoprene sprayskirt (different from the nylon ones you used during the lake lesson). The spray skirts have the waist size printed in the inside of the tunnel. The blue Riot Booster boats have smaller cockpits and require the smaller Riot brand of sprayskirt. Next choose a paddle. If you are a woman or a guy with small hands, the club has a few lighter paddles with small shafts. These paddles have the word "Werner" printed on the blade. These are usually chosen quickly so first come, first served. Next choose a pfd that fits your body size (blue = extra small, yellow = small/medium, red= large/extra large) and a helmet that fits your head. Check to make sure you boat has two flotation bags in back of the seat. Finally, remember to sign your boat out in the log book.
I got my gear, what next? Now you're ready to carry your gear up to the street to load it into cars. Remove any loose foam you have stuck into your boat and put it into your helmet. Attach your helmet to your sprayskirt and pfd. Carry all 6 pieces of gear (helmet, pfd, sprayskirt, paddle, and boat with flotation bags) up to the street. If people have begun to load boats onto cars, ask if your boat will fit on their car or how you can help. Usually loading boats/gear takes a while so if there's nothing you can do to help, then just sit tight. Be sure to sign the trip sheet which is usually on the windshield of someone's car.
Once all the gear is loaded, the trip leader will announce where we are parking cars that are not needed. You will either be assigned a car to ride in or more likely, someone will announce they have room for x number of passengers and you can tell them you need passenger space. Remember there are no restrooms or changing rooms at Sac!
The car ride to Sac is approximately 45 minutes.
What happens when we arrive at the put-in at Sac?
1st: Unload boats and gear
2nd: get dressed
3rd: get your boating gear together: ie put foam in your boat, get your pfd/helmet/sprayskirt on, find your paddle, etc. Stretch.
4th: Introductions, then the group will split up into experienced paddlers and "new-to-Sac" paddlers
5th: The leader will give the beginners a river talk
The river talk is something that Hoofers do before every river trip. It is so that everyone knows what to expect and what to be aware of.
What do we do at Sac?
We will paddle to a flatwater section of the river to review some basic strokes, boat tilt and eskimo rescue. We will then teach you how to enter the current by crossing the eddy line (called a peel-out). Then we will head over into the eddy and get into the moving water. An intermediate boater will be watching you as you practice your peel outs. In case you might flip, they will be there to assist with an Eskimo rescue. If that does not work there is always the possibility of a wet exit. If time permits, you will also practice moving your boat horizontally across the current (called ferrying).
After about 2 hours of paddling, the group will get off the river.
What do I do once I?m off the river? Remember to remove any loose foam from your boat and store it in your helmet. Then get changed into dry clothes. Once people are changed, they begin the loading of the boats and gear into cars. After everything is loaded up, we usually go to Culvers to pig out and socialize.
How much of a time commitment is Sac? The entire trip from the time you meet at PSC to the time you return, usually takes about 5 1/2- 6 hours.
4:45-5:15pm Assemble boating gear
1- Boat with flotation bags and foam outfitting (hip pads, foot pads)
2- Paddle
3- Pfd
4- Helmet
5- Sprayskirt
* Remember to sign boat out in the log boat
5:10pm Load gear in cars
5:40 pm Meeting: Leader will announce which cars are going, where unneeded cars will be dropped off, make car assignments, verify that everyone has signed trip sheet, etc.
5:45pm Drive to Prairie du Sac
6:30pm Arrive at the put-in at Prairie du Sac :
1st: Unload boats and gear
2nd: get dressed
3rd: get your boating gear together: ie put foam in your boat, get your pfd/helmet/sprayskirt on, find your paddle, etc. Stretch.
4th: Introductions, then the group will split up into experienced paddlers and ?new-to-Sac? paddlers
5th: The leader will give the beginners a river talk
6:50pm River talk
7:10pm Practice skills and Eskimo rescue in flatwater
7:30pm Practice peel-outs and ferrying in the current
9:00pm Take out:
1st :Remove loose foam from boats
2nd :Get changed into dry clothes
3rd: Load boats/gear into cars
9:15pm Dinner/ Socializing Time (HOC cards will be signed at this time for R1 rating).
10:15pm Drive back to Madison.
11:00pm Unload boats/ gear at PSC
* Don't forget to sign boat back in the log book
