Understanding the basic trajectory of your kayak when you get into the water is an incredibly important part of enjoying your kayaking experience. Without that basic understanding you’ll be nothing more than yet another random piece of flotsam being tossed around by the river.
Trajectory itself is a vital term as well as a necessary sort of math in the sport. Your trajectory is a combination of the angle at which you’re facing, the speed of the kayak, and the speed or direction of the current. Y need to know where you’re going and by paying close attention to these factors you’ll be ready for whatever the river might throw at you.
The basics of angling and speed for maneuvering are instilled in kayakers at a very early stage. Most beginners know the basics. Getting out there into the midst of a heavy rapid can often cause you to forget or stop paying attention to the details you’re trained to look for. You’re going to have a trajectory no matter where you’re headed in the river. What’s most important is that you understand what that trajectory is and how you can affect and change it to suit your needs.
If...