Grand Canyon SUP River Trip- August 2013

I recently returned from a River trip through the Grand Canyon.  It was truly a trip of a lifetime.  I put together two videos documenting the trip.  The first is video is the shorter one, showing just the most difficult rapid in the Grand Canyon, called Lava Falls.  I went through the rapid with my Stand Up Paddleboard (note: I said with the board, not on the board :).   My 14 year old niece, Emily Williams rowed through it on a big raft and may be the youngest girl to have rowed through Lava Falls rapid.




To see how not to go through Lava Falls, watch this video which shows what happens if you drift into the biggest hole sideways instead of punching through the wave nose or tail first.  You can watch it happen to two rafts in a row, major carnage.


Here is the longer (33 minute) video documenting the whole trip with many of the rapids with my commentary on the trip and some takeaways from whitewater SUP'ing.


I'm planning to add more information to this post, so if you are interested in a SUP trip through the Grand Canyon, please check back as I plan to post more information.  For now, here are some helpful links:

National Park Service information on permits and the River Trip orientation video:
http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/whitewater-rafting.htm

PRO river outfitters, this is the company that supplied our food, gear and logistics for our group of 16 for 16 days, which is not something you want to do on your own:
http://www.proriver.com

I purchased this River Guide which had good maps as well as lots of interesting historical and geological  information on the Grand Canyon:
http://www.nrs.com/product/3353/grand-canyon-river-guide-book

Aloha, Robert Stehlik

www.blueplanetsurf.com

The group celebrating on Tequila beach after making it through Lava Falls

Ferrying across the river

Sitting on a perch under Deer Creek Falls is amazing

My daughter, Jaime Stehlik at Havasu Creek

Shist Camp in the inner gorge

Panoramic Shot at Nankoweep Camp

Havasupai Creek

Going into Horn Creek Rapid on the Grand Canyon SUP river trip

The SUP's were great for crossing the river when we camped across Deer Creek Falls