11. Part 2 with Gareth Fryer: The Safety Chronicles

What do you do when you find yourself experiencing your 4th near death whitewater kayaking experience, before you've even reached your 20th birthday? For some, the answer is quit. But for Gareth Fryer, the answer is, get smarter.

Gareth has spent much of his paddling career learning from hard lessons and close calls. He's done his best to perfect the art of being in the right place at the right time with the right gear and the right skills. That practice has paid off in form of saving multiple lives on the river.

In this episode, Gareth shares some jaw dropping stories of paddling around New Zealand and shares lessons that whitewater paddlers at any level should mull over before their next river trip.

At the end of the episode Gareth discussions some the gear he uses on the water. You can find some photos of the gear on the Tales from the Cripps Facebook page.

0:00         Introduction
3:18         Watercraft ethos
10:51       Early days in whitewater
16:09       Ashley Gorge
19:50       Random river hazards
21:27       Murchison falls
25:45       Blackwater falls
27:50       A hard earned rescue lesson
31:50       Nose plugs?
40:45       Complacency and practice
57:20       Group roles on the river
1:02:00    Developing river skills
1:05:35    Putting yourself in the right place at the right time
1:17:50    Hokitika river
1:19:40    Upper Whitcombe
1:30:00    Light bulb moments on the Perth River
1:47:34    Return to the Perth River
1:52:00    Listening to intuition
2:00:40    Safety gear on the river
2:13:45    Concluding thoughts

Today's episode's sponsors:

4Corners Riversports
4Corners Riversports is located in Durango, Colorado. They are a full service paddlesports retail and rental store! If you are looking to get on the water, look no further than 4Corners Riversports. Call them at 970-259-3893 or visit their website www.riversports.com

Taylor Barker with The Group Real Estate Steamboat.
I have known and paddled with Taylor for years. If you're interested in purchasing a property in the Steamboat area, Taylor is happy to share his expertise and help you find the perfect property. You can reach him at 336-314-4353 or by email at taylor@brokerintheboat.com.

This podcast is being featured in the podcast section of paddlinglife.com.  If you haven’t already visited the site, check it out for news, stories, reviews, and just about anything related to the paddling life.

For comments, questions, or if you have a story worth sharing, pitch it to me:
talesfromthecripps@gmail.com