I was able to raft the Colorado River this past weekend in Moab. I should say, that I have history with rafting. I fall out. I didn't this time, but I did love some new things I learned on the rafting trip.
Before you raft, you receive the lecture from your raft guides. Things like:
1. Don't be stupid
2. If you fall out, feet first down the rapids.
3. Micro trash-not a good thing
4. What is an eddy-ooh, be careful
5. The difference between an oar and paddle. The rafting guides had a small pet peeve about this. We used paddles, not oars.
Oars are a long shaft with a broad blade at one end, used as a lever for rowing or otherwise propelling or steering a boat.
Paddles are a short, flat bladed oar for propelling and steering a canoe or small boat, usually held by both hands and moved more or less through a vertical arc.
Oars are for viking ships and paddles are for rafts and canoes. Who knows? Dictionary.com didn't provide any great insight. Seem the same to me.
2 comments:
I feel so privileged to have shared this paddling experience with you. :) Gordo would be soo proud. :)
Gee whiz, all of these years that I have spent thinking paddles were used for bottoms!! Hmmm, guess I have a BIG lesson to learn. Thanks for teaching me, Rach!!
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