Traveling Water Nerd

Recognize the hydraulics is more of a personal saying than anything else, but its something my dad said to me and it stuck. A hydraulic in whitewater is a feature where the river flows into a depression in the rock bed that causes the water to fall back onto itself. One can play in a hydraulic, but must also know that you might get stuck there. The hydraulic is a perfect metaphor for experiences that I’ll be sharing. As I begin my journey south to St Maarten and beyond, I feel that it is important to give perspective on what a trip like this would require. Both the luggage you must bring in your suitcase, but also in your mind. Knowledge of the equipment is just as important as having the equipment. The equipment that I’ll be bringing for my upcoming trips include a mask, snorkel, lifejacket, helmet and dry suit. The mask and snorkel will be used in St Maarten, where I’ll be diving in the crystal blue waters of the Caribbean. The helmet, lifejacket and dry suit will be used during my time in Chile and Argentina, where I’ll be kayaking and rafting in remote rivers of the Andes. These activities, although fun, are inherently dangerous. They require proper skills and knowledge for execution that I find to be unique to myself and it provides significant motivation to share my experiences. I find activities like scuba diving and whitewater kayaking to be full of playful moments, but at any given point I will also be tested and I might just get stuck there. Recognize the hydraulics.