I don't know about anyone else, but certain rivers and their features really get the butterflies going in my stomach. For me, the Boyne has always had that affect. Directly in front of you when you arrive at the get-in is a weir. You know straight away that you have to get that done or else you will be facing a long wet paddle for the rest of the trip. I have had some great swims at Stackallen. The one I remember most is my first one. The river was running at a medium level and I paddled straight down the middle. I hit the first step and skewed slightly sideways (sound familiar?). I then went over into the stopper sideways and started getting churned around like in a washing machine. While being washed around I remembered having a conversation in a pub about this and that the recommendation had been to stick your paddles as far down as they will go. The next thing I knew I was free of the stopper and swimming, with my boat and paddles in my hands. I spotted my rescuer, Joxer. He shouted instructions and talked me to the bank. I brought my boat to the bank, emptied it, and got straight back in. Joxer offered me some hot drink and an explanation of why I swam, and away we went.
I have swum a number of times on that weir since, so in my mind it is a lot harder than it really is. The same is true of most places. If you swim, or see a lot of others swim, the feature gets a bigger name than it should.
So what's the point of this story? Well I hope it shows that we all get butterflies from time to time on rivers. That if you swim, you should get your gear and boat out of the water. Rescue will help but you have to do some work as well. It also shows that a warm drink and a quick explanation of why you swam can be of great help. Warm drink goes a long way. Your own mental attitude is very important in how you approach a rapid/weir and how you deal with the butterflies.
