The Upside of All The Rain

After major rainfall, boaters like myself watch the Little Falls guage for the Potomac River. Normally at 2.5-3 feet during the dry summer, the river roars to life at 6 feet and a perfect surfing wave forms where Difficult Run flows into the river. 5-15 boaters wait in line in a narrow eddy to take turns carving up the wave. Even surfboards and stand up paddleboards were seen this past Sunday in perfect 80 degree sunny weather.

Easing your way up the eddy, you power across the eddy line into the current above the wave. A quick ferry across a minor standing wave moves you into position 15 yards above the target. You coast backward into the trough of the wave, then up the back until you are stopped by the breaking foam pile which, at lower levels, can turn into a sticky hole. Now though, it just stops your downstream momentum and you slide back up the wave face.

Now, although stationary relative to the shore, you are carvingback and forth across the water with thousands of cubic feet of river surging under and around you. Periodically the foam pile starts to break on your stern and you plunge deeper in to the oncoming water. Great Blue Herons fly over head. You dodge logs floating through the wave. You surf until the wave spits you out or you've had your fair time on it, then exit off the side and get in line to do it again.

Overall, an amazing way to spend a few hours on a Sunday afternoon!