TEES BARRAGE

Update!! Course opening times at the bottom of this page. (15 04 00)

My first taste of whitewater was at this course, December, cold (very), scrounged gear that didn't fit, a boat one size below the Titanic, several swims, near Hypothermia, but what a buzz when I ran the course without capsizing.

Now this is probably my favourite site simply because I am so familiar with it. There are plenty of different features to suit most reasonable paddlers, from gentle surf waves and the most friendly stopper in the known universe, to fairly gnarly stoppers and at low water warning levels a stopper that tests the nerve of all but a few idiots.

GUIDE TO THE COURSE

The starting point is the warm up lake at the car park / main centre, you cannot miss it! What is there to say about a warm up lake? except possibly that Four Seasons run star courses there.

The first action comes after you pass under the bridge and down into the channel. The "Entry Gate", this can produce the perfect surfing wave and is always worth trying to ride, it can be difficult to catch at times especially when the wave is broken, but usually is the best spot to pose! Most visitors out for a stroll seem to be most impressed by someone who can stay on a wave for some reason, and who are we to disappoint. They have placed a deflector plate on the gate recently in a bid to make the wave easier to wave spin on but the jury is still out on this one, I just seem to find it harder to catch.

Even an instructor can look as though he can paddle on the top wave (He had to pinch my boat though!)

Next up are a few small stoppers, basically warm up spots to get your balance, clear your head, summon up enough courage to tackle the rest properly etc. This area is called "Easy Rider" for some reason. Carry on down and you will pass under a footbridge, under this is usually a fairly good surf wave (depending on where the blocks are) which is reasonably easy to ride and can keep you amused if the stoppers are busy.

Stopper no 1. Everyones favourite flat spin hole, "Happy Eater", although just what it eats is anyone's guess as Action Man would struggle to get stuck here in his combat canoe! It is the perfect spot to learn how to flat spin, the hole is not very retentive but is fairly smooth and predictable, it can be surfed (or blasted, I'm not sure exactly which is the best description please let me know!), hand surfed for extra pose value, side surfed, spun and will get you a tail squirt of around 45 degrees as you leave if you lean back enough. plus easy access from both sides and a lot of time to recover if you do capsize. Pros: as above. Cons: you always have to queue to get on it.

Hand surfing the easiest stopper in the world!

That's enough queuing for now, there is a pool below this hole and then it's onwards down the back straight. Nothing of note here really, just a few blocks now and again untill you hit "The Cruncher" at the bottom. This hole has varied wildly over the years, it was a very mellow place when I first started going but last year saw it change into a stopper with attitude. If you ended sideways in the middle that was usually where you stayed. Like everywhere else the experts made it look easy but a fair few tried to play it and ended very wet, always good for a laugh though! Recently it has been a mixture if a surf wave of sorts on the left and a stopper on the right, surf into the hole and you could get vertical with practice. Again a good place to flat spin but not nearly as easily as the Happy Eater. Pros: Usually less busy than Happy Eater, less spectators to watch you mess up, more power to get vertical. Cons: You're more likely to mess up.

Playing "The Cruncher"

Two down, two to go. The course widens into another pool here. You are now at the part of the course where the tide comes into play. On a big tide the rest of the course will be washed out at the start and end of the session, in which case the paddle back to the steps is fairly long. Round the corner from The Cruncher is a small straight finishing in "Valentines". As the tide drops this is a place worth staying at as it changes such a lot. The first small surf wave that appears becomes larger fairly quickly and soon becomes big enough to bury your nose, this is where the fun starts. Not much later it becomes a course wide stopper that holds you comfortably sideways and is blastable with a bit of effort. Spinning is again reasonably fun but takes more control than either of the last two. Tail squirts in the jet that leave the stopper are fairly cool and a good paddler can make this hole look very good. Pros: Different every time you visit, lots of power in the water, can make you look very good! Cons: Can hold the less experienced, you don't have much warning when the rafts decend on you, a quick roll is essential to stop you being washed down the course.

Valentines, you go down, then a bit further, then......

Below Valentines there is another surf wave, not that exciting, and then onto "Acid Drop". This is, at the right level awesome! Like Valentines it appears according to the level of the tide, starting as a small surf wave which gradually lets you get more and more vertical. As the hole appears it starts to get serious, there is a perfect level for this hole which unfortunately only lasts for a short while. It is the place on the course to be at this time. As it gets bigger more and more people bottle out and head for saner spots. At the lowest point of a big tide it is usually deserted with good reason, this hole will kick you with avengence. It is possible to survive it at this level but survive is all I've ever seen anyone manage, intentionally. If you do drop into the hole there is enough power to hold you upside down for a while which worries most normal people, and the ride is WILD! you will be vertical on both ends without trying, underwater, flying (almost), and everything inbetween. If you fancy a go then go for it! The result will probably be a nasty swim though, as the bottom pool has a vicious current swirling round it and getting boats and swimmers out can be a challenge. This pool is excellent for tail squirts though and a few manage to splat the side walls now and again. Pros: The biggest buzz on the course, Cons: Limited duration (very), will make most people look like beginners at low levels.

Alan pretending to be a playboater.

Course running times untill June 2000.

Please ring before travelling as times may be subject to change.

Four Seasons Kanu Sport. Tel. 01642 678000