Nice one! Take the progression steadily though, there is no rush! Zambezi is very achievable but make sure to enjoy and learn from smaller rapids on the way!
Wonderful, thank you! It was very nice to meet you and paddle some rapids with you as well! Of course you should continue with the next rapids - I would have been glad about the explanations before our trip😆
@@TraveltoPaddle Yes, we've been paddling in November 2022 together to with Jochen Lettmann and 12 other guys from Germany, also Bartosz Czauderna and his friends. We talked shortly about your Zambezi video project... - if I could post gopro-photos here, I would place an evidence photo :-)
Running this river requires focusing on doing the grade 2 and 3 really well, and then working on grade 4. But do it well! Getting down grade 3 is different to styling grade 3, and when you can style your grade you will see more clearly how the next grade can be achieved! The other thing to bare in mind with the Zambezi and other big volume rivers (often, not always) is that they look much scarier than they are. 95% of the Zambezi requires a solid roll and a good set of lungs. Of course a good set of whitewater skills is required but it isn't the huge leap that the size would suggest! Having said that, I still get nervous at the top of some of these rapids even after 40+ laps!
Great vid man! I am in south africa from july till 25th of august and was thinking of going to the zambezi afterwards before going back to europe. Is that a good time for the river ? Hoe long would you recommand staying there? Hiw much dies a day cost approximately down there ? Thx a ton
Thanks! That should be a good time, the season is wide! It also varies depending on the rains. But you'll probably find medium levels and have a lot of fun. You can be there 2 weeks or 2 months, it's really good. It's not a cheap place, about $50/day for kayaking but cheaper if you book multiple days together. That's transport with Safpar, porters, a SAT phone, helicopter rescue insurance, drinks at the end and park entry fees. Most of that is the truck on the awful roads!
@@TraveltoPaddle thanks a lot for answering! Really appreciate you taking the time to share the details! Medium levels sound good to me ! I am planning to be there for 3-4 weeks. How much time is it per day on the water ? 50$ for all the services sounds fair. How much is accomodation and food approximately ? Did you rent a boat there or did you bring yours ? Thanks for your time !
@@TeiteBumm no worries! I want this channel to be a source of information as it grows 😊 time on the water varies a bit depending on the group. If there are 3 or more kayakers you can get a private shuttle and had a 2 hour fast lap or an 8 hour lap where you go under Victoria falls, chill on a beach and re-run some rapids. 1/2 people and you'll probably be with the rafts which tends to be about 3 hours on the water. Accomodation varies, between about $15/night for a dorm bunk or camping, and up from there. I stayed at Safpar waterfront which is $15 for camping. Their food is mid range, about $5-10 per meal but nice food. They also have safari tents which are a bit more secure, have a fan and power, and cost I think $45 with a food plan of some sort. Town is a bit easier for choice, but it is VERY hot at night in town, I was much more comfortable at Waterfront. It also makes logistics easier too!
@@TeiteBumm I brought a boat with me. Lots did but it isn't always straigh forward. There are boats to rent at Safpar, including my Zion Slalom! $20/day for boat rental, same for all the boats. Mine just happens to be the best available 😉
@@TraveltoPaddle I used to skydive. Nearly 1000 jumps. That is way more dangerous what you guys are doing than skydiving! 😃 Edit: When you guys are doing the most extreme risky conditions I mean. Like the guys on the big hit count videos doing super dangerous stuff.
@@donh458 fair question, it's a work in progress 😂 I hate talking to a camera so I have to psyc myself up for these projects. New interview mic is arriving tomorrow though so I'll need to test it out..
@@donh458 yeah I was planning to completely redo the audio in post. Which is why it suddenly got put on hold, most of the timeline was built ages ago. I will get it done soon!
great effort so useful wish i had this before i first did the zam! also... here is what happens when you mess up the boof on no.5 😨😨 ua-cam.com/video/2X0JM3cZwPk/v-deo.html
Thanks! Hopefully we can get the video to loads of other people in time for their first time! Wow.. scariest line I've seen/ heard of at 5! Looks like you had more water than me which worked for and against you. That top hole clearly can be a nightmare! Luckily the hole below the pourover on the right was flushing, low water turns that into a sticky place. Glad you're alright and told the story so well! Perhaps when I go back I will go into a close-detail look at that rapid!
I got banned for posting a reply . So wierd. All I said was the type of lines I have run ,and how 5 has changed and the pour over is a potential beating now.
Weird.. it certainly wasn't me! Type of lines on the Zam? Yeah 5 dishing out a few beatings this year already too. Stay under and flush seems to be the solution
@@brentwade9346 Hahaha fair, but honestly they aren't the problem many people think they will be. A little vigilance and understanding goes a long way and you rarely even hear of a close encounter, let alone an attack. I hope I've not put people off!
Here's one vote for the 11-21 vid!
Awesome!
It's taken a while, but it's up!
Dude that’s one of the best river guides I’ve watched💯 You should definitely make videos like this for all the rivers lol
Thanks so much! I do plan to make many more guides, Ottawa next 😊
Awesome! Ran my first grade 3 yesterday morning - been compulsively watching bigger and bigger runs on UA-cam since
Nice one! Take the progression steadily though, there is no rush! Zambezi is very achievable but make sure to enjoy and learn from smaller rapids on the way!
super video. really instructfull for paddling anywhere.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Seriously great vid! Extremely well done and informative. Thanks for posting this.
Thanks so much!
Great video and explanations! :-) Big thumbs up and a vote for you doing the next rapids. Was there 4 years ago, this really made me wanna go back :-)
Thanks, will do!
Good stuff. Definitely make more.
On it!
Wonderful, thank you! It was very nice to meet you and paddle some rapids with you as well! Of course you should continue with the next rapids - I would have been glad about the explanations before our trip😆
Thank you! I've not been able to work out who DME is but I am sure it was good to paddle with you too! Any clues? XD
@@TraveltoPaddle Yes, we've been paddling in November 2022 together to with Jochen Lettmann and 12 other guys from Germany, also Bartosz Czauderna and his friends. We talked shortly about your Zambezi video project... - if I could post gopro-photos here, I would place an evidence photo :-)
@@DMEjazz I believe you! I just wasn't sure who DME might be! Will you be out next season?
@@TraveltoPaddle let's see.... - at the moment we*re talking about 2024 :-)
@@DMEjazz ahh cool! Well enjoy, whichever season you get back out there :)
Excellent video, definitely one of the best I've seen (for any river!). Great info and well presented thanks man , big thumbs up for more!
That's awesome to hear! Talking for a video has been a big mental thing so I'm glad it's gone down well. There will be more for sure!
Love your film making style. Super helpful & informative.
Thanks Paul! More videos coming soon 😊
11 and on vid? Good breakdown . As an ex Zambezi guide you pretty much nailed it.
Working on part 2 now 🙂 11-21.
Thanks! Means a lot, hopefully part 2 can be even better!
Many months later 11-21 is now on my channel!
Great video!
Thanks!
Definitely do the video the the rest of it, this is a brilliant idea you've had.
Fantastic please keep them coming.
Thanks, will do! Videos coming for the Palguin and Tana rivers too :)
The next rapids are on my channel finally!
Sweet Vid. Yes, more rapids would be cool.
Thanks!
More rapids now online!
Awesome vid!
Thank you!
Thanks for this, brilliant !
Thank you!
Well, I guess I'm ready for the Zambezi. Buying a kakak tomorrow and my plane tickets are booked.
Awesome, glad I could help
I'm still a class 2+ paddler. Hope to get to solid class 3 this spring and summer. I can't fathom how I would ever run this river.
Running this river requires focusing on doing the grade 2 and 3 really well, and then working on grade 4. But do it well! Getting down grade 3 is different to styling grade 3, and when you can style your grade you will see more clearly how the next grade can be achieved! The other thing to bare in mind with the Zambezi and other big volume rivers (often, not always) is that they look much scarier than they are. 95% of the Zambezi requires a solid roll and a good set of lungs. Of course a good set of whitewater skills is required but it isn't the huge leap that the size would suggest! Having said that, I still get nervous at the top of some of these rapids even after 40+ laps!
Thanks!
"Watch out for crocodiles!" Got it.
Great vid man! I am in south africa from july till 25th of august and was thinking of going to the zambezi afterwards before going back to europe. Is that a good time for the river ? Hoe long would you recommand staying there? Hiw much dies a day cost approximately down there ? Thx a ton
Thanks! That should be a good time, the season is wide! It also varies depending on the rains. But you'll probably find medium levels and have a lot of fun. You can be there 2 weeks or 2 months, it's really good. It's not a cheap place, about $50/day for kayaking but cheaper if you book multiple days together. That's transport with Safpar, porters, a SAT phone, helicopter rescue insurance, drinks at the end and park entry fees. Most of that is the truck on the awful roads!
@@TraveltoPaddle thanks a lot for answering! Really appreciate you taking the time to share the details! Medium levels sound good to me ! I am planning to be there for 3-4 weeks. How much time is it per day on the water ? 50$ for all the services sounds fair. How much is accomodation and food approximately ? Did you rent a boat there or did you bring yours ? Thanks for your time !
@@TeiteBumm no worries! I want this channel to be a source of information as it grows 😊 time on the water varies a bit depending on the group. If there are 3 or more kayakers you can get a private shuttle and had a 2 hour fast lap or an 8 hour lap where you go under Victoria falls, chill on a beach and re-run some rapids. 1/2 people and you'll probably be with the rafts which tends to be about 3 hours on the water.
Accomodation varies, between about $15/night for a dorm bunk or camping, and up from there. I stayed at Safpar waterfront which is $15 for camping. Their food is mid range, about $5-10 per meal but nice food. They also have safari tents which are a bit more secure, have a fan and power, and cost I think $45 with a food plan of some sort. Town is a bit easier for choice, but it is VERY hot at night in town, I was much more comfortable at Waterfront. It also makes logistics easier too!
@@TeiteBumm I brought a boat with me. Lots did but it isn't always straigh forward. There are boats to rent at Safpar, including my Zion Slalom! $20/day for boat rental, same for all the boats. Mine just happens to be the best available 😉
What does African river water do to you if it gets in your body?
Most of the time, nothing. Sometimes people get ill, same as rivers around the world.
@@TraveltoPaddle I used to skydive. Nearly 1000 jumps. That is way more dangerous what you guys are doing than skydiving! 😃 Edit: When you guys are doing the most extreme risky conditions I mean. Like the guys on the big hit count videos doing super dangerous stuff.
@@evangelicalsnever-lie9792 all these sports have great risk, the key is in managing it 🙂 I'd love to try skydiving one day!
This has 34k views! Where’s the 11-21? 🤩
@@donh458 fair question, it's a work in progress 😂 I hate talking to a camera so I have to psyc myself up for these projects. New interview mic is arriving tomorrow though so I'll need to test it out..
That’s fair. You could do voice over in the editing process too. That can be awkward too, but might be a solution to the on water vlogger vibe 😅
@@donh458 yeah I was planning to completely redo the audio in post. Which is why it suddenly got put on hold, most of the timeline was built ages ago. I will get it done soon!
@traveltopaddle I’ll be there in a week, sooner than that? 😅
Finally online ;)
11 to 21 please!
In progress!
Finally up!
"check for crocodiles"!!!!!!how bad is 4 if the portage runs the risk of crocodiles?
It isn't that bad! But there is a possibility of crocodiles everywhere. They cause very little real stress but any portage requires a quick check :)
great effort so useful wish i had this before i first did the zam! also... here is what happens when you mess up the boof on no.5 😨😨 ua-cam.com/video/2X0JM3cZwPk/v-deo.html
Thanks! Hopefully we can get the video to loads of other people in time for their first time!
Wow.. scariest line I've seen/ heard of at 5! Looks like you had more water than me which worked for and against you. That top hole clearly can be a nightmare! Luckily the hole below the pourover on the right was flushing, low water turns that into a sticky place. Glad you're alright and told the story so well! Perhaps when I go back I will go into a close-detail look at that rapid!
If you lick your gopro lens then dunk it in the water sporadically, it wont accumulate droplets.
I try! I do it quite regularly but it isn't perfect. Thanks for the tip though!
I got banned for posting a reply . So wierd. All I said was the type of lines I have run ,and how 5 has changed and the pour over is a potential beating now.
Weird.. it certainly wasn't me! Type of lines on the Zam?
Yeah 5 dishing out a few beatings this year already too. Stay under and flush seems to be the solution
Beautiful…but you lost me at “check for crocs”.
@@brentwade9346 Hahaha fair, but honestly they aren't the problem many people think they will be. A little vigilance and understanding goes a long way and you rarely even hear of a close encounter, let alone an attack. I hope I've not put people off!
@@TraveltoPaddle Ah well - I’m in Canada…grizzlies are no treat either ;-)