Roanoke Rapids Big Wave Day
| River: | Other |
| Skill: | Intermediate |
| Trip Date: | 08/15/2021 |
I had a great time on Sunday at the annual big water release on the Roanoke River at Roanoke Rapids at Weldon. This is a park and play spot that offers opportunity for paddlers of many skill levels. For the Big Wave Day, the pool below Weldon is allowed to drop to an optimal level and then a 10,000 CFS release is sent down the river for about five hours.
When I arrived I found Mike Watson, Cameron Honour and several other paddlers waiting for the release to hit the rapids at Weldon. I have played at Weldon before during the usual drought release, but this was my first time up for the Big Wave Day. This special annual release was actually negotiated during the dam relicensing with the help of the Carolina Canoe Club and several dedicated paddlers like Mike.
I have heard tales of the Big Wave Day and was expecting monster waves for expert paddlers only. I was pleasantly surprised to find a super fun set of dynamic features that would have something fun for most paddlers with at least some experience on moving water. There was good moving water for ferry practice. There were great wave trains, there was pushy water, and there were great waves to surf. The really cool thing was that the waves changed about every 20 minutes as the release came in over the afternoon.
If you are thinking about making the trip next year, leave your short boat at home. These waves reward longer, faster boats. I brought a car load of boats not knowing what to expect and had the most fun in an eight foot boat with a planing hull. The main wave at the peak of the release most reminded me of Diagonal Ledges on the Gauley. Fast, dynamic, and perfect for carving. The water is deep, so there were no worries about hitting my head when I flipped and it was a great spot to practice rolling in pushy water with all the room in the world to recover downstream.
I definitely plan to make the trip again and would definitely recommend it to others!
