Down in a hole

Hey boaters,

This year we have managed to have a tremendous amount of fun on 47% of our average snow pack. Thanks to a wonderful group effort, it looks like we are going to have a little bit more fun. On July 3rd, I was on my way to work. I passed by an intersection that I go through everyday. For some reason, I glanced down the canal at Shaw and Brawley and I saw a horizon line. Curious, I pulled over and walked down to the water. What was found, was a gentle little hole that had a lot of potential for fun. I returned later that day with Larry in tow.

Brawley Hole

The hole is fairly deep and super mellow. It is the best hole I can imagine for someone just starting out in hole surfing. It is very forgiving with good eddies and playful shoulders. We managed to play in the hole for about 45 minutes, then the cops showed up. They were nice and told us to leave. We talked with one officer at length, and he said they generally don't write tickets for playing in the canal. (Just FYI).

With our curiosity fully sparked, we called Jeff on the phone and had him jump on Google Earth. Using cell phones to communicate, Jeff navigated us all over the valley, as we combed the canals looking for a safe place to play. What we discovered was terrifying. There are pour overs, in our local canals, that would swallow you up and never let you out. A couple of them, on the west side of town, gave us chills just looking at them. Feeling deflated, we returned to the hole on Shaw to call it a night.

Back at the canal, an employee from the Fresno Water District was there checking the flow. He was a nice fella and gave us a lot of good information on where to find some play spots on the east side of town. At 9:30pm we headed east and thought we found what we were looking for. When we pulled up to the side of the canal, we saw a great pour over that formed sweet holes on the left and right, and a green wave in the middle. We shined our headlights on it for about 20 minutes and then went home, eager to return the next day.

The following afternoon, Paul, Eric, and myself pushed off the bank of our new play spot, only to be sorely disappointed. It wasn't terrible, it just wasn't great. The hole on the right was sloppy and flushed too easily. The hole on the left was much better, but didn't have eddy service. The wave in the middle was hit and miss, as it would glass up, and then turn into a mushy foam pile. Needless to say, I felt defeated. I stared at the hole and shouted out loud, "Why?"

Strike two

Two days later, armed with even more Google Earth locations, I met Dan at the Alta Weir for some surfing. It was pretty fun. The main wave is a bit slow for our short boats, but is still good enough to carve on. Behind the wave is a hole that has a small sweet spot. The hole is fast and turbulent, but it will give up loops and cartwheels. We surfed for over an hour and then decided to check out the canals again.

There is a saying that states, "Persistence pays off." Well today it did. As we slowly drove down the dirt road of an orange orchard, we came upon what is destined to be our new favorite park and play spot. It's a big hole that is very much like Gauge hole, only better. It's deep and retentive, and has a huge eddy on river right. Looking down on it, I was scared.

Reluctantly, I slipped off the bank of the canal and ferried across to the eddy on river right. Dan was on the bank with a throw rope. He had explicit instructions to pull me out if I yelled ROPE! I took several meager passes at the hole, each time getting deeper and deeper into the trough. Finally after several passes, a few rolls, and some cartwheels, we deemed the hole safe. It is VERY retentive, but will flush if you flip and stay down for a second or two. We played for over an hour and had a blast. We worked on tricks, rolled a lot, got window shaded a lot, and went home tired and happy. We've yet to name the spot, so feel free to voice any ideas you have.

DISCLAIMER: (this is the part I hate, I will try not to sound like a prick)

A. It's in a canal
B. It's on private property.

Call me or email me and I will give you directions on how to get there. You can also ask Dan. It is hidden off the road in an orange orchard. We saw the homeowners who live near by and they seem ok. We waved, and they waved back. They didn't call the Sheriff, so for now we're good. We are currently looking for access to the spot, where we don't have to cross any private property. I'll keep you posted on that. So if you will enlighten me, I would like to set up some ground rules for this spot.

1. Drive very slow down the dirt road and try to not kick up any dust.
2. If you run into someone, be really really nice to them and explain to them what you are doing and invite them to watch.
3. If you are asked to leave, do not argue, just politely leave. We want to be as nice as possible.
4. Keep the place clean. Even pick up other peoples trash if you see it. This is not a problem with our group. You guys are great at this.
5. Carpool. Don't play here alone, but don't bring 10 cars either. Find a spot to meet and then carpool in. We don't want a bunch of cars drawing attention to ourselves.
6. Report any positive or negative feedback from the land owners or Sheriff, to our NEW kayak club site.
7. Most important, HAVE FUN! This is a sweet hole. I promise you will love it. If it was just so so, I wouldn't go through all this dialog with you. It's amazing. That said, it is a pretty sticky hole. If you have played at Gauge Hole at 2500 cfs, Chili bar Hole, or Reno, you'll be fine. If not, call me and I'll take you out there to show you the rounds. A strong roll is required, no swimming please.

That's it. Sorry I ran so long. I hope you enjoy the video and even more the hole itself. I'm going to Santa Cruz for 2 weeks. I'll see you when I get back. I hope you all have some great stories to tell.

Take care.
Evan

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