Spanish River Runners

Hi Everyone!

I’m Zach, and I’m still buzzing from our Spanish River trip. We took a crew of young guns – Matthew, Nicholas, AJ, Lukas, Miles, Max, and Caspar – and put them through their paces. My co-guides Dave and Solomon and I pushed them hard, and boy did they rise to the challenge.

What stuck with me was the transformation from nervous beginners to confident paddlers. They learned to read the water, trust their instincts, and trust each other. By the end, they were tackling rapids like pros – and if you aren’t familiar: The Spanish River is FULL of em’!

The river threw some curveballs our way, but we adapted and overcame. The boys learned to embrace the unknown and roll with the punches. It was a true test of character, and they passed with flying colors. Each morning we’d talk about the day ahead, and by the end of the trip the timid nerves of running some white water turned into so much excitement and enthusiasm! I couldn’t keep up! After a long day of paddling the river, these boys were begging for more.

I’m stoked to see where these young paddlers go from here. They’ve got the skills, the grit, and the heart. We may still be a couple years away, but I have no doubt that these boys would absolutely crush a long trip that would offer bigger water, more challenging terrain, but most importantly; the absolute most scenic and breathtaking trips we run. If any of these lads are keen on a long trip, they should be looking at some of the 4 week trips next year, which will expose them to larger rivers and (hopefully) satiate their hunger of running more wave trains!

All that aside, it was a pleasure guiding these young men. Thank you for sharing your summer with me, and hopefully we’ll see you next summer!

Cheers,

Zach