Introduction

From the 9th to the 14th of October this year, the freestyle kayaking World Championships will be taking place in Columbus Georgia. I was lucky that last year I was able to spend a good amount of time in Columbus. This blog is going to cover some of the questions you might have, if you are planning a paddling trip to Columbus Georgia. I will be describing the RushSouth white water park. Including the World Championships play spot, the best water levels for paddling and how to check them as well as some travel tips, places to eat and other fun things to do while you are there.

The river

Columbus is a small city in the state of Georgia in the South East USA. The Chattahoochee river flows through the middle of the city and is home to an incredible white water park. The Whitewater begins bellow the North Highlands Dam and flows for 2 miles down to Wave shaper Island. It consists of deep pool drop style rapids with multiple channels and lines which vary considerably, depending on the amount of water being released from the hydroelectric dam. At a variety of levels there are world class freestyle spots to play in and there is an abundance of fun waves and seam lines to keep you entertained.

During the summer through to October it is hot, humid and less water is released. I spent the majority of my time out of my cag, in a long sleave Peak Tecwik rash vest. From November to March it gets cooler but is still mild compared to Europe and more northern parts of the USA. In the winter there is more consistent water releases and higher water levels.

Water levels – how to check them

The volume of water going through the white-water park depends on the number of generators that are being used by the hydroelectric dam. There are multiple variables including: demand for electricity, amount of rain fall (reservoir levels) and agreed water releases with local companies. These all influence the amount of water being let through the dam.

A water release schedule and the live water level can be viewed at:

https://www.georgiapower.com/community/environment/lakes-rivers/river-levels.html

From the drop down menu make sure you select Chattahoochee river and Northern Highlands.

The schedule tells you how many generators (gens) will be running at what time. The current turbine release tells you the live volume of water being released into the river in cubic feet per second. There is a useful chart on the website that shows how the number of generators being used correlates to the volume of water being released.

During my trip we experienced 1,2 and 3 gens. The World Championships will be held at 3 gens on Good wave for float boating and Love Triangle for squirt. Because of this we spent the majority of our time paddling Good wave. When the river is releasing over 9000CFS Good wave forms a big bowling green wave where freestyle tricks and dynamic combos can be thrown. We had a lot of fun paddling this feature and I would recommend it to all freestyle kayakers. Despite being a medium to large size wave, warm water and a big eddy behind it make it friendly and accommodating to a wide range of abilities.

If you are a squirt boating enthusiast, then Love triangle is a top location to get your mystery fix. Multiple converging channels create a playground of seams and drop spots. Columbus local and kayaking legend Stephen Wright regularly gets deep long mystery moves and has recoded himself sinking more than 15 feet.

At 3 gens running the river is fun. The run starts with Ambush wave/hole which at 3 gens is a big bouncy hole good for huge loops and the occasional beat down. At the bottom of the next rapid keep an eye out for a small green wave which is great to surf, if you are a freestyle ninja tricks can be stuck there. At 3 gens the rest of the river consists of fun easy going wave trains until you go under the large road bridge. Here you have a few options. River left towards Waveshaper island takes you down to Good wave through a fast boilie channel. Make sure you look out for Workout hole a fun wave hole at the top of the channel.

Another option is to go river right which takes you to Cut Bait, one of the bigger rapids at this level. Cut Bait is a fast channel which leads into a big feisty hole, it is run often but be prepared to be surfed and thrown around if you hit the hole. Cut Bait flows into love triangle.

At 2 gens the river is similar, apart from Ambush becomes a smaller more enjoyable wave hole. Depending on the exact level it can be a small hole perfect for loops and McNasty's or a wave hole hybrid great for almost every trick. At 2 gens Good Wave is significantly smaller and much harder to throw tricks on.

At 1 gens there isn’t any incredible play spots on the river however there are still rapids where you can practice technical moves and zip in and out of eddies.

We didn’t get to experience 4 gens. However, we have been told that at this level more play spots come in. Underneath the road bridge above wave shaper island Monkey wrench and Playhair’s Lounge provide world class freestyle. The higher the water gets the more-green Good Wave becomes until it is flushed out.

During the winter, November to March, you are more likely to experience 4 gens and flood stage. During these levels a range of different features come in. I am hoping to experience this in my upcoming trip to Columbus in March.

Travel to Columbus

Traveling to Columbus is relatively simple, there is an international airport in Atlanta which is a 1.5-hour drive away. There is a smaller airport in Columbus, which you can get a connecting flight to from Atlanta if you would like to arrive closer.

Places to eat

The majority of nights we opted to cook ourselves. However, a short walk from Waveshaper island there is a high street packed with restaurants and cafes. As a treat we enjoyed frozen yogurt from Freeze Frame and pizza from Your Pie. Iron banks is a popular coffee shop and also a good place to sit down and do some laptop work.

Other fun things to

Standing boy trails a short drive away has fun mountain biking and hiking trails, if you go keep an eye out for armadillos! There are nice walkways up both sides of the river which we enjoyed walking and running. We found local ponds and lakes with alligators and some crazy looking spiders.

If you are willing to travel 4-5 hours by car there is some epic creek boating in North Carolina. We managed to paddle the Green, Ocoee, Tallulah, Wilson Creek and the Nantahala. This is just a few of the rivers in the area. If you plan on going to Columbus, they are definitely worth visiting to escape the city. Even if you aren’t keen on creek boating the Smokey mountains and Appalachian trail are beautiful and a refreshing break.

Conclusion

Warm water, fun rapids, easy logistics and an abundance of other fun activities makes Columbus GA a great kayaking holiday destination especially during the winter. The Chattahoochee white water park is going to be a great location for the 2023 World Championships.