Crossing the current without being taken downstream is a very important skill in white water kayaking. Ferries help to slow things down and they develop boat control, balance and edge control. Throughout your paddling career you’ll probably see many rapids in which making a ferry to an eddy on the other side of the river is a necessary move and you’ll be glad that you put a lot of time into practicing this basic river running skill.

There are four key words to remember about performing a precise and effortless ferry. And, yes, if you’re doing it right it will feel effortless. The idea is to allow the current to do most of the work. The key words are angle, edge, vision and speed.

Angle refers to the angle of your kayak relative to the current. For a successful ferry this angle needs to be about 45 degrees to the current. Another way to visualize the angle is to imagine a clock superimposed over the current with twelve o’clock being upstream and six o’clock being downstream. The bow of your kayak will want to be angled toward 10:30 or 11 o’clock if you’re moving from right to left and toward 1:30 or 2 o’clock if you’re moving from left to right.