Edge It: Lean, Turn, Flow
- Ryder Morfin
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
Most beginners reach for their paddle the second things start to feel unstable. But on moving water, the real skill is often in the tilt. Instead of fighting the river, experienced paddlers learn to let the water move beneath the boat while staying balanced and controlled above it.
That’s the focus of Be WaterWise #17 – Edge It, part of the outstanding educational series created by the American Packrafting Association.
This episode dives into some of the most important boat control concepts for progressing paddlers, including:
Edging
Ferry gliding
Eddy turns and eddy hopping
Reading river flow
Body positioning and balance
The lesson begins with a simple but critical concept: learning to decouple your upper body from your hips. Instead of stiffening up and leaning with the boat, paddlers learn how to stay centered and stable while allowing the raft to tilt and respond naturally to current underneath them.
From there, Edge It breaks down how edging directly affects control on the river. Whether you’re ferry gliding across current or catching an eddy behind a rock, your body positioning matters just as much as your paddle strokes.
One standout technique covered in the episode is ferry gliding:point upstream around the 11 o’clock position, paddle with intention, edge the boat to resist the current, and lock your eyes onto your target eddy before committing to the move.
When done correctly, the river starts working with you instead of against you.
At Go North Rafts, we’re proud to support the APA’s Water Wise series and the continued effort to make packrafting education approachable, practical, and beginner-friendly. The more paddlers understand river movement and body control, the safer and more enjoyable every trip becomes.
One of the best things about this series is how clearly it explains skills that can otherwise feel intimidating when learned on the water for the first time. Slow, deliberate instruction helps paddlers build confidence before stepping into more technical river environments.
Because in the end, your paddle helps guide the boat —but your body is the rudder.
Check out the full Water Wise series from the APA here:
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