Why this wave has been kept quiet for so long I do not know. Only in the last few months have artciles on the web and in magazines started to appear in any real detail. Kayak Session in particular have provided excellent coverage of the wave that lies near their home town of Lyon, France.

Any paddler who sees the wave can’t not be impressed with its size, shape and speed. With the advent of small fast boats this wave really comes into its own.

Hawaii sur Rhone is a huge, fast wave, which is in parts breaking. The face of the green wave tends not to be smooth but exhibits a series of pressure ridges, this make a ride quite bouncy and perfect for the air being gained in the photos within issue 3 of Kayak Session.

Unlike many other natural play waves of this size there isn’t a nasty stopper, wave train, huge boils or massive waterfall just down stream. This however doesn’t mean that is it is safe. Like many other rivers in France the Rhone is extremely wide and as a result a swim may result in death due to exhaustion if your only option was to swim for it! The key is therefore not to paddle alone and make sure your roll is bombproof.

Under normal water conditions the wave breaks in places but it can be totally green, depending on the water level. During the low water season from the end of August and beginning of September, eddies lie on both sides of the wave however the river-left eddy gives the paddler less hassle and better access to the best part of the wave.

At high water levels, you have to catch it from upstream – bunny it. The wave is extremely fast so if you get washed off it’s time to get out and carry back up, it’ll either make your wave catching skills excellent or make you fit so it’s win win all the way. At extreme high levels the wave becomes a river wide stopper of mammoth proportions unless you’re really stupid don’t bother.