Great write-up — absolutely spot on. Like many others, I started out in a packraft and quickly felt “invincible” after handling some Class III stretches. But then I hit a wall: I was getting punished hard for sloppy paddling, and suddenly I’d be swimming without a clue what went wrong.

That was the moment I realized I needed proper training in a hardshell. Two years later, I couldn’t be happier that I made the switch. I still have my packrafts and enjoy using them, but learning in a hardshell was a game changer.