Waterfalls vs Flumes

Look at this photo. On the left is me canoeing over the gnarly double drop fall on the North Esk river yesterday and in the centre is the 10m high opening waterfall on the Falloch. Both of these I paddled without incident and came away feeling suitably smug and self important. On the way home yesterday I stopped in at the leisure pool (right image) for a relaxing swim and tried a flume for probably the first time in my adult life which made my head feel wonky and it's not felt right since. Now explain that!? This brain injury thing makes no sense whatsoever.

[randomphantoms]

My guess is different lighting and acoustics.

Great achievements and have a rest . You deserve it.

Love n hugs xoxo

[TiredNan]

Also with the flume you just have a sensation of dropping with no way of judging where you are or horizons. Totally messes up your balance I think.

I did it once and felt like a spider going down a vacuum cleaner tube.

Fair play to you for braving the rapids though .... fantastic!

[cat3]

Can't think of an explanation for your wonky head Jonathan, unless the flume just happened to be the final straw in a day of over-exertion ??

Hope you're ok today. Great photos BTW ! x

[Hidden]

The waterfall is natural so safer than something man-made in which safety aspects haven't covered head injuries. That's what I would guess is the answer!

[peaches2]

Wow well done you! Maybe the flume was enclosed? Or the bright lights in that place and children screaming? Maybe you were so busy staying upright in the canoe that you were concentrating so hard you didn't feel the wonky head at that point or maybe it's just that yes brain injury makes no sense at all and it proves we are never the same from one hour to the next! Bravo tho, especially in the canoe, that looks great fun! Hope your wonky head's eased off now! xx

[swedishblue]

I would guess outdoors in nature is very different from being enclosed in a human jungle heap with loud echoes (?), bright lights, chlorine, enclosed in a tube. Sensory overload, and far too disorientating/ upsetting to my brain to be doing the latter! It has to be said, you really went in to over-kill if you did all these activities in the one day! Hope you recover soon!!

[sospan]

Its like me on a ladder, on a ladder have no problem with balance or dizziness, two feet on the ground - not so good.

Maybe it is down to depth perception with everything closed on - obviously a lot worse for you on the flume

[RogerCMerriman in reply to sospan]

my Balance/dizziness can be poor, on escalators, trains/buses and false floors etc. if you want to find that pea under carpets I'm your man!

But its fine for fairly high end MTbing and so on.

[spartan300]

your brain is having to work harder so do as I have done accept that you are now different limit what you do why make more problems, it can be just as good watching your favorite sport without taking part hard yes, I have stopped doing most things country sports riding my bike I still have a small vegetable patch and my workshop or the shed and I get out most mornings, I hope this helps

take care

john