The Zbrzyca and Chocina rivers, i.e. the Tuchola Forest seen from SUP

The most famous river flowing through the Tuchola Forest is, of course, the Brda. However, since I only had two days to stay in Swornegacie (known as Swory by the locals), I decided to explore two smaller and lesser-known nearby rivers: the Zbrzyca and the Chocina.

Zbrzyca

The Zbrzyca River has a calm current, so I paddled upstream from the Kajaki-kaszuby.pl campsite where I was staying. The campsite is right on the Brda River, and straight from the bus, I got on a SUP and after a few hundred meters of the Brda, I entered Lake Witoczno. Sailing along the left bank of the lake, I found the mouth of the Zbrzyca River. As the campsite owner had told me, the Zbrzyca has a calm current, and paddling upstream isn't a major problem, especially since the river flows through several lakes where there's no current at all. After about 7 km of river, we enter Lake Śluza, and then Lake Parszenica. From Lake Parszczenica, I had to use Google Maps to find the mouth of the Zbrzyca, but I managed, and after another few hundred meters of lazily flowing river, I entered Lake Księże. There, about 12 km from the start, I turned around and headed back. The blowing southeasterly wind made things a bit tough on Lakes Parszczenica and Śluza, but once we reached the mouth of the Zbrzyca River again, it was all downhill. The entire trip took less than six hours, and the beautiful, warm, and sunny weather encouraged us to spend time on the water. A refreshing swim at the mouth of the Brda River at Lake Witoczno was all that was needed, and a few minutes later I was packing up my SUP next to the campsite van.

The Zbrzyca River, considered by many to be the most beautiful tributary of the Brda River, is worth exploring in more detail, so I'll definitely be returning next season. Especially since I'm planning two- and multi-day kayaking trips in the 2022 season, which I'll, of course, describe on the Fun Wind blog.

Chocina

I started my Chocina River rafting trip in the town of Jonki, where I was picked up by a transfer from the Kajaki-kaszuby.pl campsite. The Chocina is a small, narrow, and meandering river, and it's very picturesque. Knowing I'd encounter shallow water and river weed along the way, I attached a shorter, more angled river fin to my board. With this fin, clinging to seaweed is practically no problem, and most shallow water can be traversed without dismounting. Therefore, I recommend it as an additional accessory for all SUP users planning river rafting trips.

The Chocina River, wider and less winding on the section to Chociński Młyn, narrows after a portage near the old mill, winding through the forest, but also through fields and meadows to its picturesque mouth at Lake Karsińskie. After 2 km, we enter the Brda River at Swornegacie and a few minutes later end the trip at the campsite. The weather, like the previous day, was beautiful, and the approximately 20 km of paddling was pure pleasure. Literally, pure, as both the rivers and lakes of the Tuchola Forest have very clean water and sandy bottoms.

I sincerely recommend it!

Paweł Jędrzejewski

Practical information:

Equipment

Zbrzyca

I definitely recommend the Touring board, it is much faster on long trips and there is more space on board for luggage.

My choice is the Starboard Touring ZEN 12'6".

https://sklep.funwind.com.pl/kategoria/deski-1/sup-deska-pompowana-starboard-2021-infl-touring-zen-126-x-30

Chocina the same board, but definitely with a shorter river fin.

For longer trips, of course, waterproof Aquapac accessories, especially my favorite 40-liter bag.

https://sklep.funwind.com.pl/torba-aquapac-trailproof-duffel

Accommodation

I recommend the Kajaki-kaszuby.pl campsite, a few hundred meters outside the center of Swornegacie. It's quiet, right on the Brda River, inexpensive, has great pitches for campers and trailers, and the company offers transfers, and the owner, Mr. Piotr, knows the surrounding rivers and lakes very well.

http://www.kajaki-kaszuby.pl