Whitewater Kayaking Safety

Whitewater kayaking is an inherently dangerous sport that challenges both body and mind. Many kayakers feed off the adrenaline rush that comes from making it through tight rapids and steep drops. Facing challenging and dangerous river conditions, however, should not be equated with recklessness. Good whitewater kayakers understand whitewater safety and spend much time learning, practicing and teaching the skills and techniques that will enable them and their fellow paddlers to participate in the sport again and again.

Basics

For a safe whitewater kayaking trip, you should know basic strokes and maneuvers, and you should not feel pressured into attempting to run a rapid beyond your comfort level. Learning a reliable kayak roll will increase your safety on the water, but knowing how to do a wet exit is essential. You should also dress properly for the weather. On the river, hypothermia and dehydration are as real a threat as other hazards. Bring plenty of water and avoid cotton, which gets cold and clammy when wet and takes a long time to dry. Other essentials include a PFD, helmet, whistle, throw rope and knife.

Communication

Because it is often difficult to hear over rapids and wind, paddle and whistle signals are an important safety feature for whitewater paddling. Know the standard paddle and hand signals for stop, first aid, portage, scout and emergency. To get the attention of others, blow your whistle once; three blows on the whistle signal an emergency.

Hazards

Whitewater hazards include submerged dams, undercut rocks, powerful hydraulics and downed trees, which are called strainers. These hazards can trap boats or swimmers and may push them under the water. If you come out of your boat, never try to stand up. This can lead to foot entrapment, a frightening and potentially fatal situation where your foot gets snagged while the rest of your body continues downstream, where the current may push your head under water. Instead, float with your feet downstream and pointing toward the sky. If you are out of your boat and realize that hitting a tree is inevitable, swim aggressively toward it and do your best to scramble over the top of it.

Considerations

Always plan ahead for a trip. The best rescue is the one you avoid through proper planning and preparation. Learn about the route that you plan travel by checking its difficulty rating and current water level. Consider the abilities of the weakest members of your group. Find out if there are portage opportunities for less-experienced paddlers. Designate more-experienced paddlers to lead and sweep positions to keep the group together. It may be tempting to tackle easier waters alone, but emergency situations can arise on rivers at any level of difficulty. If you're looking for a solo sport, whitewater paddling is not the best choice. Keep in mind that if you get stuck under water, you have about three minutes to live.

Tips

If you would like to learn more about advanced rescue skills, take a swiftwater rescue class. In this hands-on class, you will learn to prevent mishaps and respond to emergencies. Lessons typically include rescue protocol; safety equipment and useful knots; individual and group wading techniques; how to swim over a strainer; throw rope practice and rescues; retrieving runaway boats; responding to body pins, pinned boats, foot entrapment and unconscious swimmers; and evacuation or transport of victims.