Key Points:

• Look where you want to go
• Can’t see? Ferry to other side or scout, find eddy.
• Arms should stay pretty rectangular to upper body to protect shoulders (the “Box”)
• Attempt moves first in simple, low-risk situations
• It is better to go to a familiar run and make it difficult rather than stepping up to a harder river. it is a much better learning environment to push yourself on easier whitewater (catching all the eddies, surfing, boofing, etc.), basically making a class II or III run have class IV or V moves.
• You are building up a safety net of error-correction skills. This takes times and lots of pushing yourself in varied scenarios.
• Visualize where water / reactionaries will send you and account for it in your strokes and direction
• You need momentum (forward / lateral / spin) for every move.
• Forward speed can be easily turned to lateral speed in river through draws / edging.
• Choosing between strokes - choose the one that pushes you towards your goal (i.e. reverse sweep or forward sweep - choose the forward sweep if you will then need to go in that direction / whatever brings your torso in the direction it needs to go).
• Edge Control - “show bottom” to powerful water
• Keep bottom of boat flat when paddling - at least when not turning
• Paddle Dexterity - feathering / sculling - are great to practice and can save you
• Keep weight over the boat until it is clear you will tip - then drop head and outside knee
• Separation of activity (head / torso )
• Keeping active paddle in water (for maintaining tracking )
• Backward awareness - build up backward awareness for better reactions when things go sideways, so you feel more comfortable ferrying above can’t miss moves, etc. Surf backwards, force yourself to paddle backwards in low risk situations. -Back Surfing -And All Other Moves Backwards -Back Ferry
• Keep Bow Dry - Get over holes, waves, etc with lock-in, boof, etc.
• Running into rock sideways and cant prevent it? The rock is “normally” your friend. Lean into the rock (unless there is a pillow of water to deflect off of) - otherwise you might be pinned against it.
• Learn some freestyle in a freestyle boat - it is one of the fastest ways to learn
• Scouting:
  • Look at speeds / time of water flowing between obstacles
  • Get used to following verbal instructions
  • Practice memorizing sections
  • Following is a skill - get used to following, noticing moves, but staying aware if leader goes off track
• Sit upright (open pelvis) - sitting more upright allows you breath deeper in your lower abdominals, allows you to keep your abs tensioned while breathing (protecting you), protects your hip flexors:
  • Practice keeping lower abs tensioned while breathing and going through sections

Think about:

• Head
• Body
• Boat - Edging
• Paddle
• Speed
• Angle
• Arc
• Spin - determined by last strokes / vectors / falling off bow wake

Turning:

• Head Looks At Target (if continuing turn - head keeps looking to turn )
• Body leads turn (not necessarily the head)
• Control every turn on the inside of the turn
• Control every turn with draw stroke

River Directions:

• Upstream / Downstream
• River Right / River Left
• Surfers Left / Surfers Right

Ferrying

Crossing the river, facing upstream

Key Points:
- Moderate angle (~20) deg to waterflow 
- Watch seamlines
- Use stern draws/pries to keep on track - pull your tail to the paddle 
- Control your edges - keep close to flat - perhaps slightly leaned downstream

Ferry Turn

Executing a turn or change of sides when ferrying

Key Points:
- When Ferrying...
- One sweep on downstream side to initiate
- Sweep torso around dynamically and look downstream to the other side - changing edging 
- Use a bow draw to pull yourself around

Peel Out

Leaving an eddy and entering the current

Key Points:
- Get some power strokes in pointing upstream while in the eddy 
- To Ferry:
	- Leave eddy with slight edging leaning downstream
	- Transition to downstream-side only strokes or continue with power strokes
	- Flatten out boat
- To head downstream:
	- Make a sweep stroke on the upstream / shore-side to initiate turn downstream right when heading over eddy line 
	- Plant a draw stroke vertically and slightly behind the cockpit and use the draw to sail you where you want to go

Eddy Out / Pivot Turn

Leaving the current and landing in the slower, recirculating water (eddy)

Key Points:
- Look at end target
- Don't necessarily aim for uppermost portion of eddy - if recirculating eddy or waiting for others get towards rear
- Use stern draw stroke to pick-up speed
- At last second before entering -  perform sweep on downstream side to initiate
- Perform Pivot-Stroke / C-Stroke (middle draw, feather to bow draw, power stroke) when you have landed
- Don't place pivot stroke too soon (in moving water)
- Keep boat flat when pivot stroke has started so that it can glide easiest
- Lean to inside of turn 
- Edge tail in to bite-in - to stop more quickly

Tighter Eddy-Outs

Less Tight Eddy-Outs

Getting out of a hole

Key Points:
- know where you can get out 
- patiently use pries to get there 
- keep pries / braces as low as possible to protect shoulders

Boof

Key Points:
- Edging 
	- Sitting on one butt cheek 
- Stroke
	- Ab tension is critical - keep lower abs very tight 
	- Dont lean forward or pull (leads to you being in back seat / losing ab tension)
	- Downstream Side Plant
	- Vertical Paddle Stroke - near hips 
	- Non-power hand crosses the body completely
	- Use some follow-through but without hinging body  

Basic Boof

Core of Boof - Near body plant + tensioned body

Boof Exercise on floor or in chair

Lean Boof

Pivot Turn / Squirt (You need a half-slice)

Key Points:
- The pivot point of the boat is actually  where water is building up around the boat (often in the front)- the wake 
- Keep hands very loose on the paddle 
- For driving straight: 
	- try to lean forward and use your shoulders / torso more 
	- try to avoid paddling too far past mid point - this contributes to turning
	- Don't punch front hand too far at end of stroke - use more torso instead
- For turning or sweep strokes:
	- try to engage lower body for movement vs through pushing the paddle 
	- stern draw
		- normally used to limit spin in kayak 
		- go wide with stroke
		- punch front hand over midline of boat 
	- Bow draw - 
		- used to redirect momentum
		- Don't let bow draw become hanging draw 

Basic Strokes

Forward Stroke

Forward Stroke - Basic

Draw Stroke

Draw Stroke - Basic

Draw Stroke - Basic - Test

Bow Draw for Pivot Turn

Bow Draw / Slalom Pivot Turn

Slip Stroke - Basic

T Stroke / Active Draw - Basic

Sculling Draw - Basic

Sweep Stroke

Forward Sweep - Basic

Reverse Sweep - Basic

Compound Strokes

C-Stroke

Offside C-Stroke

Reverse Compound -Stroke

Low Brace

High Brace

Elbows under the paddle
Arms in the box

Sculling Brace

Brace Correction

Braces under Water - Exercise

Sustained Brace - Exercise

Deep Brace - Exercise

Tips for a bombproof roll:

- Attempt First In Simpler Situations
- Then In Whitewater
- Modified Backdeck Roll For Shallow Situations
- Stay Low-Profile When Heading Underwater
- If Bracing Fails - Commit To Roll Or Sustained Brace/Deep Brace
- Feeling For Pressure of On Water and paddle To Know When To Hip Snap
- Hip Snap Is The Most Important Part Of The Roll - it rolls the boat
- It Isnt About Sweeping The Paddle Through The Water But Using The Paddle To Support Hip Snap
- Keep Head Low (Forward / Side / Or Back) - comes up last 
- Looking At Your Paddle Until Upright and Recovered Can Help 
- Learn Roll On Both Sides And From All Positions
- Use Momentum From Failed Roll Attempt to Roll Up On Other Side
- Use Floatie (without paddle) to practice hip snap (requires you to limit pressure created with upper body) - slowly use less pressure
- Rolling in a hole - try to roll up on downstream side - feel for water pressure on you / the paddle and use it to your advantage 

Standard Rolls

C-C Roll

Sweep Roll

Backdeck Roll

Hand Roll - Normal

Hand Roll - Backdeck

Key Points:
- Commit 
- Try to kiss backdeck 
- Feather blade for push
- Use pressure between hands to get push on water the whole time 
- Side of face to water 

Modified Backdeck Roll / Screw Roll

Further Roll Variants

C-C No-Setup

Reverse Sweep Roll

Static Backdeck

Bombproofing Roll

Roll - Exercise with Floatie

Roll - Learn Roll On Both Sides And From All Positions

Roll Tip - Use Momentum From Failed Roll Attempts - For Other Side Roll

Test Roll / Hip-snap

Further Exercises

Practicing C-C in Hole - “Window Shading”

Practicing C-C in Hole - “Window Shading” - Lose and Replace Hand

Practicing Screw Roll in Hole - “Window Shading”

Roll Learning Progression - Intermediate

• low brace

• sculling

• high brace

• fall half under water and snap out (brace)

• fall fully under water and snap out (c-c)

• do a c-c roll - going underwater in setup

• do a c-c roll - going underwater in odd positions

• fall fully under water - scull up to snap

• fall fully under water - feather up to snap

• normal backdeck

• modified backdeck

• static backdeck

• backdeck recovery (one side only)

• do complete exercises on offside

Seal Launch

Entering the water with a slide / drop

Basic Slide - Seal Launch - Seal Launch

Drop Style - Seal Launch

Key Points:
- push with hand and paddle
- Don't lean back (Don't push too hard)
- pull up knees
- push off when at desired angle
- rocker probably helps
- check depth 

Fancy Entry

Wave Surf Technique

Key Points:
- Low brace is preferable
- Pick a point to look at for reference - somewhere up stream 
- Staying centered 
- Edging without paddle - carving
- Don't use forward strokes to turn 
- Controlling length of boat on water - long = fast
- Applying brake before we leave when carving toward one side
- Jet Ferry 

Carving

Wave Surfing / Carving

Wave Power Position - Carving

Hole Technique

Key Points:
- abc

Side Surf Low Bracing - Hole

Side Surf Negotiation - Forward - Hole

Side Surf Negotiation - Backward - Hole

Spin - Hole

Spin - Hole - Eyes Upstream

Double-Pump Technique

Double-Pump to Front

Double-Pump to Back

Key Points:
- Don't run blind 
- Scout hazards, water flows, possible lines, plan B, where to stop 
- Rating consequence - easy swim, bruises / cold swim, serious injury, risk of death, certain death.
- Talk, Reach, Throw. Tow, Go (TRTTG) - Go for the low risk options first.
- KISS - Keep it short and simple.
- Nothing a rescuer does should make a victim worse off.
- Person before gear - encourage people to get themselves out of danger first 
- If swimmer at bottom of rapid and faced with easy swim, hang on to paddle. if at start of rapid should throw paddle towards shore and swim.
- Throw paddle if needed 
- Boats can be nudged into eddys by a kayaker still in a boat 
- Always wear solid shoes allowing for scrambling, helping.
- Avoiding strainers is your best best.
- Being aware of your comfort - comfort, adventure, disaster zones
- Make sure you warm up prior to serious paddling 
- Control your breathing and stress 
- Look where you want to go 
- Bring a phone if not in a remote region
- Use float bags in your kayak - ensure they are blown up 
- Stay upstream of your boat if swimming 

Tough situations

• Swims
• Undercuts
• Double recirculation
• Foot entrapments
• Broach / Side-pin
• Vertical pin
• Siphon / Strainer
• Stuck in hole / recirculation feature
• Injuries
• Collisions
• Hypothermia / Heat Exhaustion / Sun-burn / Frostbite / Shock
• Lost gear

Self Rescue from Broach / water-pressure pin

• Lean into rock / obstacle so edge isn’t caught by water pressure
• Keep edge up on waterpressure side
• Extend paddle far to side if you need to generate spin around the object

Vertical Pin

• if multiple people or secured to tree - can use “vector pull” pulling perp to line to pull them faster - or z pull
• make sure they can stay above water (parallel line)

Rescue of others - from on land

• Keep rescue gear in your pfd
• Quickly find spot to pull over
• Pull skirt
• jump out
• grab throw bag

Rope Throw - Basic

Key Points:
- Always wear solid shoes for scrambling.
- Keep bag in front of boat with easy access and easy to unclip under stress.
- Positioning yourself - Keep in mind where they will swing to.
- cover the highest risk.
- Throw past person / slightly upsteam of them (things on surface swim faster) - dont want them to grab the sack.
- Hold rope for example with left hand, having rope wrap around your back and your right hand is holding the rope leading to the swimmer.
- Brace yourself (there is a lot of force during a swim).

Receiving throw rope

Securing throw rope

Should be incredibly simple to retrieve with one hand under stress

Hand of God - Rescue

Key Points:
- Attempt first in simpler situations
- Paddle alongside
- Drop your paddle in-between
- Grab them securely (leaning over their kayak)
- Pull them upright

T - Rescue

Rescuing Boat

Rescuing A Boat From Others

Deepwater Rescue

Entrapment rescue

Retrieving Paddle

Doubling up carried paddle and paddling with both paddles for a brief period. Or throw the paddle into an eddy - onto soft land

Swimming

Key Points:
- Stay Defensive if it is shallow 
- Swim aggressively if deeper / pool / risk of getting hit by rocks lower 
- Curl into ball to sink deeper if dropping into a big wave / hole with big foam pile

Towing Person

Towing Boat

Rescuing Unconcious Person -

Tethered swimmer to rescue other

Gear

Sling

Shortening Sling

Whistle Signals

• One blow: ATTENTION — “Attention!” or “Look this Way!”

• Two blows: STOP — “I need to stop” or “Bring the group to a stop”

• Three Blows: EMERGENCY — “A paddler is in trouble” or “We have a problem”

Other Signals

Ok / Ok?

Stop - Flat Paddle

Eddy Out - Circle In The Air And Point Towards Eddy Possibility

Go Ahead - Straight Up

Go That Way - Always Point To Best Line

Warning / Help - Swinging Paddle Back And Forth

Stop and Scout

Stop and Portage

Green Water / Tongue / Downstream V

No Recirculation Or Aerated Water

Waves

Pillows - Where Water Builds Up On Front Side Siphon Strainer / Sieves - Underneath Rocks / Fallen Trees

Downstream V - Easier To Leave

Upstream V - Harder To Leave - Because You Cant Reach The “Corner”

Horizon Line

Hole / Stopper / Reversal / Hydraulic

Pourover - These Are The More Dangerous Holes

Foampile

Aeration

Boilline

Recirculation

Stay Away From Holes Where Vertical Drop Reaches Bottom Of River (This Is A True Washing Machine)
Corners (The Sides Of The Hole) 
	Smiley 
	Frowny 
	Diagonal 
If Hole Is Powerful Enough - Bodily Injury - Difficult To Control Breathing
Double-Holes - Undercut On Backside 

Reactionary - Sides Of Downstream V-S - Pushes Boat Laterally

Standing Waves

Exploding Waves (Surging)

Eddies

Eddy Line

Seam Line - Where Two Currents Come Back Together

Boils

Whirlpool

Undercut - If There Is No Pillow In A Bend Or At A Rock It Is Undercut

Broaching Rocks

Possible Pinning Locations

On Submerged Or Exposed Rock

Critical summer gear

• Wallet / insurance card
• Kayak
• Paddle
• Spray Skirt
• Throw Rope
• PFD
• Helmet
• Nose clamp
• Knife
• Waterproof phone cover
• Waterproof car key / cover
• Appropriate attire for temperature:
  • Wetsuit
  • Drytop with underlayer and neoprene pants
  • Rubberized Fleece top with kayak shorts
• Sturdy shoes
• Water bottle with d-ring
• Safety sling / carabiners
• Float bags
• Dry bag containing:
  • snack
  • any critical clothing / etc
• Poncho for changing
• Sunscreen
• Bug Repellent
• Sunglasses
• Croakies
• For self-shuttling:
  • Bike - with tires pumped up
  • Bike lock
  • Helmet, Water, Shorts, underwear, shirt at takeout for ride

Critical winter gear

• Wallet / insurance card

• Kayak

• Sponge

• Paddle

• Spray Skirt

• Throw Rope

• PFD

• Helmet - slightly larger for balaclava to fit under

• Nose clamp

• Water earplugs

• Knife

• Waterproof phone cover

• Waterproof car key / cover

• Appropriate attire for temperature:

  • Dry-suit
  • Mitts / Pogies
  • Thin gloves
  • Shoes - slightly larger for drysuit socks
  • Neoprene Balaclava
  • Multiple fleece top layers
  • Fleece bottom layer
  • Long socks

• Sturdy shoes

• Hot Water bottle with d-ring

• Safety sling / carabiners

• Float bags

• Dry bag containing:

  • snack
  • any critical clothing / etc

• Poncho for changing

• Floor mat for changing into dry suit on

• Charged go-pro and mount

• For car shuttling:

  • chair protectors
  • at least 3 seats in car
  • plenty of cam straps

• For afterwards:

  • Warm water / tea
  • Jacket
  • Beanie
  • Extra underwear/socks

• Bring some tools with :

  • tape
  • allen wrenches
  • scissors
  • lighter
  • first aid kit

• Gear for Expedition paddling

• Emergency blankets

• First Aid kit

• Duct tape

• Split paddle

• food

• sleeping pad

• 2 lighters

• knife / axe

• Drone for scouting

Gear for pool sessions

• Kayak
• Poncho
• Neoprene balaclava
• Helmet
• Nose clip
• Paddle
• Swim goggles
• Short socks
• Neoprene pants or board shorts
• Kokotat top / athletic top
• Gopro on tripod

Optional -

• Folding saw to clean wood from waterway/trails
• Elbow pads for steep creeking
• Full face for steep creeking

Wear Earplugs against Surfer’s Ear

Paddle Indexing - mainly on round shafted paddles

Duct tape on paddle for protection / emergencies

Put duct tape on the middle of your paddle to protect paddle and/or for emergencies

Hockey tape on paddle shaft to improve grip with gloves

Fluoro tape on paddle for visibility

Write your name on your gear

Making a skirt strap easier to grab - using hosing and tape

Put rubber/tape on edges of bulkhead to distribute load on boat plastic

Drysuit Care

• Every 2 months lube zippers
• Every 6 months new waterproofing impregnation
• Apply protectant (303) to gaskets

Car

Put hot-dog wrap on rack to protect kayaks from scratching

Carrying hardware

Carrying climbing nuts on carabiner

Trick for securing hip pads higher

Whitewater I’ve Paddled

Tour Breakdowns