5 Whitewater Safety Tips For On The River.

Getting into whitewater kayaking can be a daunting experience. Often, it's hard to know what is right or wrong. Below are 5 tips to help you to stay safe while progressing in your kayaking journey.  

Tip 1: Your throw bag system. Having a dialed throw bag system can make all the difference, especially when we need to move quickly on the water. Everyone has their preference for which specific bag and how it's clipped into your boat. It's good to play around with clipping your bag in a few different ways to find what’s quickest for you. Once you’ve decided on a method, use the SAME way every time e.g. every time you get in and out of your boat grab the bag and carry it with you for scouting etc… I found this was key for me in getting quick and smooth at grabbing my bag in a situation when you really need it.

My go-to throw bag is the NRS PRO rescue throw bag. 

Key tip: Be ultra-specific in how you set up your throw bag, maybe have a small length of rope poking out for an easy grab or face the carabiner the same way to grab it every time. I like to apply this mentality to all my river kit and keep everything clean and dialed.

Check out one of my throw bags from last year in California here. 

Tip 2: Awareness of your friends on the river. Remembering where everyone is on the river in relation to you is a crucial part of operating as a team. If something goes wrong with a member of your crew identifying where they are is a huge part of a quick rescue. I like to have the number of everyone on the water with me and to have a mental order of where everyone is on the river. As I move down the river, after every rapid, a simple glance behind me ensures that everyone is still ok.

Tip 3: Kayaking within your ability. As kayakers, we are all in between swims, but being able to identify rapids and rivers so we can safely paddle down them takes time. Learning to break down rapids and identify risks, safety and portage routes, is just as essential as the physical components of kayaking. Paddling with more experienced kayakers is a great way to learn how to judge rapids. Come up with your own opinion on a rapid and identify necessary safety, and then compare your view to others in your crew.

Progress at a pace that is comfortable for you. Before moving up a grade in kayaking e.g. grade 3 to 4, you should feel at ease at the lower grade and happy to do many challenging moves on this lower grade.

Tip 4: Kayaking communication. Communicating on the river can be hard at times due to the loud noise of the river or distance, so we often can’t just talk about whatever is happening on the river. Having a set of river signals means we can communicate across a distance. 'River signal,' refers to different positions with your hands or arms to give instructions or information to other people. Also carrying a whistle, to use to get someone's attention, or 3 whistles indicating a rescue situation is occurring. Check out the link below for info on river signals and moving as a team. https://www.nrs.com/learn/rescue-for-river-runners-team-strategy

Tip 5: Respect the river and enjoy it! Rivers do have inherent hazards, but by having a clear progression from class 1 to class 5 or as high as you want to go, we can mitigate risks and keep the moving environment on the river as the sickest natural playground.

Keep paddling! 🤙

Zack Stones is a full-time river person. He works as an instructor and guide for Topsport kayaking, on the Waimakariri during the summer months. During the off-season, he travels overseas to explore world-class whitewater kayaking. Zack has his diploma in outdoor instruction as well as his NZOIA kayak 1, and pre-hospital emergency care.  

If you want to learn more from Zack join him on a grade 2 course with Topsport Kayaking. 

You can find him on Instagram: @pebblespaddles

Top 5 Tips for Whitewater Safety: 

1. Nail your throw bag system. 
2. Always be aware of where your friends are on the river in relation to you. 
3. Make sure you kayak within your abilities. 
4. Figure out some hand signals with your team so you can still communicate on the river if you're far away or can't hear over the river sounds. 
5. Always respect the river and don't forget to enjoy it!