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Consumer Whitewater Safety Info
Most outfitters put a high priority
on the safety of their customers. Some do not. Before selecting an outfitter or
guide for a whitewater experience, make sure they meet the following competencies.
Many thanks to Rescue 3, an internationally known water rescue training company
that has developed safety training for universities and states as well as the
National Fire Prevention Agency (NFPA) 1670 Standard on Operations and Training
for Technical Search and Rescue Incidents (2004) and the NFPA 1006
Standard for Rescue Technicians Professional Qualifications in the areas of water
and rope.
Outfitter Safety Checklist Before you select a whitewater
guide or outfitter, get answers to these questions: The
Outfitter : - How long has your company been
in business? If less that 3 years, how many years of whitewater experience do
the owners and guides have?
- What is your
safety record? How many accidents? How many injuries or deaths?
- Do you have liability insurance? What is the company's name?
- Do you have a policy and procedures manual?
a. Are employees required to
read and sign this manual?
b. Does it have an emergency
response plan in it?
c. What
are the drug and alcohol policies for both guides and clients?
Pre-Trip Preparation:
Are guides required to
give a standardized safety talk before each trip?
Does the talk include:
a. Basic swimming position?
b. How your personal flotation device (PFD)should fit?
c. What to do if the boat overturns or you are thrown
out of the boat?
Equipment:
- How old is your equipment and is it inspected
and tested regularly?
- Will the life jackets
pass the "float test"?
Water Rescue
Training & Skills: - Do your guides have advanced
first aid training, wilderness EMT, Wilderness First Responder (WOFER) or equivalent
training?
- Do your guides have river rescue
certification? If not, do they have independent training or in-house rescue training
of 16 hours or more?
- Do you know if your local
fire or search and rescue team is river-rescue certified?
a. Do you know what
their estimated response time is for a river call? b. Do you carry cell or satellite
phones in order to contact them?
c. What is the cell/satellite phone's coverage
area? - How many
training runs do experienced guides have to do on a new run?
How many hours
of guide training is required for new guides?
Precautions You Should Take
PICK AN APPROPRIATE STRETCH OF RIVER
l Match
your skills and experience to the class of the river (see
below).
DRESS FOR AN UNEXPECTED SWIM!
l Cold
water, which could lead to hypothermia, can rob your strength and impair your
ability to swim to safety. Wear a wetsuit, dry suit, nylon or fleece—not
cotton! USE PROPER EQUIPMENT
l Coast
Guard approved whitewater lifejacket/PFD (Type 3 or 5), fastened and snug
l Helmet—on
appropriate river stretches, to protect from serious injury
l Coldwater
protective clothing
l Protective
footwear
l Throw
rope, whistle & knife—and make sure you know or your guide knows how to use
them KEEP YOUR GROUP CLOSE TOGETHER
l Have
a float plan and rescue strategy
l Safety
of group is only as strong as least experienced member RECOGNIZE
AND AVOID HAZARDS
l Fallen
trees, low-hanging branches and other strainers
l Rocks
and undercuts
l Powerful
hydraulics
SWIM AGGRESSIVELY
l Away
from hazards, toward calm water, the shore or your boat
l If
rafting, pull swimmers aboard immediately
l Avoid
undercut banks and rocks DEFENSIVE SWIM
l Feet
up and pointed downstream
l Use
your arms to maneuver
l Don't
stand up! Avoid foot entrapment. Fast water can entrap your foot between rocks,
push you over, and pin you under the surface. SELF RESCUE
When
spilled, check on your partner, get to the upstream end of the craft and swim
to safest shore (a 15-foot canoe hurled against a rock by a current of 10 mph
can exert a force of over four tons). Leave the boat only if it will improve your
personal safety. If a rescue is not likely, if the water is numbing cold, or if
a worse set of rapids is approaching, swim to the safest shore. To lessen your
chance of injury, adopt the safe swim position.
Recognizing Life Threatening Conditions (for the raft
operator)
From the American Whitewater Association www.americanwhitewater.org/
Whitewater rivers contain many hazards which are not always
easily recognized. The following are the most frequent reasons people are injured
or killed. - High water. The river's speed
and power increase tremendously as the flow increases. This causes the rapids,
which is the thrill for whitewater enthusiasts. It also makes for the most hazardous
conditions. Reliable gauge information will help your guide be prepared for the
dangers including the additional risks posed from melting snow, hard rain, and
upstream dam releases which may greatly increase the flow.
- Cold Temperatures. Cold drains your strength and
robs you of the ability to make sound decisions on matters affecting your survival.
Cold water immersion, because of the initial shock and the rapid heat loss which
follows, is especially dangerous. With water temperatures of less than 50 degree
f., wear a wetsuit or drysuit for protection if you should need to swim. Next
best material is wool or pile clothing under a waterproof shell. NEVER COTTON.
IT WILL WEIGH YOU DOWN.
- Strainers.
brush, fallen trees, bridge pilings, undercut rocks or anything else which allows
river current to sweep through can pin boats and boaters against the obstacle.
Water pressure on anything trapped this way can be overwhelming. Rescue is often
extremely difficult. Pinning may occur in fast current, with little or no whitewater
to warn of the danger.
- Dams,
ledges, reversals, holes, and hydraulics. When water drops over an obstacle,
it curls back on itself, forming a strong upstream current which may be capable
of holding a boat or swimmer. Some holes make for excellent sport. Others are
proven killers. Paddlers who cannot recognize the difference should avoid all
but the smallest holes. Hydraulics around man-made dams must be treated with utmost
respect regardless of their height or the level of the river. Despite their seemingly
benign appearance, they can create an almost escape-proof trap. A swimmers only
exit from the "drowning machine" is to dive below the surface where the downstream
current is flowing beneath the reversal.
- Broaching. When a boat is pushed sideways against a rock by strong
current, it may collapse and wrap. This is especially dangerous to kayak and decked
canoe paddlers; these boats will collapse and the combination of indestructible
hulls and tight outfitting may create a deadly trap. Even without entrapment,
releasing pinned boats can be extremely time-consuming and dangerous. To avoid
pinning, throw your weight downstream towards the rock. This allows the current
to slide harmlessly underneath the hull.
- Boating alone is discouraged. The minimum party is three people or
two craft.
- HAVE AN HONEST knowledge
of your boating ability, and don't attempt rivers or rapids which lie beyond that
ability.
Whitewater Classification System Divided
into six classes, the whitewater rating system attempts to provide a uniform set
of evaluation criteria for rivers. Bear in mind that changes in river levels can
dramatically affect a river's difficulty rating.
|  Class
I: Easy.
Fast moving water with small waves; passages clear; no
serious obstacles. Risk to swimmers is slight; self-rescue is easy.
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|  Class
II: Novice.
Straightforward rapids with wide clear channels which
are evident without scouting. Occasional maneuvering may be required, but rocks
and medium-sized waves are easily avoided by trained boaters. Swimmers are seldom
injured and group assistance, while helpful, is seldom needed.
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|  Class
III: Intermediate.
Rapids with moderate, irregular waves which
may be difficult and can swamp open canoes. May require complex maneuvers in fast
current and good boat control in tight passages or around ledges. Large waves
and strainers are often present. Strong eddies and powerful current effects are
common, especially on large volume rivers. Scouting is advisable for inexperienced
parties. Injuries to swimmers are rare; self-rescue is usually easy but group
assistance may be necessary to avoid long swims.
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|  Class
IV: Advanced.
Intense, powerful but
predictable rapids requiring precise boat handling in turbulent water. Depending
on the character of the river, it may feature large unavoidable waves and holes
or constricted passages demanding fast maneuvers under pressure. A fast, reliable
eddy turn may be needed to initiate maneuvers, scout rapids or rest. Rapids may
require "must" moves above dangerous hazards. Scouting is necessary the first
time down. Risk of injury to swimmers is moderate to high, and water conditions
may make self-rescue difficult. Group assistance for rescue is often essential
but requires practiced skills.
| |  Class
V: Expert.
Extremely long, obstructed or very violent rapids which
expose a boater to above-average endangerment. Drops may contain large, unavoidable
waves and holes or steep, congested chutes with complex and demanding routes.
Rapids may continue long distances between pools, demanding a high level of fitness.
Eddies, if any exist, are small, turbulent and hard to reach. Often, several of
these factors are combined. Scouting is mandatory and often difficult. Swims are
dangerous and rescue is difficult even for experts. Proper equipment, extensive
experience and practiced rescue skills are essential for survival.
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|  Class
VI: Extreme.
These runs exemplify the extremes of difficulty.
The consequences of errors are usually fatal and rescue is usually impossible.
For teams of experts only, at favorable water levels, after close inspection and
taking all precautions. This class does not represent drops thought to be unrunnable,
but may include rapids which are only occasionally run.
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copyright
© 2005 Chapin Clark Whitewater Safety Foundation, all rights reserved.