Water
River Rescue for River Runners
This course is specifically tailored to the needs of recreational river users including whitewater kayakers, canoeists and fishermen. It does not result in a professional certification but rather, provides the skills and knowledge necessary to play all day and come home every night. Course content includes identification of hazards, safely crossing and swimming fast-moving water, the use of simple, effective river rescue gear, self rescue and the rescue of others. Tired of being lucky? Don’t leave home without it!
Details
Duration: 1 1/2 days
Format: 1/2 day (or an evening) in the classroom, 1 day on the river
Cost: $149.00
Pre-requisites
- 18+ years of age (16-17 with parental permission)
- Basic swimming ability
- In good physical condition
Required Equipment
- Drysuit or wetsuit*
- Personal flotation device (Type III or IV)*
- Water-sports helmet*
- Neoprene gloves (optional)
- Neoprene footwear with a good walking sole, wading boots, or running shoes
- Layers of wool or fleece clothing for under the drysuit/wetsuit including sweater, pants, gloves, socks
- Whitewater kayak or canoe (optional)
(* Rentals available - Click here for a list of rental prices and course equipment requirements.)
FAQ
More details about swiftwater courses including what to expect and how to prepare. Click here for our Swiftwater FAQ.
General Objectives
- Develop a sense of confidence and the necessary skills to deal with moving water situations.
- Develop ability to self rescue and rescue others in moving water situations
- Familiarize and train the student in utilization of standard river rescue gear.
Behavioural Objectives
- Have a working knowledge of standard river equipment including clothing, boat preparation, rope and related equipment and some specialized gear.
- Have a working knowledge of river dynamics and hazards, e.g. holes, strainers and foot entrapment.
- Self rescue and rescue fellow river users from the water.
- Safely swim swiftwater and be able to maneuver so as to negotiate river hazards at various water levels.
- Have a good knowledge of applicable communications methods, e.g. hand and whistle signals.
- Be able to pre-plan for river trips and develop low to high risk decision-making skills.
Course Outline
The following topics will be covered at some point during the course, but not necessarily in this order.
Equipment
Personal safety equipment & clothing; rope; boats (outfitting and selection).
Rope
Knots; webbing; throwing techniques; tag line & stray swimmer rescues.
Entrapments and Extrications
Boat pins; entrapments; equipment retrieval; rigging and hauling systems.
Organization
The rescue process; leadership; team organization; liability & risk management.
River Sense
Water dynamics; hazards; rating rapids; preplanning; scouting; leadership; saying “no”; the “what-if” factor; & river classification.
Medical
Initial contact; drowning; hypothermia; shoulder dislocations; evacuation techniques; secondary drowning.
Swimming
Ferry swimming; protect position; hole riding and exit; strainer swim; force of current re: speed and volume; river signals/communication.
