Maya Calderon
There’s a steep learning curve in the first year of whitewater kayaking, with a number of skills that compound quickly, terrible consequences for bad decisions, and a unique social world on the river that can take time to learn and get used to. Most people either learn to kayak incorrectly (and often unknowingly) and end up with years of inefficient habits, or learn to kayak in fear, and end up not kayaking for years. There’s a middle ground of a methodically and structurally sound first year of kayaking that can be developed and that’s what this course is intended to be for a complete beginner to whitewater kayaking.
This is the first-year curriculum that I would teach to a new whitewater kayaker. The student should have some basic skills with a kayak on a flat body of water before they start. I would recommend 6 sessions of learning to kayak on a lake before transferring to a river.
Months 1 – 3 Pool Work and Class I Whitewater (Introduction to River Reading)
Month one to three: pool sessions and class I water. The skills to master for a beginner are as follows in order.
Wet exit: the single most important skill. Done in a pool, in a sprayskirt, until it is automatic. Forward stroke: The boring stroke! Most kayakers, even experienced ones, are paddling with inefficient stroke mechanics that cost them a great deal of energy over long periods of time. We go over the proper form with you in this lesson and give you practice to make sure it “sticks” for you. Sweep stroke and reverse sweep: how to turn. It’s hard to practice in whitewater, but it’s very easy to practice in flat water. Until you can do a 360 degree turn in 3 strokes on the water (or on land), there’s no need to practice in whitewater. Low brace and High brace: You don’t want to fall over in whitewater! These are the key reflexes that will save your bacon and keep you in your boat. The fourth skill that you need to learn is the skill for edging: The skill for tilting your boat without falling over. As soon as you have mastered this skill you will be able to perform ferries and eddies on the river.
And once you’ve mastered the skills in calm water, it’s time to graduate to moving water. By moving water, I mean Class II rivers, and you should do this with an instructor. And although a hostel owner taught me to read water a long time ago on a river in the Czech Republic (at the cheapest price for a tip of the whole trip), reading water is a skill that needs to be learned, and it takes a whole season to master.
Class II Rivers with an Instructior (Month 4 – 6)
The lowest grade of true whitewater, class II water still has water moving, small waves and first obstacles for the kayaker. The worst that can happen often is not too serious. After 4 months on the flat water a kayaker can start to practice reading the water, learn to turn between eddies and practice his ferrying, learn to do a self-rescue and also practice the basic whitewater swimming. This can be done on a Class II river with an instructor guiding the new kayaker. The instructor will be able to teach the reader how to apply the skills that the kayaker has learned on the flat water to the moving water and help the student to progress more quickly to the next level of kayaking.
Reading water: This skill allows a paddler to figure out eddies, current, and the type of an obstacle from the boat. Reading water is a very hard skill to master within a season, and requires a lot of practice. I can tell you from my own experience that reading water in a consistent fashion takes a whole season to develop. Eddy turns and peel-outs: the ability to enter an eddy (pool of calm water on the side of a rapid) and to exit it and turn back upstream in the current of the eddy. The basic whitewater move. Ferrying: Cross the current while staying going upstream. Most useful skill on a river. Self-rescue: getting back into your boat in moving water. Done supervised, repeatedly, in safe places. Swimming whitewater: the best way to practice and learn to retrieve yourself from a wet exit, with drills on a safe class II river. Feet facing downstream, on your back, looking up at the surface.
An instructor for this level of whitewater is not optional for most people. A good coach can often identify errors that a student cannot even perceive and correct them before they become a habit. For a few hundred dollars, this is far better than continuing to go down the wrong path for years.
Month seven to twelve: class III whitewater, using your growing skill to practice ferrying, eddy turns, peel-outs, self-rescue and learn to do a roll (combat roll) while in moving water. A good mentor or several of experienced paddlers are valuable at this stage.
Class III: The “real” whitewater – bigger and badder. You’ll be working on:
The combat roll – to return your overturned kayak to the upright position within your boat in whitewater without exiting your kayak – is perhaps the single most difficult skill to learn as a whitewater kayaker and is the line between a ‘beginner’ and an ‘intermediate’ kayaker. Scouting: Get out of your boat and take a look at the section of river ahead of you before you enter it. Most accidents in whitewater are caused by poor judgment when paddling a rapid that you have not fully scouted. Trip planning: using a guide book, checking the level of the river, organizing the shuttle, and bringing the right gear for the day’s trip. group dynamics: being a ‘team player’ as you travel down river with others. Understanding how to lead others down river, sweep up behind, and generally behave in eddies and around other boaters to avoid problems and remain safe on the river. The ability to portage around obstacles in an appropriate and safe manner.
In a little over a year a dedicated beginner can become a well rounded, competent, class III paddler. Note: It is not uncommon for a very dedicated intermediate paddler to still be in the process of solidifying their basic skills after two years.
The kit that matters
Whitewater gear is very expensive and can become heavy and bulky in some places while being unnecessary in others. This is a list of the minimum required to get started.
Whitewater Kayaks – A Specialised Item for Specialised Use – Buy Used. A second hand boat can be found quite cheaply for use while learning the whitewater skills. Once you have found your skill level and perhaps found a like minded kayaker to paddle with then it is time to start shopping for your own Kayak. Modern boats are very expensive and hold their value very well so don’t expect to buy a new one for a song. Look for an older model (2010 or earlier) for a lower price. A whitewater paddle. Carbon-shafted if budget allows; fiberglass works too. Sized to the boat and your height. A sprayskirt that fits your boat. For beginners a nylon sprayskirt is easier to pull off when you capsize than a neoprene sprayskirt. A whitewater specific personal floatation device (PFD) as opposed to a touring PFD which restricts the use of the arms to paddle. A helmet. Always. Even on class II. Footwear that drains, such as water shoes or old running shoes. A throw bag – This is a 15 to 20m length of rope in a small bag. It is the paddler’s tool for rescuing other boats. A whistle attached to your PFD. Often used for alerting fellow paddlers of potential danger, the whistle is the international signal for help in distress.
The friend rule
The friend rule. For whatever reason most paddlers start off on their own and it is recommended that you never paddle solo whitewater. Typically, two is the minimum number of people required to safely participate in the sport but ideally there should be three. This is because if a solo paddler drowns then it will likely take someone to recover the kayak, as well as complete a rescue. For this reason, you may find yourself in a situation where you are unable to complete a rescue for yourself. For this reason alone it is safer for all involved if you have at least one other paddler with you at all times, and more preferably three.
Find a local paddling club. All regions with whitewater have such clubs and they comprise of people of all ages and skill levels. There is no better way to find a paddling buddy or to get involved with other paddlers than through a local club. Clubs also organize trips for clubs members of all skill levels.
The mental adjustment
Comfort with controlled risk – Whitewater kayaking is a sport that requires a certain level of comfort with risk. This risk can be managed, and it is inherent to all of the rivers that are paddleable. The key for a new kayaker is to realize that with each trip down the river, he or she is exposing themselves to the possibility of swimming, injury, and having a bad day.
Most beginners struggle with this. They tighten up, hesitate at decision points, and create the bad decisions they were trying to avoid. The way through is repeated exposure in graduated conditions. By month twelve, the brain has rewired to accept the water as a place where you make decisions, not a threat to escape.
What I would tell a brand-new whitewater paddler
Take a course (pay an instructor) – Learn to do a wet exit. – Practice your roll early on – Find a mentor – Someone 2 years ahead of you on the learning curve – Find a club – To get more paddlers to go with – Paddle 2 or 3 times a week if possible – Buy used gear – If you can get a good deal on it – Be patient with yourself in the first 6 months of learning – The sport can feel harder than it needs to be, but by year 2 it starts to feel like something you can do, by year 3 it starts to feel like home.
