Basic River Canoe Course Purpose/Goals:

• To provide an introduction to moving water and easy whitewater or Class I.
• To help prepare the paddler to safely and comfortably paddle in water that is moving or has rapids up to Class I.
• Designed for individuals or groups that wish to paddle down easy rivers.

Whitewater Canoe Course Purpose/Goals:

• To provide an introduction and preparation to paddle safely and comfortably on whitewater up to Class II.

Objectives:
Participants will learn to:

1. Proper outfitting
2. Perform basic strokes and maneuvers
3. Perform basic rescues
4. Understand basic river dynamics and perform eddy turns, peel outs and ferries.

Prerequisites:

• Be a competent swimmer.
• Basic River Canoe Course: None
• Whitewater Canoe Course: have WW boat and proper attire

Basic River Canoe Location and Duration:
Flatwater and easy moving water up to Class I whitewater at certain levels on the Mulberry River. Offered as a weekend course with one 8 hour day of intense instruction and practice followed by a shorter second day of river running practice and refresher instruction.

Whitewater Canoe Location and Duration:
Flatwater and up to Class II whitewater at certain levels on the Mulberry River. Offered as a weekend course with two 8 hour days of intense instruction and practice.

Successive Courses:

• Basic Whitewater Safety
• Advanced Swift Water Rescue
• Advanced Whitewater
• Freestyle Canoe

Below is the course outline for both the Basic River Canoe and Whitewater Canoe Courses. The content is the same for both classes. The difference is in the depth and difficulty of which the content is taught. The Whitewater Canoe Course is taught on more difficult water and in more depth and precision.

The following is a summary of course content. The REQUIRED information is required for all courses. All other information should be considered optional and included to best fit the students, class locations, and time allowed. Sample syllabus and supplemental handouts are available through other ACA instructors and web sites of ACC and ACA.

COURSE OUTLINE

Introduction and logistics (REQUIRED)

• Welcome
• Introduction of instructors and participants
• Overview with expectations & limitations
• Waiver/Assumption of Risk/Medical Form
• Site specific procedures, regulations, times
• Alcohol/Chemical Substance abuse
• Arkansas Law prohibits glass containers, requires trash bag.
• American Whitewater Safety Code - especially Section I.
• Hypothermia: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
• Group Responsibilities/ No peer pressure
• WARM UP and stretching to reduce injury

Personal Preparation (REQUIRED)

• Learning Judgment from Training, Practice & Experience
• Continue learning from other experienced paddlers
• Responsibility to support other paddlers (no peer pressure)
• Group Equipment: extra paddle, rescue sling, drybags, maps, first aid kit, rescue gear.
• Guidebooks, local knowledge
• Assessing Current environmental conditions, including Water, Weather, Time of Day, Temperature, Accessibility
• Assessing personal and group dynamics: Skills, Equipment, Group makeup, Logistics, Group selection, Leadership.

Safety and Rescue

1. Principles of Rescue
   1. Priorities - People, Boats, Gear (REQUIRED)
   2. Responsibilities of Victim - AW Safety Code Section IV
   3. Responsibilities of Rescuers-Self, team, victim, KISS
2. Types of Rescue --S-ReThRoG
   1. Self-Rescue in moving current (REQUIRED)
      • body/boat positions
   2. Boat-Assisted Rescue
      • Tired Swimmer
      • Towing
      • Bumping
      • Boat over Boat
   3. Shoreline Rescue - Extension Rescues
      • Use of Throw Bags/Ropes
      • Pinned Craft

Equipment

• Canoes: types, materials, flotation, parts (including safety features)
• Canoe outfitting: comfort & safety; back rests, hip pads
• Paddle: types, parts, length, blade size & shape, fitting,hand position
• Care of equipment
• Personal Equipment: Rope, whistle, foot wear, protective clothing for heat or cold, knife, water, food, bailer, sunscreen, bug spray, hat, sun glasses, eyeglass straps.
• Car topping: Loading and unloading, racks, tie down

(REQUIRED EQUIPMENT TOPICS)

• Life jackets (PFDs): types, fit: Arkansas Law to age 13
• Helmet: types, fit, guidelines for wearing

Getting Started (REQUIRED)

Launching, carries, landing. - Parallel to shore
Water confidence and comfort - J-leans
Rescue Priorities: self, team, victim: people first, gear last.
Wet exits --- tuck, shift feet, fall out.
How to empty a canoe

The Terminology of Paddling

(Frequently blended in with stroke instruction)
• Types of strokes: power, turning & bracing
• Stroke components: catch, propulsion, recovery, control and correction

Effective Body Usage and Bio-Kinetics

• Use of larger torso muscles
• Arms as struts connecting paddle to torso
• Avoidance of positions that contribute to shoulder injury or dislocations

The Paddling Environment ( * items REQUIRED)

Fundamentals of River Currents

1. *Characteristics of Current
   • Downstream and Upstream V's / Chutes
   • Eddies/ Eddy Lines
   • Waves/ Wave Holes
   • Bends
2. Effects of Obstacles
   • *Ledges/ Horizon Lines
   • *Strainers & Sieves
   • Rocks/ Pillows
   • *Holes/ Hydraulics
3. Other Hazards
   • Power of the Current / River Level
   • *Cold Water
   • *Dams/ Flow Diversion Structures/ Pipelines
   • Undercut Rocks / Ice

International Scale of River Difficulty from American Whitewater Safety Code.

River Running

1. Strategies in Running Rivers
   • How to paddle in current
   • Spacing/ Avoid "tunnel vision"
2. Scouting
   • From boat/ From shore
   • How to establish the "best"route/ Plan "B"
3. Portaging Hazards
4. Group Organization on the River - AW Safety Code Section III
   • Group cohesiveness (lead, sweep boats, etc.)
   • Universal River Signals System
5. Emergency Procedures - AW Safety Code Section 1.8-1.11, IV

 

Strokes

Solo	Tandem
Forward	Forward
Back	Back
Draws (all)	Draws (all)
Stern Pry	Stern Pry (stern)
Cross Forward	Cross Forward (bow)
Cross Draw	Cross Draw (bow)

Optional at instructor discretion:

• Forward/Reverse Sweeps
• Pry
• Sculling
• Eskimo Roll
• High Brace
• Low Brace
• Stationary draw strokes
• Sculling Draw
• J Stroke

Maneuvers (practiced on flatwater)

Spins (onside and offside):

boat pivots in place

Forward:

boat moves in reasonably straight line

Reverse:

boat moves in a reasonably straight line

Stopping:

boat stops within a reasonable distance

Turns:

boat turns in broad arc made while underway

Veering, Carving

paddling the inside circle

Abeam:

boat moves sideways without headway

Sideslips:

boat moves sideways with headway

Whitewater Practice

1. Ferries -- forward and back -- S.A.L. --
2. Eddy Turns -- use acronym S.A..I.L.S. --
3. Peelouts
   1. Wide (exit wide from eddy line)
   2. Shallow (exit close to eddy line)
4. Sequences of Maneuvers
   C-turns (Peel out and eddy into same eddy)
   1. S-turns (Peel out one side and eddy into opposite side)
5. Surfing (for Whitewater course only)

Next Steps (REQUIRED)

• Emphasize the need for further instruction, practice and experience
  • River Reading
  • Hazard Recognition and Avoidance
  • Boat Control
  • Managing, Reducing, Eliminating Risks
• Recommendation for First Aid, CPR, and rescue training
• River Etiquette
• Other Paddling options
• ACC Chapter Locations and contacts
• ACA Membership forms
• Participation cards
• Evaluation of course

ACA 16 February 2001
ACC adaptation 15 Oct 2001