first strokes: an introduction to kayakingpcarter/explorers/first_strokes.pdf · first strokes an...

Governmentof South Australia

Sponsored by

First strokesAn introduction to kayaking

AdelaideCanoe Club

Page i

ContentsAbout this book ii

History 1

Where paddlesport came from

Boats and gear 2

The stuff you’ll need

First things 4

Before you go far

Moving along... 6

The main paddling strokes

Rescues 14

Dealing with capsizes

Going places 17

Staying safe 18

Where next? 19

A boat of your own 19

Words, words, words... 20

A glossary

This version: 20171202

First strokesAn introduction to kayaking

Governmentof South Australia

Sponsored by

AdelaideCanoe Club

Adelaide Canoe ClubAdelaide Canoe Club is the main recreational canoeing and kayaking club in SA and is a member club of Paddle SA. Some of its members play Canoe Polo, a couple are into Sprint and Marathon racing, but most just paddle for fun.The club holds regular meetings and frequent outings on a range of waters: the Murray, the Coorong, the open sea. Some are a few hours long, others are over several days.All its trips are led by members holding current Australian Canoeing Instructor and Guide qualifications.The club received an Active Club Program grant from the Office for Recreation and Sport to assist with equipment purchases for the Explorers program.For more about the club, see its website <adelaide.canoe.org.au>.

© 2015 – 2017 PJ Carter. Many diagrams are from Australian Canoeing resources.

On the cover: Holiday fun on West Lakes

http://adelaide.canoe.org.au/

Page iiAdelaide Canoe ClubAdelaideCanoe Club

About this bookThere have been many books written about canoeing and kayaking over the years but none of them seem to have been written for young paddlers. This is an attempt to provide something for them. It can’t cover all the topics, so think of it as an introduction, a lead-in to other books, websites and other information.You will not learn to paddle by just reading this book. It’s just some background, a reference, to go with time on the water under instruction.At the end is a glossary, a list of words that may be new to you. Click on words in blue through the text to see their explanation. To get back to where you were, Ctrl ← on PC, ⌘ ← on Mac.There are also a few Web links. They are also in blue but in angle brackets, <>.This is very much a work in progress. Most of the diagrams have come from existing Australian Canoeing resources. Pictures of faceless adults may work for older people but aren’t ideal for this book’s intended readers. As time permits I’ll draw new illustrations.Comments, corrections and comments are welcome.Don’t try reading the whole thing in one go. Refer to sections and chapters as you learn new skills on the water.Now, let’s start at the beginning...

The author, Peter CarterPeter has been paddling kayaks and canoes for more than 40 years. For much of that time he has been an Instructor and has held official positions at club, state and national levels.As a sea kayaker, he participated in a number of first expeditions in this state, as well as many trips to Riverland waters. In the past, he competed in Sprint and local slalom in both kayak and canoe.He has been developing and making kayaks, canoes and other equipment for many years, along with preparing resource materials for Australian Canoeing.

(At sea on a calm day, with hat and sunnies off for the picture.)

Adelaide Canoe ClubAdelaideCanoe Club

History

Where paddlesport came fromAlong the Murray River the Aboriginal people used canoes made from a single sheet of bark. (There’s a picture on page 5.) In other parts of the country, the people used similar bark canoes, rafts of bundled reeds or bark, or in the north, dugout canoes. Canoeing in Australia has been going on for a very long time, tens of thousands of years.Our kayaks began as hunting tools for Arctic peoples. Living by ice-covered sea, they hunted seals and other marine creatures for food and materials. Their kayaks had to be seaworthy and their paddling skills excellent to survive.To the south, the Native Americans used canoes with birch-bark skin over wooden framework to travel the rivers and lakes. When Europeans arrived and began hunting for furs they also used canoes. Their canoes were large: 10 m or so long.In 1858 a Scot, John MacGregor, visited North America and saw canoes and kayaks. When he returned to London he had a boatbuilder make him a boat. We would call it a kayak, he called it a canoe and named it Rob Roy. He then made a number of journeys along rivers in Europe and the Middle East and wrote books describing his adventures. Others followed, including in Australia. Recreational paddling had begun.Today, thousands of people paddle for fun: some make long expeditions, others go fishing and many paddle in competition, including Olympic Games.As for the Arctic hunters, they now use tinnies, outboard motors and rifles like other hunters. But some Greenlanders are keeping their traditions alive with rolling and other competitions. Here in Australia, indigenous communities are again making bark canoes as reminders of their cultural heritage.

See for yourselfThe South Australian Museum has a collection of Aboriginal craft, including a bark canoe from the River Darling. It’s complete with its clay fireplace. Also in the collection is a child’s dugout. Children’s play was to learn the skills to be a hunter or gatherer.There is also a real Greenland kayak in the collection. It was made for the South Australian explorer John Rymill in the 1930s. See it on display in the Science Centre in Morgan Thomas Lane.

A typical kayak from West Greenland, with a frame built of driftwood and covered with sealskin. The small view shows hunting equipment: harpoon, line on its stand, and sealskin float

A hunter in the Aleutian islands harpooning a whale. The Aleuts called this boat an iqyax, the Russians called it baidarka, ‘small boat’. (The x is pronounced as the ch in Scottish loch.)

(Based on a painting by Mikhail Tikhanov, 1818)


Boats and gear

The stuff you’ll needLet’s start with the boat. The diagram shows all the main parts of a touring kayak.

The shape of the boat determines how it will perform and behave. A long narrow boat with a straight keel will be fast in a straight line but it will not turn well. On the other hand, a short boat with rocker will turn easily but be slower. Compare a Sprint K1 with a Polo BAT. You want something in between. A touring kayak is good for learning, and going places.

You’ll need to know how to adjust the footrest and secure the hatches.

Bow

Stern

DeckHull

Hatch cover

Hatch

Shock cords for holding maps and things Cockpit

Bulkhead (the ‘wall’) position.

The enclosed space is a compartment, with access through the hatch

Some kayaks have a rudder or retractable finHandhold

Many kayaks have toggles as handholds

Kayak paddles have two blades, canoe paddles have only one. The blades on a kayak paddle are ‘feathered’, that is, they are at an angle, usually between 40° and 60°. There will be a shaped grip for the right hand. Faster boats need a longer paddle, shorter boats a shorter one.You will wear a PFD, a personal flotation device. It must be the right size, and you’ll need to make sure all the straps are adjusted and zips and buckles closed.After some experience, you’ll want to wear a spray deck. It will keep most water out, especially in waves. Wear it like a skirt (or kilt, if you prefer). To attach it to the cockpit coaming, put the back on first, then the front, making sure the release strap is out. Finish with the sides.The first time you wear one you’ll do a special capsize drill so that you know you know how to take it off while upside down .

BladeShaft Hand grip

Touring kayak

Boats and gear


ClothingYou will be out in the open for hours. The hazards are sunburn and cold.In warm weather, a long sleeved top such as a rash top, and shorts. (If you are not wearing a spraydeck remember to put sunscreen on your legs.) A hat and sunnies, with cords so they stay on when you capsize.For cool weather a thermal top is needed, with a windproof jacket over it. When you are wet and there’s any breeze you can get very cold very quickly. That’s not good, so make sure you are warm enough, and stay warm.Cotton clothes are a bad choice in cool weather. Jeans may be fine for riding horses, but not for paddling. You need to be able to swim in PFD and paddling clothes.On your feet, either old sneakers, wetsuit boots, or similar. Not thong sandals.

Sunscreen here if you’re without the spraydeck

Hat and sunnies: secured so they stay on

We provide the PFD and spraydeck

Footwear: aquatic shoes, wetsuit boots...

Shorts

Long sleeves: rash top (hot weather), polypropylene thermal (cool weather)


First things

Before you go farSetting upThe kayak has to fit. Too loose and you won’t be able to control it properly, too tight and you’ll be uncomfortable. When you’re sitting in the boat you should look like that paddler in the diagram: slight forward lean, feet comfortably on the footrest, and that angle at the knees.Adjust the footrest fore or aft so it’s just right for you. (Different footrest systems work differently. If you can’t work out how to adjust them ask an instructor.)Check that everything about your boat and equipment is in good condition and secure. Obviously you don’t want any leaks. Toggle cords and decklines must be secure and not frayed. Hatch covers must be on and secure. Items you want to carry must be securely stowed and not rattling around in the cockpit.

CarryingThe safest way is with a person at each end. With paddles in cockpits you will often be able to carry two boats at once. Remember to lift with your knees, not back.At the end of a session you will be expected to help carry boats and rinse all gear before it is put away.

Entry and exitAs with many things, there’s more than one way. The kind of bank and water conditions will often determine what you do.The usual way is to put the kayak into the water with enough depth to float with you in it. Stand over the boat and sit down into the seat. Bring your feet in one at a time, letting your shoes drain. Use the paddle for support if you need to. If you’re using a spray deck, put it on, otherwise paddle away.

Reverse the procedure to get out of the boat.On a sandy shore, especially if there are waves, put the kayak with its stern on the beach and the bow in the water. Sit in, and bring your feet it, making sure there is no sand on them*. When you’re ready, spray deck on, use your hands to lift and push yourself until you’re afloat.Again, reverse things to land.

* Arctic hunters were very careful about this. Any sand or grit could wear through the kayak skin, causing leaks.

Feet on footrest

Bend at knees

Slight forward lean

Pelvis tilted forward

First things


CapsizeIt happens to the best of us. Relax, wait until the boat is completely upside down. Tuck the paddle under one arm so you know where it is. If you’re wearing a spray deck find the release strap and pull the front of the deck off the coaming.Straighten your knees, then with hands on the deck behind you push the boat away. While you’re doing all this, hum a tune. That will put some air through your nose to help keep water out.The PFD will bring you to the surface. Grab your boat before it drifts away and leave it upside down. Hold it by the handhold at one end, preferably the bow. (How can you tell with the boat inverted?) Hang on to the paddle as well. Even if your hat is floating away keep hold of the boat.Either swim everything to shore or wait for rescue.Emptying the boat on shore is easier with two people. Don’t hold the kayak right at the ends but 30 to 50 cm toward the middle. That way you can stop it rolling over. With the boat upside down, lift one end and lower the other, alternating several times.Rescues on the water are explained in a later chapter.

Lean forward

Push the boat away

Spray deck off first

Aboriginal hunters on the River Murray in the 1830s. They’re standing to paddle with their spears, and all the canoes have small fires on clay fireplaces.

(From a painting of the time.)

Straighten the knees


Moving along...The main paddling strokesYou want to be able to paddle efficiently and safely. Efficiently so that you can paddle distances without getting tired or sore. Safely so that you do not injure joints and tendons, particularly the shoulders.Shoulder joints are the joints of the body with the greatest range of movement: you can move your arms to many different positions. That’s good. But it also means that the shoulder joint is easily dislocated. Not good.How do we make that unlikely? One way is to think of the ‘paddler’s box’. That’s an imaginary box-shaped space made by the paddle shaft in front, the shoulders at the back, and the arms at the sides. The important things are that the paddle and the shoulders stay parallel as far as possible and that the elbows are always below and forward of the shoulders. The elbows are also never locked straight. Take a look at the diagram and think about it. If the box is ever squashed something’s wrong.In all strokes you’re trying to move your shoulder and elbow joints as little as possible. The less work your arms do, the better.Where are your most powerful muscles? Not in your arms, but in the legs and lower back. These are the muscles we use to power paddling. Strokes start at the toes, as you push the boat forward with your foot. That’s why you set the footrest just right. The power will come from torso muscles as you rotate. Get used to the idea of ‘torso rotation’: it’s the key to kayak paddling.Holding the paddleThe shaped hand grip goes in your right hand. Your hands go about elbow width apart when you hold the paddle above your head. Your right hand grips the shaft (but not too tightly), your left allows it to rotate.Your right hand is the controlling hand, and you can feel the grip so you know you have the paddle in the right position. Move your hands on the paddle and things may go wrong...

☺

☺

Right

Not right

Torso rotated

Elbows forward of line of shoulders: always

Bend in elbow

Hands about elbow width apart

Convex back

Concave drive face of blade

Is it the right way up?

Moving along...


Sweep strokeThe sweep stroke is used to turn the kayak. Many instructors teach it first so that you have a way to control the boat before you go too far.The blade goes into the water near the bow and sweeps around in a wide arc towards the stern.What’s driving it? Torso rotation. Note in the diagram how the top hand is low. See if you can spot the paddler’s box. (Think of the view from the top.)There’s more to say about sweep strokes so we’ll come back to them later.

Keep top hand low

Rotate torso

Sweep in wide arc

Rotate torso Elbow at about 90°

Leg and foot relaxed

Plant blade quickly and cleanly

Forward paddlingNo surprise that this is the stroke you’ll use most. Let’s look at it stage by stage.First of all, make sure you’re sitting properly: slight forward lean, feet on the footrest, paddle held correctly. We’ll start with a stroke on the right.

CatchThe catch is the start of the stroke. Think of catching a mass of water and holding it. With your body rotated to the left, reach forward and put the right blade into the water quickly and without splashing.

Moving along...


PowerNow that you have the blade in the water, think of pulling the boat past it. Push on the footrest with your right foot and rotate. Keep your top hand high: you should see it go across in front of you.As the blade passes your hip it’s time for the next stage.

ExitStart bending your right elbow to lift the blade out of the water. Keep your top hand high until the paddle is horizontal.You’re now ready for the next stroke, on the left. It’s a mirror image of the stroke on the right.Away you go. Look well ahead to help keep straight and remember to rotate...

Rotate shoulders

Keep hand high

Press on footrest

Bring hand down to plant blade

Bend elbow to lift blade out of water

Maximum shoulder rotation

Moving along...


Reverse sweepThe reverse sweep is the opposite of the forward sweep, going in a wide arc from stern to bow. Again the top hand is low for the widest reach. Remember to rotate and keep paddle shaft and shoulders parallel.Which side of the blade are you using? Why?*Often you’ll want a forward sweep on one side and a reverse on the other to turn on the spot. (How many strokes do you need to turn right round?)

Reverse paddlingOnce you can do reverse sweeps you can change things a little for reverse paddling. Have your top hand higher and the blade deeper. Steer as needed with sweeps.How do you know where you’re going? Turn your head to look over one shoulder as you rotate. Don’t look over both unless you want a sore neck.

Emergency stopBrakes? A few short, sharp reverse strokes. The number of strokes doesn’t matter. The important thing is to stop quickly and keep the boat under control.

* The back of the blade, because you don’t change grip.

Rotate

Sweep in wide arc

Paddle shaft and shoulders parallel

Top hand low

Videos on the Web

Basic Skills and Safety for Kayaking by Canoe Tasmania<www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCqvnfB0kt8&feature=youtu.be&list=PL5B9A9793EB5AFCAB>You may tire of the same introduction to each video...

NSW Sea Kayak Club<www.nswseakayaker.asn.au/homepage/basic-skills>Their ‘heel hook rescue’ is actually a wedge rescue, with the boat rolled the wrong way.

Kayak Paddling .Net<kayakpaddling.net>All done with animation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCqvnfB0kt8&feature=youtu.be&list=PL5B9A9793EB5AFCAB

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCqvnfB0kt8&feature=youtu.be&list=PL5B9A9793EB5AFCAB

http://www.nswseakayaker.asn.au/homepage/basic-skills

http://kayakpaddling.net/

Moving along...


Sideways: the Draw strokeCars would be easy to park if they could go sideways. Your kayak can do that, which may be just what you want to get to or away from some spot.To go to your right twist to your right. Reach out with your right hand and put your left hand across the right hand side of the kayak. You want the paddle as vertical as possible.Put the blade into the water and draw the boat towards it. Before the blade and boat touch lift your wrist so you can slice the blade away for the next stroke. This is a stroke where your arms do most of the work.To go left, face left, reach out with your left hand, and so on.You need to have the blade position just right to go straight. Too far forward and the boat will turn one way, too far aft and it will turn the other. Play with it. (Are you holding you tongue right?)The draw stroke has a number of variations that we’ll leave for some other time.

Put your top hand over the other sideThis paddler is in a sea boat with a long paddle. In a small kayak with a short paddle you may be looking over your top arm

Rotate to face the way you’re going

Wrist straight to draw boat sideways

Flex wrist to slice blade away for next stroke

Pull the boat sideways

Moving along...


Support strokeWhat happens if you lose your balance? You’ll need some way to stop falling in: a support stroke.It works by putting the back of a blade on the surface and pushing down. At the same time, and this is the important bit, you roll the boat upright with body movement. The rule is ‘Boat first, head last.’This stroke is what can stop you falling in when you’re being pushed sideways by a breaking wave, as in surf. Put the blade into the wave and lean towards it. (Lean the other way and you’ll immediately find yourself in a churning mess of water, bubbles and sand.)

Push foot down

Kick knee upPush down

Head up last

Roll the boat

Stern rudderPaddle blades can be used to steer as well as propel and support. To be effective as a rudder, the blade needs to be as near to the stern as you can get it. That means torso rotation (yet again).You’re paddling along and want to turn right, or perhaps stop the kayak turning left. As you end a forward stroke on the right keep rotating to take the blade to the stern and hold it. Pressure on the back of the blade will turn the boat. When you’ve turned far enough go back to forward paddling.This stroke is very useful for controlling the kayak with wind and wave behind you. By playing with the blade angles you can make the boat turn in either direction.

Hold blade steady

Pressure on blade turns kayak

Where have you seen this diagram before?

PlayAll this sounds rather boring, but instructors will have games and other fun activities to make learning interesting. Although we’ve looked at strokes one by one, as you paddle around you’ll put strokes together to make the boat go where you want it.

Moving along...


EdgingCan we change a kayak that runs straight into one that turns easily? In a way, yes. It’s done by edging, that is, by tipping the boat slightly one way or the other. In the diagram you see that the paddler has edged the boat to his left by lifting his right knee and pushing down with his left foot. He is still in balance. Sit in your boat and try it. Keep your body upright and just tilt the boat. How far can you go?What happens is that the underwater shape of the boat changes. It goes down a little in the middle and up a little at the ends. We’ve increased the rocker. That means it’s easier to turn. So now when you want a sweep stroke you can edge the kayak towards the side you’re paddling on, forward or reverse. It does make a difference.That changed underwater shape also makes the boat turn by itself, like a lawn bowl. Edge the kayak to the right and it will turn slightly to the left, and vice versa. By edging you have a rudder without having a rudder. With the right sweep strokes you now have a way of keeping straight with wind and wave behind you, or to steer through a winding creek. Yes, it seems a little odd at first because it goes the opposite way to leaning a bicycle or banking an aircraft, but that’s the way it works.(Just to confuse things, short whitewater boats behave differently.)

Rafting upThere will be times when you want to stop for a nibble, discuss where to go next, and so on. By putting two or more kayaks alongside and holding them together we can have a raft. Resting the paddles across in front has them out of the way but in reach.In calm weather you can have everyone in the group in the raft. In windy, choppy conditions it’s safer with only two.Joining and leaving a raft is good draw stroke practice.

Body upright, in balance

Lift knee up

Push foot down

Moving along...


Paddling with sticks

Using Greenland paddlesSticks? Not really. The Greenlanders’ word for paddle is paatit. Like other Arctic peoples they used paddles with long, narrow blades, unfeathered. Paddles with wide blades at an angle are a European invention. Today, many sea kayakers are again using long, narrow blades, many of them replicas of originals from Greenland.Greenland paddles have a different ‘feel’ to them. The important thing is to hold them correctly. As you can see in the diagram, the paddle is held at a slight angle. This may feel odd at first, but it stops the paddle ‘fluttering’. You’ll also hold the paddle with your top hand a little lower, and occasionally shuffle the paddle from side to side.Don’t expect to make fast starts, but you’ll find cruising along very comfortable.The Arctic people had a whole set of support and rolling strokes that worked with these paddles. Some of them may be worth trying later.

Upper edge slightly forward

Sweep stroke with a Greenland paddle. The paddler has edged the kayak to the right and extended the paddle to give more leverage. You can do that sort of thing with a paatit.


Rescues

Dealing with capsizesHow do we put paddlers back into their boats after capsizes? Back in the Capsize section I listed things to be done:

• Leave the kayak upside down• Keep hold of it, preferably by the bow• Keep hold of the paddle.

I’ll now add to that list:• Look out for your rescuer• Move to the side of your boat away from your approaching rescuer.

The would-be rescuer now has several things to do:• Call out to the swimmer to check that he or she is safe and knows

you’re coming• Put your paddle into its leash• Plan how you will approach so as not to waste time wallowing

about.What we do next depends on the kind of boat. A kayak with no bulkheads, where the entire boat can fill with water, we will rescue with an X Rescue. For a touring or sea kayak with bulkheads we’ll use a Wedge Rescue.

X RescueRescuer: Paddle across the bow of the capsized kayak so you can grab it and have the swimmer move to your bow. Drop your paddle out of the way on its leash.Put your nearer hand on the upturned boat. Reach for its handhold with the other.Lean towards the capsized kayak, then in one move, push, then pull with your other arm to lift the bow up on to your deck.As soon as you have it up, reach for its cockpit, or, if you can’t yet reach it use any decklines to drag it farther until you can.

Beginning an X rescue

Rescuer: Stop at the bow of the capsized kayak, put down your paddle. Grab the other boat

Swimmer: Cross to the bow of the rescuer’s boat

Rescuer: Nearer hand on the boat, reach for the handhold with the other

Swimmer: Hold on

Rescuer: With push then pull, drag the boat up on to your deck until you have it by its cockpit rim

Swimmer: Keep holding on

Rescues


When you have the cockpit over your boat, hold it with both hands on the cockpit rim. Rock the upside down boat to and fro to empty the water.When you’ve emptied it, put the kayak back into the water, on the side opposite from where you picked it up, and facing the opposite direction.You’re now ready for the next stage.Swimmer: Your job is to act as a ‘sea anchor’, holding on to your own paddle. If your kayak was so full of water that your rescuer is having trouble you may have to help.Move to the side opposite your boat. Grab its handhold, put your feet against the rescuer’s kayak and pull your boat across. Go back to the rescuer’s bow.

How to hold the upturned kayak: both hands on the cockpit rim

Beginning a Wedge rescue

Rescuer: Paddle across the bow and grab it by the deckline, ready to pull it across your own deck

Rescuer: Pull the kayak across until the cockpit is clear of the water. Push the boat forward on the deck and roll it towards you to empty the water

Wedge RescueSwimmer: Roll your boat upright and wait at the bow. (It’s easier to roll the boat at the middle, before you move to the bow.)Rescuer: Paddle at an angle across the bow of the kayak to be rescued so you can grab it and have the swimmer move to your bow. Put your paddle out of the way on its leash.Using the handhold and deckline, pull the kayak up on to your deck until the cockpit is clear of the water. Keeping hold of it by the deckline, push the boat forward and roll it towards you. You can watch water spilling from the cockpit.When the cockpit is empty, slide the boat back into the water, on the same side and facing the opposite direction.Swimmer: Your job is to act as a ‘sea anchor’, holding on to your own paddle.

Swimmer: Cross to the rescuer’s bow

45° – 60°

Rescues


Getting back inThere are two main ways. For both of them the rescuer must hold everything steady by wrapping an arm around the swimmer’s boat. Put the peak of its deck in your armpit. The rescuer now takes charge of the swimmer’s paddle.To swim aboard, come to the cockpit and reach across. Kick your feet to the surface then, with a breast stroke leg action, swim across the boats. Lie on the deck while you wriggle into the cockpit. Sit up only when your legs are in and you’re over the seat.

Reboarding over the side

Rescuer: Hold the boats together facing opposite directions by lying across the deck

Swimmer: Kick your feet to the surface ready to swim across. Then lie on the boat as you wriggle in

* Buoyancy. Now you understand why sea kayaks are built the way they are.

Heel hook re-entry

Rescuer: Hold the boats together facing opposite directions by lying across the deck

Swimmer: Hold your boat facing its bow

Swimmer: Reach across with your outside hand and put your outside foot into the cockpit

Swimmer: Using arm and leg muscles, lift up on to the deck. When you have the other foot in, roll face up, wriggle forwards over the seat then sit up

For the heel hook re-entry, come to the cockpit and face the bow. Hold on with your nearer hand (the left in the diagram). Reach across with your outside hand then put your outside foot into the cockpit. Using arm and leg muscles lift yourself up to lie on the kayak. Put your other foot into the cockpit. Now roll face up, wriggle forward so you’re over the seat and sit up.When you’re in, spray deck on and collect your paddle. The rescuer will not let you go until he or she is satisfied you’re ready.What do you want to see more of in a kayak to make it easier to rescue?*


Going placesJust paddling around is all very well, but you can now go places by kayak on river, estuary or even the sea. You’ll carry everything you’ll need for the trip in your boat, in waterproof bags or containers. Expect to see wild creatures and interesting landscapes.In your kayak you are the captain. You are responsible, and must decide the track to follow, even whether to go or not. If you’re not happy with the conditions — wind too strong, nasty breaking waves, whatever — say so. Leaders can change plans.Leaders also carry first aid kits and other gear to deal with problemsRemember that you are a member of a group in which everyone looks out for the others. The group stays together, not spread over a wide area. If someone is having difficulties sort things out before you go on.

You may not be the group’s navigator, but know where you are at all times. You’ll need to know how to read a map or chart, and check directions with a compass. (That’s another whole book in itself.)Whatever paddling you do, keep a log, a record, of when and where you went, the conditions, what you did and saw, and anything else worth noting. The log may be a book or it may be a spreadsheet on computer. It can include photographs and GPS track logs. The exact form doesn’t matter, but do keep records. The AC participation scheme has its own set of records as well.The example below is based on those in ACAS assessment projects.

Date Craft Group Where Conditions/Notes14 April 2018 Prijon Junior ACC Explorers Garden Is to Broad Creek Light SW winds, sunny. Neap tide

Saw dolphins, old explosives wharf, remains of Dorothy S Distance: 5.7 km

Things won’t always happen as you expect or want. (Why do you think he fell in here?) What’s important is that you learn from mistakes. Often you will learn more when things go wrong than from a success.


Staying safeLook inside a canoe or kayak and you may find something like this →That second sentence speaks of ‘serious injury or death’. And you still want to go paddling?So how do we make it unlikely that you will drown or be injured? The rest of that notice gives you some good advice: take instruction, wear a PFD, wear clothing to suit the conditions, and so on.Nothing in life is perfectly safe. But when we know what the hazards are we can do something to reduce the risks. What’s a hazard? It’s anything that can do you harm. A piece of broken glass in the sand is a hazard. The risk is that you may step on it and cut your foot. How can we make it unlikely that you will be cut? We wear shoes. By knowing the hazard we manage the risk by taking some action.So it is with the other hazards in paddling: we take some action to minimise the risks. The paddler’s box is a way of reducing the risk of shoulder injury. You may think of other ways we reduce risks.There will be times when we don’t paddle because the risks from weather will be too great. Forecast thunderstorms will be one.In pre-launch briefings trip leaders will tell you of any particular hazards and how to avoid the risks. They might be barnacles on mangrove branches, other boat traffic, currents and eddies, broken equipment...Kayaking is one of the safest outdoor activities. The drive home afterwards is probably more hazardous.

CAUTIONSAFETY WARNING

Paddlesports can be very dangerous and physically demanding. The user of the product should understand that participating in paddlesports may involve serious injury or death. Observe the following safety standards whenever using this product:• Get paddlesport instruction from a licensed or certified instructor.• Obtain certified first aid and rescue training and carry first aid and

rescue equipment.• Always wear a nationally-approved personal flotation device.• Always wear a helmet where appropriate.• Dress appropriately for weather conditions: cold water and/or cold

weather can result in hypothermia.• Check your equipment prior to each use for signs of wear or failure.• Never paddle alone.• Do not paddle in flood conditions.• Be aware of appropriate river levels, tidal changes, dangerous

currents and weather changes.• Scout unfamiliar waters: portage where appropriate.• Do not exceed your paddling ability: be honest with yourself.• Consult your physician prior to beginning your paddlesport training.• Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for the use of this

product.• If additional outfitting is added to this craft, use manufacturer’s

approved materials only: do not impair entry or exit access.• Read owner’s information package prior to using this product.The user of this product acknowledges both an understanding and an assumption of the risk involved in paddlesport.


Where next?If you’ve done everything described here you have more than covered the requirements of the Australian Canoeing Basic Skills Award. That’s the first in a whole series of series of skill and leadership awards. All your Instructors and leaders hold some of those awards, and now you’ve made a start.You now have the skills to begin making short expeditions to interesting places. Keep doing that and you may eventually paddle around Kangaroo Island, across Bass Strait, along the whole Murray River... (They’ve all been done.)You may be interested in competition. In SA that means flatwater racing, Sprint and Marathon, or Canoe Polo. In all of those fields SA has always done well, to World Championship and Olympic standards.Polo is the game to play if you want to learn instinctive paddling skills. If you fall in and can’t roll, you’re out of the game.Olympics are the target for Sprint paddlers.Paddle competitively and you may win a few trophies. Whether they, the fame and the satisfaction that comes with them are worth the hours, months and years of training will be for you to decide.If you paddle expeditions your trophies are likely to be found objects. You will see some interesting sights, give yourself a few frights, and learn something of the world, and yourself. Perhaps that is the important thing.

A boat of your ownFancy having your own kayak? There is a problem. The same sort of problem that you have with your favourite jumper: you grow out of it. And a new kayak costs rather more than a new jumper.One possibility is to sell the boat to a younger paddler to help pay for the next, which could come from someone older who has outgrown it. That way the same boat can be handed on from one person to the next, perhaps for many years if it’s looked after properly. I know of one boat that I built 30 years ago that’s been used by a number of children and handed on.You could build your own. In the past that’s what many of us did before mass-produced kayaks appeared in the shops. You can buy plans and kits for boats built from a couple of sheets of marine plywood. You’ll also need glass cloth and epoxy resin, so an adult will need to help you there. The process is called stitch and glue. It’s a project that would take you several months, so it’s something you’d need to think about carefully.One thing you could make fairly easily is a Greenland paddle. The wood would cost only a few dollars and most, if not all the work can be done with hand tools. (An adult could save you some time by doing some of the work with power tools.) As you grow, scale things up a bit for the next one.There’s something satisfying about using equipment you’ve made yourself.


Words, words, words...

A glossaryMany of the words in canoeing and kayaking are the same as in other forms of boating — bow, stern, deck, hull — and so on. Here are a few more.

AAC Australian Canoeing, the national body, with offices in Sydney:

<canoe.org.au>.ACAS Australian Canoeing Award Scheme, AC’s system of awards and

qualifications.aft The rear part of a canoe or kayak.

BBAT Baths Advanced Trainer, a small kayak with round ends and

originally meant for use in swimming pools. Used as the mount for Canoe [sic] Polo. (Nothing to do with Chiroptera or cricket.)

broach To turn side on to wind and wave, and caused by wind and wave action. Usually what you do not want to happen.

bungee (also spelled bungie and bungy) See shock cord.

Ccanoe A small boat propelled with a single blade paddle, from a

kneeling position in sprint and whitewater competition. Touring and marathon paddlers normally sit. Touring, sprint and most marathon canoes are undecked. Many whitewater canoes are decked, and may appear to be kayaks. Canoes are derived from the birch bark canoes of North America. The term ‘canoeing’ often refers to kayaking as well.

collision An event that can ruin your entire day. As far as other boats are concerned the rule is: ‘If it’s bigger, faster, or more expensive than the canoe or kayak, keep out of its way.’ On rivers and in channels, keep to the right.

DDragonboat Traditional Chinese paddle-racing boat, with 20 or

so paddlers, plus sweep and drummer. Often more a social than a sporting event.

duct tape Self-adhesive tape used to repair anything except ducts (and ducks). The minimalist repair kit for paddlers.

Eeddy An area of water that is still, slow-moving, or moving upstream

behind an obstacle in a river. Often used by white water paddlers to stop and look about.

Eskimo A disparaging term, meaning ‘eater of raw meat’. See Inuit.

Hhypothermia The loss of core body temperature through exposure to

cold and wet, and especially wind. Potentially fatal. Prevention is much better than cure: dress warmly and eat well.

IInuit Literally, ‘the people’: the name given by the Arctic people to

themselves.

Touring canoe

Seat

SeatThwart

http://canoe.org.au/



Kkayak A small boat propelled with (usually) a double blade paddle,

from a seated position. Most kayaks are decked. L – R above: Polo BAT, 2.5 – 3 m long; white water play boat, about 3.5 m long; touring kayak, about 4.5 m long; sea kayak, about 5.5 m long; Sprint K1, 520 cm long (max)

kilometre A unit of distance used by people grovelling about on the ground, approximately 0.54 nautical miles.

knot 1. An intertwining of rope or cord with itself or another to join or fasten together. 2. One nautical mile per hour, a unit of speed. (Note that ‘knots per hour’ is an acceleration.)

Nnautical mile The unit of distance used in marine and air navigation,

based on one minute of latitude at the latitude of the measurement. For practical purposes, 1 852 metres.

Ooar A thing used in rowing (which see).

outrigger A form of paddle racing, usually at sea, derived from Pacific island outrigger canoes. In Polynesian and Micronesian languages the outrigger, normally on the port (left) side is the ama. The main classes are OC1, OC2 and OC6.

Ppaddle leash A device to restrain the paddle when two hands are

needed for some other task. The simplest is from about 1.5 m of ski rope, one end fixed to the deck, the other with a loop that can be closed around the paddle shaft. There’s a risk that you can be tangled in it, so you never leash your paddle in surf.

PDF Portable Document Format: a system for electronic documents readable with a wide range of devices. This book is PDF. (Not to be confused with PFD, which see.)

PFD Personal Flotation Device; a garment, usually in the form of a vest, to help swimmers, especially those in some difficulty. Required by regulation for canoe and kayak paddlers. PFDs for paddlesport are PFD Level 50 and Level 50S, the number referring to the upthrust measured in Newtons. They used to be called PFD Type 2 and Type 3. Marine authorities are now calling all PFDs ‘lifejackets’, a term that really refers to bulky jackets that keep you on the surface in bad weather when you’re unconscious. You can’t paddle in them. (Not to be confused with PDF, which see.)

Qqajaq Another way to spell ‘kayak’.

Speed

Manoeuvrability (Ability to turn)

Nautical miles

Kilometres

1005 5 15 20

05 5 10 15 20 25 30 35



Rrocker The longitudinal curve of a hull (as the rocker of a chair). A

boat with rocker will turn more easily than one with a straight keel.

roll The self rescue method devised by the Arctic people (who would have rapidly died had they tried to swim in their freezing waters). The roll relies on body movement for success, not the sweep of the paddle. There are many variations.

rotomoulding The process of moulding a polyethylene boat in a heated and rotating mould.

rowing A backward way of travelling.rubbish Billions of pieces of plastic and other rubbish are filling the

oceans and other waterways. Plastics take a very long time to break down, and are often eaten by birds and other marine creatures. Other creatures are tangled in discarded fishing tackle. Nasty. If you see any floating rubbish pick it up and dispose of it properly.

Sshock cord A cord made of strands of rubber with a braided cover.

Stretchy, and used to hold things on deck, boats on vehicles and so on. Beware: Let go of a stretched shock cord and it can do a lot of damage.

signals Signals are a way to get a simple message across a distance. In paddling we use whistle and paddle or hand signals. Here are the main ones, and you’ll be reminded of them in pre-launch briefings.whistle: one blast — stop and pay attention

two blasts — I need to stop three blasts — emergency!

paddle and arm: as shown in the diagrams.

Come to me, gather round

Stop

Go that way

I’m OK

Without paddle: arms held horizontally

Without paddle: one arm vertical

Without paddle: arm raised in direction to go



slalom Competition held on white water in which paddlers travel a course marked out by ‘gates’, poles suspended over the water. The object is to make the fastest time without missing or striking the gates. Not seen in South Australia, which lacks suitable waters.

SOT Sit-on-top: a form of kayak in which the paddler sits in a sort of well in the deck. In recent years, the fastest-selling form of kayak. Rescues are non-events. SOTs range from cheap toys to craft for serious white water, sea touring and fishing.

strainer A fallen tree or a submerged fence through which water flows, but against which a boat or person can be held by the force of the flow (being trapped like leaves in a tea strainer). Keep well clear of such hazards. If you are swept against an object, lean towards the object to reduce the likelihood of capsize. Work around it, or even climb over.

SUP Stand Up Paddleboard: a board similar to a large surfboard on which the paddler stands and uses a long single-blade paddle.

Ttoggle A device at least 75 mm long and 10 mm in diameter fixed by cord to the ends of a canoe or kayak as a safe hand grip.torso The body, without head and limbs. Muscles of the lower back provide most power for paddling through twisting the body.

Use these muscles, not those

Wweir A wall across a river to control its flow, such as the ‘locks’ on

the Murray. They are dangerous, because the flow at the surface immediately downstream of the weir will be upstream. Objects (i.e. boats and people) can be trapped in the circulating flow. Keep well away from weirs, both upstream and downstream.

Yyuki The Ngarrindjeri and Bunganditj word for the bark canoe of the

Murray Valley, made from a single sheet of eucalyptus bark. (See page 5 for a picture.) In recent years several indigenous communities have made replicas.

Turbulent water

Water moving upstream, towards the wall

first strokes: an introduction to kayakingpcarter/explorers/first_strokes.pdf · first strokes an...

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