SAVEwith a - Canoe & Kayak

OUTDOORS WITH
Right place
right time by Matt Barker
In the huge grey area of ‘what ifs’ and
‘maybes’ white water leadership is
not easy.
Risk management plans and hazard maps are only
partly helpful in managing the day enjoyably and
safely. But a hazard map is flow dependant. Higher
or lower water levels will nullify some hazards
and expose others. Rivers can change overnight
and make your hazard map out of date before it
goes to print. How far do you go with a hazard
map, do you mark all deep water and slippery
rocks? How about the real killers, which are off
the line? Are they important to mark?
While the whole aquatic environment can be
hazardous it’s the probability and degree of
danger posed by each hazard which will concern
the leader. A big worry is that someone will
develop the mindset of “I have done my RAMS
form and I just have to avoid the hazards marked
X Y and Z on this map and my group will be
sweet”. This is a very wrong and dangerous
attitude to be lulled into. Only constant
observation, vigilance and appropriate
management on the day will keep your group
safe. Paperwork never physically got between
anyone and a strainer.
On site leadership starts by selecting a suitable
strategy or style, adjusting it for the specific
situation and then actively managing that
situation with the emphasis on ‘actively’. You
need to be constantly aware of the group’s ability
and the hazards. Keep them as separate as is
appropriate for the activity.
Rather than trying to cover all the possibilities (an
impossible task) the white water leader should
concentrate on the most likely and the most
serious issues. Delegate minor roles to more able
members of the group, who with suitable support
and supervision will develop the next generation
of leaders.
The table offers leadership styles and sets of
circumstances in which they are likely to be
useful. Few rapids allow any single pure
leadership style to be used. More often the leader
has to change leadership style part way through
Matt Barker has been coaching
white water kayaking for nearly 20
years. He holds a Coach Level 5,
the BCU’s highest award, and
NZOIA Level 2 Kayak. He works as
a Senior Lecturer at Auckland
University of Technology. AUT
offers diploma and degree level
programmes in outdoor
leadership and outdoor
education. For enrolment
enquiries contact Marilyn Squire
on 09 9179999.
to cover a particular hazard or likely incident.
Picking the line is especially important when the
technically easiest path through the rapid is not
necessarily the safest. It may be necessary to
suggest or insist on a technically harder line which
makes a capsize or swim more likely but is less
dangerous than an accident on the easier line.
Paddle every river, every time, like it’s a new river.
In the real world of earthquakes, landslips and
floods, it really may be quite different to the river
you paddled last week or last year.
Lead from the back
Indian file
River Leadership Styles
Style Pro’s Con’s Suitable situations
Lead from the front.
Alpine Blasting Indian file.
Whole group in view.
Able to unpin clients.
You pick the lines and set pace. The current
helps to bring swimmers and their gear to you.
Clients can be unprotected at the front. You can’t pick lines.
Takes time to rescue clients at the front. Watch for fish tail
effect. Hard to maintain communication and line of sight
with front clients. Group can get too spread out.
Can’t see group unless you paddle backwards. Hard to
unpin clients.
Short technical rapids with obvious end points or eddies. Where
pinning is major hazard.
Rapids with hazards that need to be avoided. Unknown rapids
Need to speed up.
Leap frog
Everybody gets a turn at leading.
Can be fast.
Lose sight of group members
Lack of control of where lead client eddies out.
Experienced small groups on rapids with lots of small eddies.
Buddy systems
Less units to look after. Clients can rescue each
other, or call for help. Improves self esteem.
Buddies can get in the way in rescues.
Needs careful pair selections.
Useful with large and mixed ability groups.
Eddy hopping
One At a Time
Lead from middle. Mother
and ducklings
Safe, everybody in a safe eddy. Clients only
move when you say go.
You only have to deal with one client at a time.
Safe.
Pre-rig rescues.
You can show lines,
Maintain line of sight.
Easier to communicate with front and rear. You
can move to front or rear as necessary.
You can Shepherd into eddies.
Group has to be able to make the eddies.Can’t unpin clients.
Can lose line of sight with all clients.
Need to maintain chains of signals.
Very slow.
Physically separated from group.
Front person can still get away from you.
You don’t pick the lines.
Can give clients limited exposure to leading.
Useful for skilled groups in unknown technical rapids that
require boat scouting.
Pool drop situations.
Where there is a likelihood of more than one swimmer.
Crux rapids.
Good for wide open rapids with large or multiple lines.
When in doubt scout
Safe. Good to show clients the line from the
safety of the bank.
Slow. Some clients may psych themselves out by looking at
it too long.
When you can’t see the bottom of a drop or what’s round a
corner get out and have a look see.
Portaging The river will be there another day. Portaging is not without its own dangers, assess these. Any stuff that you don’t want the group to go down
Rafting up
No one swims may be the quickest way of getting
through a particular rapid.
Not particularly mobile to avoid hazards
Boily sections on large wide rivers.
24 ISSUE THIRTYthree • 2005