Safety Resources


Safety News

2021-12-13 16:03:56+00

Packrafting: Paddling Remote Locations

In this article, guest author and experienced backcountry paddler Luc Mehl offers insights into planning for remote whitewater adventures with a sp...

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2021-09-16 19:22:57+00

Thirteen River Rookie Mistakes to Avoid

Safety Editors Note. Teresa Gryder is a former river guide and a whitewater paddler with decades of experience. For the past few years, she's b...

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2021-09-16 19:22:12+00

Safety Talk – The Human Factor

Safety Editors Note. Teresa Gryder is a former river guide and a whitewater paddler with decades of experience. For the past few years, she's b...

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2021-08-26 15:40:53+00

SELF SUPPORT SAFTEY

For part one of this series I wrote about paddling, rolling and portaging a loaded self-support kayak. Part two covered the basic gear you might us...

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2020-10-19 15:49:32+00

Useful Links to Low-Head Dam Safety Issues

A discussion of low head dam hydrology, and what features make a dam dangerous, and how to mitigate them.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsY...

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2020-04-14 20:44:20+00

Kayakers assist the WV-DNR on a Recovery

On February 9th, 2020 kayaker Jamie Gray was killed on the Middle Fork of the Tygart river in West Virginia. The next day the state DNR closed the ...

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2020-04-14 15:51:09+00

Good Article on Flush Drowning from Outside Magazine

An interesting article in Outside Magazine, based on a research paper done with information stored in the American Whitewater Accident Database. Ce...

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2013-06-12 16:23:00+00

AW Partners with Dam Safety Researcher

American Whitewater's Accident Database contains more than 1000 fatal accidents and near misses reported over the last 35 years. We sometimes ...

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2013-01-09 18:49:00+00

Life and Death Beyond the Edge

An article by Adam Herzog discusses risk taking, death, and other issues for Class V kayakers. First Published in Site Zed, a web site for thoug...

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2012-10-03 01:31:00+00

Adding Death into the Equation

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2012-04-02 13:04:00+00

Link to Article about Liability & Rescue

  By Charlie Duffy, ACA Rescue Instructor    ...

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2009-07-14 04:00:00+00

Dealing with Sudden Death

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2006-09-01 04:00:00+00

The GPS Project: Taking the “Search” out of “Search and Rescue”

Over the next decade, AW hopes to serve as the collecting point for GPS data on whitewater rivers for the purpose of aiding rescue professionals. We h...

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2006-02-10 05:00:00+00

A Primer on Critical Incident Stress

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2006-02-06 05:00:00+00

American Whitewater's National Accident Study

Jennifer Plyler's National Accident Study was an effort to take a close look at fatal accidents in the paddlesport community using both U.S. Coast Gua...

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2006-02-05 05:00:00+00

Whitewater is Safer Than You Think

Laura Whitman's article compares the accident rate among kayakers with other common sports and activities....

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More News

Safety has been a core issue for AW since 1954, and today we are leaders in accident analysis and safety education. Formal risk management is part of all our programs. We work hard to publicize safe practices that help every American enjoy our rivers safely, and we advise legislative bodies and river managers on the best ways to educate whitewater paddlers. If you look back through the pages of the August 1955 and Winter 1957 American Whitewater Journal, you’ll see the International Scale of River Difficulty, the codification of a class I-IV whitewater classification system, was developed internationally and adopted and promoted by American Whitewater. Outdoor recreation and whitewater paddling specifically have inherent risks, however many whitewater accidents, especially for less experienced boaters, are preventable with some very basic whitewater safety knowledge.

  • Always Wear Your PFD (personal flotation device, commonly known as a life jacket)
  • Research the River You Plan to Paddle: Whitewater Difficulty, Optimal Flow Levels, Current Hazards, Predicted Weather, Remoteness
  • Avoid Extreme Weather and High Flows
  • Avoid Dams
  • Avoid Drugs and Alcohol
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