How to Navigate Class Five Rapids

To navigate whitewater class five rapids you must first understand the high risk involved. Roughly, 50 deaths occur each year in the United States due to whitewater accidents. Class five rapids are violent, long and obstructed, requiring you to be physically fit, have boating knowledge and be practiced in self-rescue. When boating class five rapids, make sure you are with a group.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Scout your intended run before embarking. Everyone in your boating group must understand the difficulty and risk involved. If boating with a river guide, pay close attention to all instructions.

2. Make sure you can safely run a rapid or swim it before entering it. This requires being able to reach shore or stop before entering a dangerous run.

3. Have reasonably good paddling skills, including knowledge of basic strokes, corrective angles and paddle control. Be familiar with such paddling techniques as ferries, peel outs and eddy turns.

4. Observe one of the most basic survival skills when running rapids. Don't ever stand up in water over ankle-deep where there's a current. Instead, particularly if pinned, lie on your back, feet held high toward downstream.

5. Recognize and avoid strainers, which are fallen trees, undercut rocks or brush, essentially anything allowing the current to sweep through it. Strainers can pin you and your boat against the obstacle, where water pressure is extreme and overwhelming.

6. Hold onto the upstream end of your boat if you capsize and you swim well. The current can crush you between your boat and a rock without this maneuver. If coming upon dangerous rapids release your boat and swim to safety.

7. Roll onto your stomach if you capsize in deep and extremely strong rapids. Swim to the shore and try to use eddies or slackwater to escape the current.

Tips & Warnings

• Always leave your whitewater boating plans with someone onshore, who can contact rescue if you're overdue.
• Always wear a flotation device, even if you're an expert swimmer. Class five rapids can exhaust the best of swimmers.
• Beware undercut rocks, which are worn down under the water's surface. Many deaths occur from boaters being trapped underneath them. Your best bet is to stay flat and as close to the surface as possible.

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