How to Enter White Water

Series Summary

It happens many times a year: someone falls out of a canoe, kayak, or raft in white water. Though it is not inevitable that you should fall out of your boat in swift water, it is still very important to learn how to swim in white water should you have to. There are essential and very useful techniques for swimming in swift water and for rescuing someone who is unconscious or trapped in swift water. If you are planning an adventure trip on white water, whether kayaking, canoing, or rafting watch this swift water swimming video series to learn effective swift water swimming tips and techniques. Our expert swift water rescue technician will teach you the important techniques you need to know.

In this free how to video series, learn about swift water rescue and how to wade and swim through white water, from white water rescue technician Fergus Coffey. Fergus will teach you invaluable tips on swift water rescue and how to swim in and swim out of swift water. He will teach how to swim over a strainer, when it is safe to stand in white water, and how to avoid foot entrapment in swift water. Fergus will also teach and demonstrate how to safely enter white water, defensive swimming, aggressive swimming in swift water, how to swim into eddies in white water, how to use rocks when swimming in swift water, how to swim with an unconscious person, and how to wade through swift water in a group or solo.

Video Transcript

"Any time that you might be swimming in white water and you are already in the water, it is really important to enter the river properly. When you get into a situation like this, we've got fast moving currents. It is often really hard to see what is below the surface. It is also important to protect yourself. So whatever you do, whenever you enter, you want to remember a couple of positions that will help you do that. You want to skim out across the surface. Keep your legs high, both at the same time and this will stop the shins dragging and catching a rock which can really hurt. The second thing you want to consider is arms crossed in front of your face with your back arched. This will aid in keeping your face free and clear and you are not going to take any rocks to the forehead. If you do take a rock to the forehead, the possibility of spinal injury is really high. If you don't have the luxury of getting into the water to at least knee depth and you are starting from a rock on shore, get down as low as possible so that you ensure you skim out rather than fluff into the surface. This is good example. It is close to the river's surface and you can get down really close to be able to go straight out. "