Risk Management for Paddlers

Advice
#1

I’m working in a presentation for my local club on Risk Management for Paddlers. Here is what I have so far:

http://www.ricka.org/Risk_Management.pdf

It is based on my personal experience and a great little book called Managing Risks in Outdoor Activities:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0908931034/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I would be interested in thoughts from the group on risk management for paddlers. How do you identify, assess and manage risk? What have you done that works, and doesn’t work? Is there anything that I have left out that should be included?

Some examples that could be used as case studies would be great.

Thanks.

#2

Nice. I would only add this: I once heard the word for “risk” and “creativity” have one and the same meaning in ancient Chinese. (Don’t know if this is actually true or not, but kinda interesting in that it goes a long way toward neutralizing and overthinking all the “safety,” “danger,” and thrill-seeking aspects…Art is when the mistakes happen.

#3

Things that have not typically occurred that, unfortunately now need to be asked for water activities-
Can you swim without a PFD? I am not talking great form or speed, even a confident dog paddle would be better than fear of swimming. People are getting into paddle craft without the ability to swim.

How many times have you capsized or done a wet exit? This is to catch the possible panic attacks if someone does go in. I have seen it and dealt with one case - and it was a good thing we were within towing distance of shore. It was a very large guy, and there was no apparent way to get him back in while his brain was still frozen. Not for lack of talent, we had instructors there and he was just too large and unwieldy. He kept freezing up at the crucial re-entry point and finally was too exhausted to ask again.

Much of it is visually obvious - someone showing up with a Swifty for a serious WW session, dressed in shorts and a T when the water is at spring temps, equipment that suggests they don’t have any mileage in the intended conditions. BTW, that can be new unscratched good stuff too. Had one of those. Happily an athletic guy so he merely learned a lesson.

#4

Very well written & covers all the basics. I really like the parts where you talk about each person’s level of risk and the difference between danger and challenge. In my everyday life, I’m a pretty conservative person, but rafting whitewater has been the one area where I could push & challenge myself. The rush of adrenaline as I approach a rapid, and sheer joy after a successful run is hard to describe to people who think I’m nuts. Because I am an otherwise conservative person & a bit OCD, the way I mitigate risks is to raft with people I trust, have the best equipment & know how to use it, and plan in advance for the conditions. I am constantly reading & re-reading guidebooks, maps, trip reports, watching You Tube videos of rapids, and getting as much info as I can ahead of time. Planning & information are one of my top ways to decrease risk (or at least my perceived risk) and increase my comfort level.

Now that I’m getting into flat water kayaking, I’m starting back at the bottom in the learning process. I still have all the safety and water reading skills that I’ve acquired over 20 years, but now I’m learning different things about wind, waves, distances, and paddling technique. All of the places I’m paddling are new to me, so information gathering is a top priority. Added to the mix is that I’m now organizing the trips. That puts an extra burden on me to get good info and to communicate the risks involved to others. I’m becoming more acquainted with my new paddle partners and learning who is level-headed and who is more of a “fly by the seat of their pants” type person. I’m having to learn how to balance safety with flexibility, and not being a control freak. Reading your presentation was super helpful in looking at all of the different aspects of a trip and thinking about how I can improve.

#5

Good write-up. Under the subheading of “The Role of the Leaders” it states: "They need to maintain contact with other leaders to make sure that critical roles are covers… Did you mean “covered”?

What I don’t see mentioned anywhere is the suggestion that trip leader(s) carry a VHF radio - on them - not stashed in a hatch. Not only for emergency use, but for communication between the leadership. This is probably more relevant to adventures/trips on large bodies of open water than WW.

#6

@spiritboat said:
goes a long way toward neutralizing and overthinking all the “safety,” “danger,” and thrill-seeking aspects…Art is when the mistakes happen.

True - in most cases, people are way to conservative in assessing risk - I know I am. Then they get tired, or cold, or hungry, or overwhelmed and they throw caution to the wind.

#7

@Celia said:
Things that have not typically occurred that, unfortunately now need to be asked for water activities-

Yup - the basics are important - especially on flatwater trips where many don’t know any better.

#8

@Raftergirl said:
I’m having to learn how to balance safety with flexibility, and not being a control freak.

To me, that is the toughest line that a leader needs to walk - at what point do you let people take the risks that they are comfortable with, even if you think it is a bad idea. I have to say, there is nothing worse than being on a trip with a control freak leader. I definitely try not to be that person. On the other hand, I don’t want to be putting myself or others at risk to rescue a fearless paddler.

#9

@Rookie said:
Good write-up. Under the subheading of “The Role of the Leaders” it states: "They need to maintain contact with other leaders to make sure that critical roles are covers… Did you mean “covered”?

What I don’t see mentioned anywhere is the suggestion that trip leader(s) carry a VHF radio - on them - not stashed in a hatch. Not only for emergency use, but for communication between the leadership. This is probably more relevant to adventures/trips on large bodies of open water than WW.

Yes covered - proof reading is appreciated as well - thanks.

Being a river paddler, I do need some help on the sea kayak stuff, like communication, recoveries and the like. Thanks.

#10

Thanks for your undertaking this and sharing with others. Mr. Twain said it well with “Good judgement is the result of experience and experience the result of bad judgement.” I believe many folks new to paddling under estimate risk in the more exposed arena of paddling because we are so well insulated and protected through physical controls and technology in the rest of our world. And we refuse to accept responsibility for our own behaviors and outcomes. Look at cars - airbags, collision avoidance, etc. Mobile phones - With GPS, “how can I get lost?” or I can just call for help when I get tired or hungry or injured. Or simply not having been in cold water or stuck in a strainer it is hard to convince them that stupid can hurt. I recall one of my business trips to Thailand with weekend excursion to Kwai River made known in classic David Lean film. At that time, visitors walked across the water on a train trestle stepping on ties. No hand rail, fall net or caution signs in spite of fact the occasional train shared the track. The locals knew and understood the hazards and I just did as in Rome in spite of my fear of heights and hopes I could avoid exposed rocks on my unplanned descent.

Please lets us see final presentation and how it goes.

#11

I like the last paragraph the best- emphasizing the personal responsibility aspects of risk management

#12

One thing that came to mind regarding crisis management. We’ve had a lot more injuries on shore & in camp than we’ve had on the water. Basic outdoor safety while on multi-day wilderness trips is important. Things that seem mild when you’re in civilization require more thought & attention in the wilderness.

#13

@Andy said:
Mr. Twain said it well with “Good judgement is the result of experience and experience the result of bad judgement.”

That is a great line - I’m going to use that.

I believe many folks new to paddling under estimate risk in the more exposed arena of paddling because we are so well insulated and protected through physical controls and technology in the rest of our world. And we refuse to accept responsibility for our own behaviors and outcomes.

I think you are right, new paddlers don’t have the experience to accurately judge the risk, so they think things are safer (or more dangerous) than they actually are. Then to Raftergirl’s point, as a leader how do you deal with that. Obviously you try to educate them, but what if they don’t want to be educated. Do you let them get trashed.

The locals knew and understood the hazards and I just did as in Rome in spite of my fear of heights and hopes I could avoid exposed rocks on my unplanned descent.

This is interesting too, and it is something I really hadn’t thought about - what role does peer pressure (when in Rome…) play in paddling. How many times do people do things that they really shouldn’t do simply because everyone else is. And what is the difference between that and stepping up to run something more difficult to improve their skills. In whitewater paddling, I don’t think that peer pressure is necessarily a bad thing if the trip is within the paddler’s skill level and it pushes the paddler to step up their skills. If the trip is significantly above the paddlers skill level, then it can be a big problem.

#14

@tdaniel said:
I like the last paragraph the best- emphasizing the personal responsibility aspects of risk management

You and I come from the same school of thought - if you can’t swim it don’t run it.

#15

Here’s a question for the sea kayakers in the group - how do you deal with paddlers that are in over their heads. In whitewater, if someone gets in over their head and gets trashed in a rapid, they will eventually flush out at the bottom - hopefully in one piece. Unless they get pinned along the way, the issue will resolve itself, and hopefully that paddler will be able to walk the rest of the way out.

What happens in open water if big waves come up or bad weather hits? Do you just tow them out? Maybe you need to be more diligent to make sure that they don’t get in over their head in the first place.

#16

“While accessing the risks of the trip itself can be difficult, especially if you have
never paddled it, there are rating guides that can help.”

I think you wanted to write “assessing” instead of “accessing”.

“What happens in open water if big waves come up or bad weather hits? Do you just tow them out? Maybe you need to be more diligent to make sure that they don’t get in over their head in the first place.”

What I have done with other paddlers is ask the ‘what if’ question. If I know their self rescue skills are weak I won’t preach and harp on the subject. I’ll just wait until we’re far from land and ask, “What would you do if a wave knocked you over right here?”

#17

@eckilson said:

What happens in open water if big waves come up or bad weather hits? Do you just tow them out? Maybe you need to be more diligent to make sure that they don’t get in over their head in the first place.

This link takes you to an event that happened on Lake Superior last fall. The coaches were L5 and L4 and probably some BCUs with lots of stars. It’s a long read but well worth it. The last page discusses how the event organizers plan to refine their risk management practices.

http://www.galesstormgathering.com/index.php/uncategorized/incident-report-for-friday-october-7-2016/

#18

“What happens in open water if big waves come up or bad weather hits? Do you just tow them out? Maybe you need to be more diligent to make sure that they don’t get in over their head in the first place.”

It depends upon the paddler, skill level, and the level of risk the leader is willing to take on. This happened when my son and I were on Morro Bay and a weather report indicated that the day would be clear. A storm rolled in and we were a solid two miles from the entry point. Rather than just do a crossing in increasingly heavy conditions, I chose to follow the interior shore of the bay and keep to the shallows. My son just wanted to get off the water, but I knew he lacked the skills I possess (both as a paddler and a swimmer) and I was not willing to get into a deep water rescue with a novice paddler. Turned out, he learned a lot about paddling in a very short time. As we progressed along the shoreline, I reassessed his ability to make the crossing in a following sea. We crossed the bay (at a somewhat narrower point) and hauled out where we could call the sag wagon.

In groups that I lead, before starting out, I jump into the water in my immersion gear. Anyone who follows me, I generally don’t have to worry about. I watch people and how they treat their gear. Careless people tend to be less aware of the potential for gear failures. I observe the strokes of the worst paddlers and often revise the plan a bit if I feel conditions are likely to exceed their skills. I constantly reassess the risk as the day progresses and the fitness of paddlers deteriorates and adjust the plan so that nobody reaches the point where they are no longer safe in the conditions.

Risk management is a process and always must be reassessed as conditions, and the abilities of the participants change over time. There are assessments that are relatively static (presence of safety gear, for example), but the conditions of the ocean, and those upon it, can change dramatically in a very short time. All decisions a leader makes must be adapted to meet the current situation.

Rick

#19

Not sure you want to add more, at risk of this getting to be too much, but at an ACA IDW/ICE I took in the past, the stages of competency really caught my eye when we covered it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_stages_of_competence

Most of the incidences we her about here are folks in unconscious incompetence stage - they didn;t know the risk. But people at higher stages do also get in trouble.

#20

@eckilson said:
What happens in open water if big waves come up or bad weather hits? Do you just tow them out? Maybe you need to be more diligent to make sure that they don’t get in over their head in the first place.

I tend toward avoidance, perhaps too much so even because I don’t want others’ poor judgement ruining MY nice trip. It is my unfortunate conclusion, however, that the majority of people want to jump right into the “BIG ADVENTURE” without spending the time, effort, and cost getting to the point of competency (good info on that, BTW, Peter). This, more often than not, results in paddling solo.

Regarding your presentation, there’s a lot of good information in there. You’re fortunate to be able to expect a captive audience on the subject, but I wonder if you might not start to lose people’s attention with the style you’ve chosen.

I’m suggesting that you try to connect with each person by telling some stories they’ve almost certainly found (or will find) themselves faced with. I’m thinking of something similar to the style presented in “Handbook of Safety and Rescue” by Doug Alderson and Michael Pardy. Along with the technical description of rescues and equipment, there are a number of personal accounts of situations where they were needed - or where things went wrong, plus a reflection on the event.

Here is an excerpt from Page 141 to illustrate the idea:
Taken by Surprise
"My friend John and I had punched out through the shore break to paddle in a swell that was running about six feet. Conditions weren’t good for surfing: the waves were long, fast, and dumping. I picked a small wave to ride in on. I had my heart set on getting at least one good ride, so I tried to rudder-stroke out of a broach. I held the stroke too long, and when the wave broke, I couldn’t brace into the wave fast enough. Over I went.
Being upside down in the breaker was not at all like capsizing in a whitecapping wind wave. Kayaking in high winds, all of the action is above the surface: spray from the bow lashes my face, the roar of the wind rumbles in my ears. Capsizing brings with it a measure of calm. It’s quiet and still underwater.
But out in the shore break, the capsize took me into a maelstrom of noise and turbulence. I was caught off guard. It I considered rolling, the thought of it went out of my mind so fast that it didn’t even register. I had lost my bearings. I bailed out, making a quick wet exit.
On reflection: I felt embarrassed; surprised too. All that practice rolling, and I did a wet exit. I knew I could hold my breath, I knew I could get into the setup position, I knew I could roll – but I bailed out. I had all of the tools, but I lacked the patience and the composure to put them to use." --Chris Cunningham