Of all the risks associated with whitewater kayaking, ultimately, it’s drowning that whitewater kayakers are afraid of.  Virtually, all of the other risks in whitewater kayaking can lead to drowning. Here are some tips to help new whitewater kayakers reduce the risks of drowning while doing the sport they love so much.

Drowning is what happens when a person in water can’t get air so they are suffocated and end up swallowing water unto death.

  If a person is held underwater too long, they will drown.  It is just that simple.

So, while flipping over in a kayak, especially in a whitewater one, is a natural part of the sport, it is actually the first step toward drowning.  Therefore, by extension, anything that has the potential to flip a kayak has the potential to drown a kayaker.  Getting caught in a kayak underwater, long uncontrollable swims in whitewater, getting stuck in a strainer or pinned under a rock, can all lead the kayaker to drown.  With that morbid and perhaps self-explanatory description of the danger of whitewater kayaking out there, below is how you’ll prevent drowning.

How to Reduce the Risk of Drowning while Whitewater Kayaking

First and foremost, all whitewater kayakers must wear a PFD.  Swimmers can still drown while wearing a Type III flotation device, but it greatly reduces the chance. If you are knocked unconscious, the pfd will float you to the surface where rescuers will find you.   

The next preventative safety measure for whitewater kayakers to prevent drowning is to learn how to roll your kayak and to do an assisted roll.

  Kayakers have a much greater chance of surviving while still in their kayaks.  Rolling facilitates that and eliminates the need to be rescued and eliminates the need to swim in violent and cold water. 

In the process of rolling, get as much air as you can as often as you can.  Even if you miss your roll, be sure to get the kayak over enough for a breath.  Even when out of your kayak, when stuck in a hole and getting thrashed about, make it your priority to get a breath of air.  Each breath will prolong your life and stave off swallowing water.

Another skill that will help you not reduce the risk of drowning is to practice holding your breath underwater and even while swimming around.  The more you practice this skill the longer you’ll be able to survive underwater without air.  Of course, smoking will adversely affect your lung capacity, so stay away from cigarettes. 

Concluding Thoughts

So, wearing a PFD, learning to roll, and increasing your lung capacity are all great ways to help reduce the risks of drowning while whitewater kayaking.  However, whitewater kayaking is a dynamic experience where the unforeseen can happen even to the best kayakers. Every whitewater boater will eventually find himself or herself in a life or death situation.  It is during these times when it is imperative not to panic and to be deliberate about the actions you take to get yourself out of the particular situation.