Safety - it is everyones Responsibility

Seedy Paddler · Post by **Seedy Paddler** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 9:10 pm

Following the various debates on Safety Cover at Tully and in the Tryweryn. Time to consider a few of the issues raised and incidents observed.

This is not any reflection on the organisers who ensured that various safety boats were available throughout the organsised event. However soem of the participants and coaches need to reflect:

1/ I saw at least one youngster float down the course in abject terror, she was lucky if she even looked at one gate between top fall and the boat breaker. In discussion with the safety boat on I was advised that a previous youngster had paddled past in tears.. this was during the judges runs. I appreciate and agree with the arguments that everyone needs to get experience but at what cost! Think back to your experiences of other sports that you opted not to progress in - very often bad memories come to the fore! Why should we then subject young kids to the same thing in canoe slalom. It is one of the prime aspects of coach education that we should ensure that youngsters are developed in safety and through enjoyment! In these situations we can escort the kids through the course taking section by section and being on hand with advice and support. To send any youngster off as I witnessed at the weekend will do nothing to develop them or the sport.

2/ I may be old school but the underlying code was that we all assisted whenever someone was less fortunate, without putting ourself at risk. that meant that I have subsequently assisted rescue of total strangers and even the rescue of people - who well are not exactly on my christmas card list shall we say. I witnessed a capsize on the top fall during "river open for normal use" or free practise to us old schoolers, a paddler was sitting down by gate 11 at the time. Now I was always taught to check upstream before heading through an upstream gate and onto a downstream section. So I was a little perplexed to see the aforesaid paddler continue on break in and continue down the course whilst a swimmer was left to his own devices. Ultimately loss was limited to a paddle to the boatbreaker and some skinned knuckles.

3/ During the same period another paddler capsized, working with a support paddler I thought it should be OK. Somewhat perplexed again to see the paddler skirt the swimmer and go for the boat. I know new boats may be expensive but should we really leave youngsters to fend for themselves whilst we drag boats off the water.

4/ Finally it was noted that at least one boat failed to float on the surface. I would estimate from the paddle blades that the boat was at least 4-5" under the surface. I am not an exponent of "you must have buoyancy bags" but you should at the very least have sufficient buoyancy for a swamped boat to remain on the surface. Buoyancy bags are a relatively simple and cheap solution. Considering the boat was not visible on the surface, I would suggest that there is one very lucky person who is not counting the cost of a lost boat. Looking at various of the new boats and the thickness (or rather lack of thickness) of the foam inserts I suspect that many of the brand new boats would fail 19.1, organisers and committee get enough flack on the weights - what would the reaction be if it was required that evry boat be filled with water and float tested as part of equipment vetting?

We all take part in the sport voluntarily, we know and indeed many are attracted by the risk element. There must be some form of compromnise we cannot expect the "organiser" to account for everytime we undertake something stupid or make a mistake. It is all our responsibility to try and minimise or mitigate the risk, through checking and ensuring our equipment is up to standard, working with others to provide support, lending support and assistance to all as a priority over gate practise and as coaches ensuring that all our proteges are nurtured and brought forward at a suitable and achieveable pace without upset.

Please teach the basics as well as the stroke technique then we may all enjoy the experience together!

boater rich · Post by **boater rich** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 4:26 pm

Perhaps if Slalomists got out more on rivers they would learn the fundamentals of river safety, rescue etc and perhaps lead to young slalomists discovering there is more to paddling than being shouted at by a "competative dad".

???

Rich

Nessie · Post by **Nessie** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 5:23 pm

Two years before your first post and that's the best you could think of?

Can't wait till 2008...

Geebs · Post by **Geebs** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 11:09 pm

I am amazed that it has taken so long for anyone to reply to this post, but nice to have some thought's.

I think that there has not been any replies previous is that Seedy Paddler hit the nail on the head in the first place ???

Unless the basic's of river paddling are catered for by clubs and an introduction to white water over a period of time to the younger paddlers are put in place you will always get the scare element.

Young paddlers are taught how to get gates and go fast, but only occasionally are they taught how to read a river, some more experiance river running I am sure would make for better paddling skills whether it be i.e. Tully, Tryweryn, Bala, HPP or Sowerby Bridge, the river reading skills can be applied to all these and many more slalom courses.

The need to learn how to rescue a paddler is paramount, the boat/kit can be replaced, a person's life can not!

Train2Win · Post by **Train2Win** » Sun Aug 06, 2006 7:36 pm

In my experience slalomists on the whole are a lot more adept at running rivers competently that purely recreational paddlers.

Most slalomists do "get out on rivers", as I junior I did many river trips as did most of my friends. Having done the dee and tryweryn tours for many years, the only cases of someone being put in danger during a rescue I have seen has been from plastic boaters with insufficient boat skill swimming on rough water and the other boaters not knowing what to do!

I agree that young slalom boaters should do river trips to broaden their canoeing experience, but I think that this already happens in most cases. I think its a poor point to say that slalom boaters don't know how to run rivers or provide safety. Some of the best river runners I know are ex-slalomists as well as some of the best freestyle paddlers. There are slalom paddlers out there who are terrible at safety and those who are not proficient on ww, but there are in all canoeing disciplines and I think that on the whole, slalom paddlers are very adept at running rivers and in my experience, capable of rescue on WW.

Seedy Paddler · Post by **Seedy Paddler** » Tue Aug 08, 2006 11:26 pm

???

Peeps - don't see anything in my original post suggesting slalom paddler need to get more experience river running, playboating etc. I fact I have seen similar failings on rivers and at playspots over the many years I have dragged my sorry a**e down the rapids!

What I did suggest was that we need to be more responsible to ourselves and our charges and demonstrate respect to others on the water. All could equally be charged at some groups in other white water disciplines. The only branch of the sport where I ever encouraged someone to paddle away from a capsize was in polo when it involved the opposition - even that could be frowned upon in some circumstances.

I originally posted this as I was getting tired of the continual snipes at the "organiser" and questions on safety cover. I was surprised that there was no bleating from the faint hearted liberals that want to play with the big boys but have a handy comfort blanket for when it all goes pete tong! But these posts are heading off on a wild tangent of self gratification. Sorry there are good and bad paddlers in every branch of the sport, anyone can end up swimming or needing rescued. It is moer a question of getting respect and ethos back into how we prepare and play, not where we play!

Geebs · Post by **Geebs** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 12:52 am

Hi Seedy

As one of the few that agrees with you and I have raised this matter on other threads, I was dissapointed to say the least at a Div2 C1 paddler that got off the water on Sunday at Nene to leave one other (Lady) C1 paddler on the water to rescue at the bottom end of the Div2 ladies on here own!

Whilst the paddler left on the water is a very experianced and qualified paddler to leave her on her own on the water is disgusting and a threat to her's and other paddlers safety, it took a protest to have the matter dealt with, this should not have been required.

The title of your post is quite correct, perhaps that this matter should be more seriously dealt with by the organisers and the BCU slalom committee to ensure that these things do not happen?