Kayak Safety Training Courses

The sport of kayaking has inherent risks --- some that can kill. A few risks include wind, waves, capsizing, entanglement and cold water exposure. A beginner kayaker might not recognize the risks and put himself into a dangerous situation before he knows it. For that reason, he should seek out professional kayaking instruction in a kayak safety course. Each type of kayaking, whether whitewater, sea or recreational, offers unique training courses.

  1. River Kayak Safety Courses

    • River kayaking occurs on any river with moving water. The most basic river kayaking takes place on slow-moving flat rivers, and the most extreme takes place on whitewater. Both environments share some of the same risks, such as eddy lines, strainers and foot entrapment. The harder the whitewater on a river, the riskier it becomes. Different levels of training courses offer information based on the expected level of the river --- kayakers rate rivers on a scale starting at class I with higher numbers equaling higher difficulty. For example, the American Canoe Association teaches the "Essentials of River Safety and Rescue: Level 2" course for beginner river paddlers who won't paddle whitewater. For entry-level whitewater paddlers, it offers the "River Safety and Rescue: Level 3" course geared at class II rivers.

    Sea Kayaking Safety Courses

    • Sea kayaking occurs on any body of water large enough to produce waves or where the paddler travels farther from the shore than swimming distance. Some of the main risks come from wave size, wind speed, weather and the interaction between the water and shore. A safety class teaches a kayaker how to reenter a kayak after exiting a kayak by capsizing, called a wet exit, using several methods --- both self and assisted. It teaches towing skills and other techniques used when a paddler can't swim to shore. These courses also stress the importance of learning to recognize and avoid potential risks.

    Recreational Kayaking Safety Courses

    • Recreational kayaking occurs within swimming distance to the shore on calm, warm water. Like the other types of kayaking, risks include capsizing and drowning. At a recreational-level course, instructors teach how to identify potential hazard and avoid them through planning. Courses also cover equipment, such as life vests, VHF radios, paddle floats, bilge pumps, rescue knives, tow lines and first aid kits. A recreational kayaker might not realize that many of these items are important safety tools. The courses end with on-the-water practice and demonstrations of simple rescues and swimming techniques. Often a recreational-level safety course serves as a stepping stone to higher-level courses.

    Organizations Offering Safety Training

    • The three main organizations offering kayak safety training in the United States and throughout North American are the American Canoe Association, the British Canoe Union and Paddle Canada. All three have a national organizational body that coordinates the training of instructors across North America. The instructors, considered independent from the national organization, teach classes either on their own or through kayaking schools. Contact one of the organizations to help you find kayak safety training near you.