Techniques & Safety
By Tom Watson Before you go gathering up your sketch pencils and drawing pad or firing up your CAD…
The Eskimo paddle recovery is a variation of the Eskimo bow recovery (See USK article, "Eskimo Bow…
When the original kayakers capsized exiting their kayak was not an option because of the cold water.…
I never heard of stirrup (sometimes called a sling) recoveries until I met a guide from the Pacific…
The "Scoop Rescue" is a method for getting an injured or disabled kayaker back in their kayak. Since I…
It is always good to have a few different ways to perform a capsize recovery. The main solo recovery…
There are two ways of swimming through a rapid. You can swim defensively or offensively. Defensive…
The best rescues are the most basic rescues and the ones that keep the rescuer as clear as possible from…
During my years of teaching sea kayaking I have seen numerous dual capsizes when a T-Recovery was being…
Some years ago at Canocopia in Madison, Wisconsin, I chatted with a young man who had recently completed…
"Snow Melts to White Water" has always been our motto - being skiers and avid river paddlers - we love…
In an ideal distress situation - if there can even possibly be such a thing - a kayaker unable to…
Mid-summer on your favorite river. High water, low water, or inbetween. No matter; you know every curve…
Mention guns and canoe trips in the same breath and some folks are apt to go ballistic. Still, if you're…
The canoeing literature universally recommends that landed canoes be turned belly up when stored for a…
"Dee," I heard Maggie's voice from a distance. "Dee, wake up." I opened my eyes to see Maggie squatting…
As a fish o'er whose head surge the waves of the sea, In our great sea of air, the fish becomes…
A kayaking buddy, we'll call him "Ben", is one heck of a paddler. He's got years of big, blue water…
One day, it's bound to happen: your attempted beach landing in the surf fails and your boat is swept…
As with all kayaks every different design has its advantages and disadvantages. Paddling a double is no…
Sit-On-Tops (SOT's) are one of the many categories of boats that fall in the realm of paddle craft. As…
The hand up rescue/recovery has more recently been named the "Hand of God" (HOG) rescue. Remember our…
We have already presented two other re-entries that can be used by the paddler after they have wet…
The traditional re-enter and pump recovery usually performed by doubles partners takes…