Instructors

I am both an ACA certified Level 4 instructor for River Kayaking and SWR (Swift Water Rescue) Instructor Trainer.  I have written numerous articles on this sport for several kayak clubs and have assembled extensive web-based training resources for a variety of ACA classes.  I am also on the ACA SWR committee.  I started paddling in May, 1979 and have enjoyed this great sport since.

Assistants

As a club instructor, I normally recruit a wide variety of skilled assistants.  I almost always have a doctor, nurse, or EMT.  I also have skilled rock climbers, SWR experts, and very skilled boaters.  My friends help keep me honest and can provide additional insight on certain topics.  In this class, all of you will be my assistants.  Everyone will get extensive practice in teaching various topics.  Please speak up to demonstrate a critical eye for important information gaps or to provide clarification.

Conclusion

This IDW/ICE Class is simply a starting point.  Keep in touch with your fellow classmates and instructors.  Offer to teach classes for your local canoe club or Team River Runner - they can always use the help.  Get out an paddle a wide variety of rivers, not just the Potomac.  Keep your medical certifications current like CPR and First Aid.

This packet of articles and links to further resources covers all of the ACA SWR Instructor Certification Class subjects.  SWR instructor candidates should browse the various topics to ensure they are current with ACA terminology and practices.  Becoming a ACA certified SWR instructor definitely takes some effort.  The ACA SWR program is in my opinion the most advanced one.  The standard 2-day class (Level 4) has an incredible amount of material, so much that many instructors feel it is too much to teach in one weekend.  Having taught various paddlesports classes, I find SWR the most enjoyable.  First off, typical students are already experienced paddlers (Kayak, Canoe, Raft, SUP, etc.).  The SWR program combines safety and rescue.  Many students have mentioned that this class does a great job in keeping them out of harms way when paddling.  Many students retake this class as well to ensure their rescue skills stay very current.

ACA SWR instructors are carefully vetted.  Their goal is to recruit/develop individuals with excellent communication skills and an interest in maintaining and improving safety and rescue knowledge.  The ACA provides different skill levels so most persons in our sport can enjoy teaching.  A great way to prepare for the Instructor Certification Workshop is practicing teaching with an ACA certified instructor.  Take time to practice your knots, throw bag skills, and swimming in fast turbulent water (actually a really fun activity).  Gain some familiarity with the ACA website and ensure your membership is current.  I would also paddle a large variety of rivers to develop strong boat/shore scouting skills.  Pretend you are paddling with a wide variety of boaters that includes novices.  Look both for fun and challenging lines as well as safe sneak routes.  Lead some club trips to gain practice with trip leading skills.  I also highly recommend reviewing the AW Accident Database periodically.  This resource can help you learn from others and perhaps give you interesting ideas for new practice scenarios.  When you are ready to share your knowledge with others, take this great course.

Demonstrate knowledge of ACA Policies & Procedures

• How to register & report a course (with and without insurance)
• Understanding of the ACA Waiver & Release of Liability
• Instructor Maintenance Requirements

ACA Safety & Rescue Classes

• Level 2: Essentials of River Safety and Rescue
• Level 3: River Safety and Rescue
• Level 4: Swiftwater Rescue

Demonstrate knowledge of teaching and learning theory

• Characteristics of different types of learners
• Effective teaching methods
• Effective prepared and impromptu presentations
• Evaluate and provide feedback
• Effective documentation of skill assessments
• The Drill

Demonstrate the following skills

• Positive Interpersonal Skills
• Appropriate group management skills (including leadership and judgment)
• Ability to choose an appropriate venue / class site

Class Management

• Collect and administer all appropriate course paperwork
• Establish an appropriate learning environmentLesson Plans / Outlines
• The 6 P's

Introduction & Logistics

• Welcome
• Introduction of Instructors and Participants
• Overview with expectations & limitations
• Liability waivers, Organization forms, and Medical Disclosure
• Site specific procedures, regulations, times
• Warm Up and Stretching to Reduce Injury
• ACA Safety Resources
• Hypothermia
• No alcohol / substance abuse
• Group Responsibilities / No Peer Pressure

ACA Overview

• ACA History
• ACA Partnerships
• ACA Instructor Offerings
• How many ACA Certified Instructors are there?
• Stewardship
• Recreation
• Instructor Requirements
• No Guarantees!
• Instructor Certification Maintenance
• Paperwork

How we evaluate instructors

• Level 2: Essentials of River Safety and Rescue Evaluation
• Level 3: River Safety and Rescue
• Level 4: Swiftwater Rescue

Rescue Philosophy

• Focus on prevention and preparation as the keys to managing river accidents
• Establish rescue priorities and apply them throughout the course
• Focus on simpler, safer, faster techniques as highest priority
• Liability and Ethical issues
• Trip Organization

Scene Management

• Describe common roles in the incident command system (ICS). Understand the differences between formal (ICS) used by professional rescuers and the informal system used by recreational boaters.
• Appropriately apply formal and informal incident command systems to course evolutions and scenarios
• Establish / review appropriate communication techniques
• Locate, access and assess, stabilize and transport
• Complete the rescue without compounding the situation

Medical Issues

• Appropriately manage medical events during courses
• Encourage participants to further their medical training
• Understand how to obtain more advanced medical and rescue care at the teaching site, and recognize challenges associated with medical care in remote / aquatic environments

Equipment

• Focus on how to choose appropriate gear, instead of focusing on what the instructor personally prefers
• Emphasize prior planning and practice when using rescue equipment
• Understand the strengths and limitations of personal gear and rescue equipment
• Protection from rocks and water
• Thermal Protection
• Personal rescue gear
• Group rescue gear
• Survival equipment

Rescue Vests

• Correctly thread buckle and understand non-standard options for threading
• Appropriately check participant's vest (visually and hands-on)
• Understand strengths and limitations of commonly available rescue vests
• Rescue Tether use
• Identify and apply multiple rescue vest techniques during the course and encourage participant innovation
• Hazards of the vest
• Communications

Throw Ropes

• Discuss rope construction and characteristics desired in a river rescue rope
• Discuss and demonstrate appropriate rope care
• Explain advantages and disadvantages of all throwing techniques
• Discuss and demonstrate appropriate belay techniques
• Discuss and demonstrate proper rope receiving techniques
• Discuss and demonstrate multiple techniques for restuffing bags
• Discuss and demonstrate multiple techniques for recoiling ropes
• Demonstrate a vector pull and discuss its applications to rope rescue
• Consistently throw a bag at least 30 feet to a swimmer in a rapid, using multiple techniques, including a coil.
• Coil and make a second accurate throw, to a victim in a rapid at least 30 feet away, within 20 seconds.
• Consistently throw a bag at least 40 feet and cross a stationary, on-land, 4 foot wide target, using multiple techniques, including a coil
• Advantages and disadvantages of traditional bags, waist bags, waist bags, coiled lines
• Rope Safety
• Multiple swimmers

Line Ferries and Line Crossings

• Demonstrate line ferries using swimming, boating, wading and throwing techniques
• Discuss and demonstrate pendulum and reverse pendulum applications
• Incorporate line ferries into other drills
• Emphasize evaluating the river environment and using the simplest and most effective technique
• Establish effective line crossings using hand over hand tag lines and pendulums
• Essential skill for many rope-based rescues
• General principles

Knots

• Describe features of effective knots
• Describe the strengths and limitations of common rescue knots
• Choose appropriate knots in any given situation
• Appropriately tie all required and optional knots in the SWR curriculum, plus any type of load - releasing hitch other than a “no knot” (Munter hitch, mariner hitch, or radium release hitch)
• Tie an in-line figure 8 and a double eyed figure 8
• Key actions

Anchors

• Discuss desirable features of one and two point anchors
• Demonstrate one and two point anchors using natural and man made features
• Understand the rationale for self-equalizing, load distributing anchors in swiftwater rescue
• Discuss and demonstrate effects of friction and vector pulls on anchors
• Foundation for many advanced skills
• Places team at higher risk; consider what happens if the anchor fails
• Good anchors
• Other resources

Mechanical Advantage

• Discuss and demonstrate the importance of simplicity and rescue safety in mechanical advantage systems
• Create an appropriate 2:1, 3:1 and 4:1 mechanical advantage system using brakes, dampers and directional changes
• Discuss and demonstrate the effects of friction and vector pulls in mechanical advantage systems
• Foundation for many advanced skills
• Good anchors
• General concepts
• Other resources

Pins

• Focus on avoiding pins and early self rescue
• Understand rescuer hazards associated with pin release
• Focus on rescue priorities - people over equipment
• Use multiple techniques to effectively release pinned craft and equipment
• Pin mechanics
• Types of pins
• Release by unbalancing forces
• Tag line on boat for recovery after release
• Stabilization line techniques may be helpful for pinned gear
• Cinch line techniques may be helpful for pinned gear
• Self rescue
• If all participants are safe, waiting for low water may be a viable option
• Advanced techniques

Entrapments

• Focus on avoiding entrapments and maintaining rescue safety
• Identify common causes of entrapment
• Use appropriate skills (e.g., wading, snag lines, etc.) to contact the victim and release the entrapment
• Keep victim heads up with stabilization line
• Snag line to release foot entrapments
• Cinch line to secure victim

Stabilization, snag, and cinch lines

• Establish effective stabilization lines on land and in water
• Effectively snag foot entrapped victims in a rapid
• Coordinate creation of simple cinches for people and gear in rapids Simple cinch – open and closed, Lasso loop cinch, and Kiwi cinch
• Upstream and downstream safety is essential
• Consider what happens when the victim is freed; consider pre-set live bait
• Fundamental tool for entrapment and pin rescues

Hazards and Hydrology

• Create effective teaching modules using blackboards, handouts, sand tables, video, etc., as well as using natural features while alongside a river
• Appropriately apply hydrology to site selection and to all in-water modules
• Rivers are powerful, predictable and persistent
• Subjective vs. objective hazards
• Water reading (upstream and downstream Vs)
• Eddies and eddy lines
• Waves
• Hydraulics
• Strainers
• Horizon lines
• Undercut rocks, broaching rocks
• Foot entrapment risks
• Reading Rapids Summary

Swimming

• Choose appropriate swimming venues, with lower risk to students
• Discuss and demonstrate appropriate techniques for entering rivers
• Discuss and demonstrate defensive and aggressive swimming techniques
• Effectively and repeatedly peel out, catch eddies and ferry. Effectively swim through waves and hydraulics
• Aggressively swim a downstream class II or higher whitewater course at least 100 yards long, with multiple ferries and eddy moves
• Discuss appropriately techniques for managing strainer, holes and drops
• Essential self-rescue and access tool
• Safe eddy rule, don’t try to stand in swift current
• Swimming with gear

Strainers

• Create and position an effective strainer bar
• Discuss and demonstrate defensive, passive and aggressive approaches to strainers
• Discuss “Canadian Log Roll” technique for trees too large to avoid or swim over

Wading

• Discuss and demonstrate multiple wading techniques
• Choose appropriate techniques for application in other skill modules
• Discuss and demonstrate practical applications of wading solo with a paddle, wading with a partner and wading as part of 3+ person team (e.g., wedge, circle, line astern or line abreast, fence wade)

Boat-based rescue

• Paddle candidate's craft of choice effectively and comfortably in class II+ whitewater
• Demonstrate a working knowledge of all types of boat-based rescue, for all paddle craft
• Emphasize the importance of paddling skill for effective boat-based rescues
• Discuss the rationale for boat-based rescue over potentially lower risk techniques
• Ferries for people and equipment
• Tool to sprint for help
• Paddle recovery
• Boat recovery
• Self rescue
• Swimmer rescues and assists

Tethered and Non-Tethered Swimming Rescues

• Discuss and demonstrate appropriate uses of live bait rescues, beyond contact rescues
• Apply effective swimming strategies while performing rescue
• Discuss and apply common patterns of victim behavior
• Emphasize the high risk nature of contact rescues
• Discuss and demonstrate appropriate uses of tethered swimming rescues, beyond contact rescues (e.g., line receivers)

Live Bait (Replaced by Tethered & Non-Tethered Rescues)

• Discuss and demonstrate effective technique and timing for live bait rescues
• Apply effective swimming strategies
• Discuss and apply common patterns of victim behavior
• Emphasize the high risk nature of contact rescues
• Discuss and demonstrate appropriate uses of live bait rescues, beyond contact rescues
• Downstream safety is essential
• Speak to victim
• Turn victim and hold to PFD, or execute cross chest or surf carry
• Rescuer and victim belayed in to shore

Contact Rescues and C-spine control (Replaced by Tethered & Non-Tethered Rescues)

• Emphasize mechanism of injury crating high index of suspicion for C-spine injury, and high morbidity/mortality associated with C-spine injury
• Discuss and demonstrate rotation of an in-water face-down victim to a face up motion using techniques that minimizes spinal motion and ultimately allow an open airway
• Emphasize high risk nature of contact rescues
• Very difficult to swim victim to shore
• Recommended only for unconscious victims where no other option exists

V-lowers

• Emphasize strengths, limitations, and multiple applications
• Discuss and demonstrate in-water communication with shore teams
• Develop appropriate emergency plans for vest failure
• Discuss and demonstrate effective body positions while deployed on a V-lower
• Requires two belay teams, rescue vest, rescue swimmer, downstream safety, Locking carabiner and at least two throw ropes
• Locking carabiner and at least two throw ropes
• Allows direct maneuvering to rescue location
• Single rope technique for direct lower
• Higher water volumes and deeper water can overwhelm the rescuer
• Very effective as a wading assist
• Provides strong support for rescuer forced to work upstream of significant hazards

Scenarios

• Create scenarios appropriately for specific sites and participants
• Effectively manage scenarios
• Provide effective feedback to scenario participants
• Effectively participate in appropriately challenging scenarios

SWR Class Final Exam

• SWR Class Exam

 

Welcome to the ACA Safety & Rescue IDW/ICE course.  This is an extensive class that concentrates on developing solid instructors.  The class venue will include several different rivers that match the characteristics necessary for teaching each ACA instructor candidate level.  All instructor candidates will need to read the latest ACA suggested curriculums and be able to identify local venues that match the class level they plan to teach.  The ACA offers classes from a partial day right on up to the full two day class with full scenarios.  As an IT (Instructor Trainer), my job is to asist you in becoming a well qualified instructor.  You will need to prepare for this class, practice your rope skills,  swim in various rapids, make certain your gear is up to the task,  rehearse short teaching assignments, and of course ask LOTS of questions.

Becoming a Safety & Rescue Instructor is a big deal, especially at Level 4 (and above).  This discipline covers a huge body of knowledge.  As an instructor, you will be saving several lives without even knowing about it.  This course is a favorite for experienced boaters year after year.  You will also meet a number of experts in various topics as you teach this course:

• Medical: Doctors, Nurses, EMTs
• Rope Experts: Climbers, Riggers, etc.
• Class V Boaters
• Professionals: Fire Fighters, Police, Rangers, etc.
• Other surprises as well