This topic is also covered in more detail under the Equipment section. As an instructor, I will provide guidance on how to inspect gear and demonstrate common issues I have seen leading trips. Students will inspect each other with instructor guidance. Start from the top down. The helmet comes first. I like to use the two finger test - gently lift the helmet brow with two fingers, if rollback is evident - the helmet needs further adjustment. Rollback is a lading cause of nasty headshots resulting in concusions. Next, check to see if the helmet is reasonably solid on the head - fit is crucial. Inspect the foam on the inside of the helmet. Many helmets these days use bicyle foam and essentially no paddling. This tends to transfer all the energy directly to the neck causing injury. In general, thick multi-density foam is best. The helmets goal is to dissipate energy over a distance so it doesn't feel like you head-butted a brick wall. Foam should also bounce back. This is really crucial in whitewater helmets since we often take more than one good hit.

The next check is the PFD. Grab the shoulder straps and try to lift them. If a jacket is loose, it will probably slip off the body or obstruct vision. A loose helmet and PFD form what I call the "Clam Shell" effect making paddling all but impossible. If they are wearing carabineers, check to see if they are locked - they should be. Since we are working with ropes, students should have a rescue knife of some sort.

When getting ready to launch, verify that the spray skirt release loop is on the outside where it can be readily grabbed. Also check to see if their drain plug is secured. Repeat after each break or rescue.

Optionally, ask if they have water and food on board. In our class, everyone must bring their own throw rope.

Everyone must wear some sort of foot protection - this is crucial for rescue work. Make certain everyone has adequate clothing to stay immersed for 30 minutes at a stretch.

Introduction

Shoulder dislocations are unfortunately common in our sport. This injury takes a while to recover from and is downright painful. Fortunately, this common inury can be prevented as is discussed in the sections below. Another cause of injuries is inefficient paddling technique. Learn to use your larger muscles, work on technique, try not to muscle your way down the river. If you become tired, pick easier lines and take more frequent breaks. Stop to grab a bite to eat and hydrate! Tired paddlers make more mistakes and generally swim more often.

Effective Body Usage and Bio-Kinetics

Many new to the sport think paddling is all about the arms. Although you can paddle pretty much with the arms, you will tire very quickly if you do so. Seasoned paddlers use their torso as much as possible to take the load off their arms. They also push off the foot bulk head with the same side foot with each paddling stroke. Most of the body works together to get the maximum power out of each stroke. Here is a good video demonstrating torso rotation: Torso Rotation Demonstration.

Use of larger torso muscles

In the previous section, we talked about using the whole body. In this lesson, we will concentrate on the core muscle groups. Beginning paddlers use their biceps more than any other muscle group. They tire very quickly, especially on long flat water paddles. Racers and experienced boaters use the arms more like struts and pull the paddle blade through the water with their abdomin, pectoral, shoulders, and upper back muscles. Compare the size of those muscle groups against the much smaller biceps and you can easily understand why seasoned boaters can paddle all day and make it look effortless. Here is a good article on an efficient forward stroke from a racer's perspective: Racer's Efficient Forward Stroke.

Arms as struts connecting paddle to torso

A good way to think of paddling is to compare it to ballroom dancing - the man's side if he is doing it right. When dancing, we maintain a nice erect posture. We use our arms pretty much like struts to signal to our partner where we want to go. We don't crush her hand, we have a nice relaxed grip. We try to keep an eye on where we are going so we don't run into other obstacles (dancers for instance). Although we are sitting in a kayak, the basics are pretty much the same. This approach makes good use of our core muscle groups instead of pulling with just our arms. Here is a great article on paddling posture and the Paddler's Box: Paddling Posture.

Avoidance of positions that contribute to shoulder injury or dislocations

Many kayakers experience shoulder injuries at some point in their paddling hobby. Most of the time, this injury can be prevented. The best prevention is strong adherence to the Paddler's Box. The Paddler's Box uses the arms like struts and ALWAYS keeps the center of the paddle shaft visually in front of their face. If you can't readily see the middle of your kayak paddle shaft, you are risking injury. Another good rule of thumb is to never let the center of the paddle shaft rise above your eye balls. Paddlers that violate this rule often separate their shoulders when a paddle blade gets caught on something like a rock. A loose paddle grip also helps to avoid injuries. When executing a draw or sculling stroke, watch where you are going. This requires you to turn the upper part of your body to your side (twisting your torso). When you perform a kayak roll, your head follows your lead paddle blade. Here is a great video demonstrating weight bearing exercises you can use to strengthen your shoulder muscles: Gym Exercises for Shoulder Strengthening. Here is the Davey Hearn shoulder Rehab article: Davey Hearn Shoulder Rehab. Watch the following video on a kayaker performing a seal launch - sort of and dislocating his shoulder. Watch closely and you will notice that his paddle shaft is way above his head - a big no-no: Kayaker dislocating their shoulder. We wrap this up with a very extensive article on shoulder dislocation.

Rescue will be covered in far more detail under Rescue Philosophy. A few rules of thumb are in order:

• Look out for number one - yourself
• Equipment can be replaced, poeple can't
• Use the KISS principle - Simple is generally safer
• Think, plan, then act
• Practice using your rescue skills, especially throw ropes

Safety is a combination of using good judgment, knowledge, and proper gear. I feel the most valuable portions of this course are how to recognize and avoid incidents in the first place. You will learn a great deal about various river obstacles and avoiding unsafe paddling techniques. Trip planning makes a huge difference in safety. Get recent weather reports, check gauges on your run and upstream. Check the water temperature as well as air temperatures. Dress to rescue and pack a bit extra on cold days.

Introduction

Preparing to kayak is very similar to preparing for sports like wrestling or gymnastics. Kayaking provides a great workout of the upper body. When performed appropriately, your torso really gets a great workout. The thighs and feet do isometric exercises to hold you in the boat. A light warm up and stretching regimen will help you avoid potential injuries from sudden motions like bracing.

Warm Up

If you remember your high school gym classes, they probably had you do some light warm-up exercises to get the blood flowing and to warm the extremities. Back then, they may have had you do some push-ups for example. Another nice warm-up is light jogging or walking. Simply unloading our boats and carrying to the put-in is often good enough for a light warm-up. Don't forget to take it a bit easy after a long lunch break and warm up gradually there as well. I like some easy ascension practice to warm-up.

Stretching

Only after you have warmed up your major muscle groups and especially the shoulders should you even consider stretching exercises. I would concentrate on shoulders and torso stretching for this sport. There are lots of ways to do this. In calm water, try to twist your torso and reach your rear grab loop. You will notice that many paddlers do torso and shoulder stretching in their boats with their paddles in the air, this works as well. You can also try paddling your boat on one edge for a distance and return on the other edge. If you have really good balance, it is fun to pretend you are a C Boater and practice paddling with both blades on one side. For shoulder stretching, I like gentle streching my bent arm against a tree. Once you are really warmed up and well stretched, consider a roll or two - especially on a challenging run. Each person will develop their own regimen for loosening up the shoulder and torso muscles. I would hold off on the hard core play moves until you have completed your warm up and streching regimen.

Here are some useful extra resources:

• Yoga Warm Up's by Girls At Play
• Kayak Stretching Articles - Paddling.net
• Shoulder Stretching
• Kayaking Warm Up Routine