Safety

Safety references and club planning context remain on hold until qualified review is complete.

Website safety material is educational and does not replace current instruction, individual judgment, current river information, or emergency services.

Review status
Qualified review required
Publication status
Not approved for publication
Last reviewed

Training Committee and qualified swiftwater review are required before this material is approved.

  • Training CommitteeReviewer not namedApproval requiredApproval date not recorded
  • Qualified swiftwater reviewerReviewer not namedApproval requiredApproval date not recorded

Safety framework

Four safety principles

These principles are educational only and do not replace current instruction, judgment, river information, group decisions, or emergency services.

  1. dress for the swim

    Candidate held

    Prepare for the possibility of being in the water, not only for the time spent in a boat.

  2. boat with a team

    Candidate held

    Paddle with a group that can communicate, stay together, and make sound decisions.

  3. know before you go

    Candidate held

    Check current conditions, access, weather, and the group plan before launching.

  4. sober is safer

    Candidate held

    Keep paddling decisions and on-water participation free from alcohol and impairing substances.

Publication hold

Current American Whitewater authority URL/version, qualified safety approval, and rights/link approval are not recorded.

Attribution
American WhitewaterApproval required
Current source link
Verification requiredNo authority action is available.
Qualified swiftwater safety reviewer
Approval required
American Whitewater rights and link reviewer
Approval required

Planning prompts

Plan with the group

These prompts support a planning conversation only. They do not certify readiness, eligibility, competence, or that a trip is runnable.

  1. Current conditions

    Informational review held
    • Check current water, weather, access, hazards, and the latest trip update before leaving.
    • Reconfirm the meeting place and alternate plan when conditions or access change.

  2. Group communication

    Informational review held
    • Agree on meeting details, plan changes, group expectations, and how the group will stay together.
    • Confirm the group’s current communication channel without publishing personal contact details.

  3. Transport and shuttle

    Informational review held
    • Confirm put-in, take-out, vehicles, timing, and shuttle roles before travel begins.
    • Agree on a transport fallback before the group departs.

  4. Emergency readiness

    Informational review held
    • Discuss how the group will reach emergency services and who will coordinate if the plan changes.
    • Use qualified instruction and trip-specific judgment—not this prompt list—for any emergency response.

This directory provides no rescue procedure or substitute for current instruction, trip-specific judgment, or emergency services.

Publication review

Informational review held
Current source owner
Owner confirmation required
Training Committee
Reviewer not named · Named reviewer approval required
qualified current swiftwater reviewer
Reviewer not named · Named reviewer approval required
Keel-Haulers Board
Board approval required
Content review
Review date not recorded
Publication approval
Not approved

Current-source directory

Training and safety resources

These directory entries are educational references. They do not replace current instruction, judgment, river information, or emergency services.

  • american-whitewater-safety-code

    American Whitewater Safety Code

    Verification required
    Owner
    American Whitewater
    Purpose
    Candidate official safety-code reference, held until its current version and destination are verified.
    Access
    Public resource provider terms may apply
    Last reviewed
    Status
    Verification required
    Destination availability
    Verification required — no destination is available.

    Verification required. No external resource action is available for this entry.

  • aca-education

    ACA education

    Verification required
    Owner
    American Canoe Association
    Purpose
    Candidate official paddler-education reference, held until its owner and destination are verified.
    Access
    Public resource provider terms may apply
    Last reviewed
    Status
    Verification required
    Destination availability
    Verification required — no destination is available.

    Verification required. No external resource action is available for this entry.

  • cold-water-authority

    Cold-water authority

    Verification required
    Owner
    National Center for Cold Water Safety
    Purpose
    Candidate official cold-water education reference, held until its current owner and destination are verified.
    Access
    Public resource provider terms may apply
    Last reviewed
    Status
    Verification required
    Destination availability
    Verification required — no destination is available.

    Verification required. No external resource action is available for this entry.

  • qualified-instruction-training

    Qualified instruction and training

    Verification required
    Owner
    Provider confirmation required
    Purpose
    Candidate qualified-instruction directory, held until a current provider and destination are verified.
    Access
    Public resource provider terms may apply
    Last reviewed
    Status
    Verification required
    Destination availability
    Verification required — no destination is available.

    Verification required. No external resource action is available for this entry.