River Rescue: A Manual for Whitewater Safety - Softcover

Bechdel, Les; Ray, Slim

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1878239554 ISBN 13: 9781878239556

Publisher: UNKNO, 1997

Synopsis

Whitewater paddling is exciting, adventurous_and sometimes risky. That's why every fast-water paddler needs the skills so clearly defined in River Rescue. This completely revised third edition of the AMC classic manual gives expert advice, with clear, concise instructions and hundreds of vital illustrations and photographs that cover all aspects of river safety. Features:
_ expanded material on big-water rescue
_ self-rescue and rescue of others_by hand, boat, rope, and other ways;
_ tools and techniques_rope work, throw bags, boat handling, high and
low-tech gear to use when seconds count;
_ rescue organization: leadership, teamwork, patient care, evacuation, and more

About this title

About the Author

Slim Ray is an internationally-recognized authority on flood, swiftwater and whitewater safety and rescue with over fifteen years experience in swiftwater rescue, including course development and instruction with Rescue 3, Canyonlands Field Institute, and the Nantahala Outdoor Center. He is also the author of Swiftwater Rescue and has written numerous articles on the subject. He is an active recreational kayaker and has worked as a raft guide and canoe and kayak instructor both in the US and abroad. He has been the American representative in several international river safety conferences and organized the International Safety Symposium (ISS '90) in the US.

From the Back Cover

Okay, your boat flipped. Now what? Whitewater paddling is exciting, adventurous - and sometimes risky. That's why every whitewater paddler needs the skills so clearly defined in River Rescue. With even more illustrations and photographs, this completely revised new edition will help prepare you for a great river adventure. You'll find expanded material on big-water rescue, including new gear and methods; on self-rescue and rescue of others, by hand, boat, rope and other methods; on tools and techniques, including rope work, throw bags, boat handling, and high- and low-tech gear to use when seconds count; and on rescue organization, including leadership, teamwork, patient care, evacuation and more.

Reviews

Without the knowledge imparted in these pages, the white magic of wild waters can turn black in a split-splash; with this knowledge rescue_with participants emerged washed and unscathed_can make an ordinary trip into a grand and epic experience." Richard Bangs, author of River Gods, Managing Editor, Microsoft Travel Products Group.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Characteristics of Whitewater Rivers
Four factors should be considered in assessing the difficulty of a whitewater river: elevation loss, volume of flow, geomorphic makeup of the river bed, and hazards. Other factors, like weather and accessibility, must also be considered, but they do not, strictly speaking, define the difficulty of the river.

Elevation loss in the United States is normally expressed in vertical feet per mile, usually as an average figure over the section normally run: the net vertical drop between two points 1 mile apart. Outside the U.S. this average is normally expressed as a percentage; e.g. 5%, equal to about 250 feet per mile. Averages can be deceptive, however, since some rivers concentrate their elevation loss in one steep section, thus hiding a difficult section with easy water before and after. For example, Section IV of the Chattooga has an average drop of about 50 feet per mile, but in the quarter-mile of the Five Falls it averages well over 200 feet per mile. Rivers like this are called pool-and-drop rivers. Other rivers, like the Arkansas River in Colorado, have a more consistent elevation loss. These rivers are often more dangerous, since they may have no calm pools in which to recover after a difficult section. Furthermore, there may be the risk of a long swim in cold water if things go wrong. Thus continuous Class III water may be more dangerous than pool-and-drop Class IV.

Edition details

• Publisher: UNKNO
• Publication date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1878239554
• ISBN 13: 9781878239556
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 303