AY Honors/Kayaking/Answer Key

Kayaking

1. Satisfy the examiner that you have knowledge of different types of kayaks (Slalom, river, touring, sea); the uses for each and the equipment necessary for safe kayaking (helmet, life jacket, sprayskirt, bow and stern loops, floatation in kayak).

Kayak Types

Slalom Kayak: These are used in slalom racing. A slalom race takes place on a whitewater course, and the kayaker must maneuver the kayak between several pairs of poles called "gates". Some gates must be entered by paddling downstream, and others must be entered by paddling upstream. The minimum length of a slalom kayak is four meters, and the minimum width is 60 cm. Slalom kayaks are usually built out of fiberglass or composite materials. Light weight is a very desirable characteristic in these boats.

River Kayak: These are used for playing in whitewater, or in "rodeo" competitions where the kayaker is judged according to the types of maneuvers made. River kayaks are small kayaks, with lengths from 6 to 12 feet (2 to 3 meters). River kayaks have features to make them easily manueverable in whitewater, and to resist damage from running into rocks.

Touring Kayak:

Sea Kayak:

Equipment

Helmet: A helmet should be worn any time a kayak is taken into whitewater. Whitewater is "white" because of rocks, and have the potential to seriously injure a person. The greatest danger addressed by a helment is that of striking the head on an underwater obstacle when overturned in fast moving current.

Life jacket: Also called Personal Floatation Devices or PFD's, these are possibly the most essential of safety gear available to a kayaker.

Sprayskirt: The sprayskirt is a device that prevents water from entering the kayak. It is worn around the waist and the "hem" of the sprayskirt is stretched around the cockpit of the kayak, making it watertight. In the event that the kayak is overturned and the paddler cannot execute an eskimo roll, the sprayskirt must be "popped" from the cockpit. It usually has a strap in the front for this purpose. Once the sprayskirt has been popped, water will rush into the boat, and the paddler may swim out. This manuever is called a "wet exit." Without the sprayskirt, and eskimo roll is nearly impossible.

Bow and stern loops: These are loops of rope, or sometimes handles built-in to the ends of the boat. They allow a person to grab the boat - an option sometimes necessary to either grab a kayak (and thus, the paddler) to pull it from danger, or for a swimmer to hang on to (for those times when they kayaker becomes a swimmer) and towed to safety.

Floatation: Kayaks without floatation sink when filled with water. Floatation is added to prevent this from happening. A kayak that float even when filled with water can be retreived more easily, but more importantly, it can be used as something to hang onto if capsized. Floatation also displaces water, so that if the kayak capsizes, it will not complete fill with water - this would make it quite heavy. A swimmer in whitewater definitely wants to stay away from heavy items freight-training through a rapid, as these can pin a person against a rock or cliff wall, or even cause blunt force trauma. If the capsized kayak remains afloat and does not become so heavy as to become a dangerous projectile, a paddler may attmept to re-enter it.

2. Demonstrate an ability to enter and exit a kayak.

The first step in all of these is to make sure you're wearing a lifejacket. If you're going to paddle in swift water, put on your sprayskirt and helmet too.

a. From a beach

Entry: Place the kayak in the water where it is 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 in) deep. At this depth, the kayak will sit on the river (or lake, etc) bottom when you get into it. You want it to be in deep enough water so that it's easy to shove off, but not so deep that it doesn't sit stable on the floor. Experiment with the best depth for you, because it will depend on the shape of the boat as well as your own weight and the weight of any cargo in the kayak. Place the paddle across the front of the kayak and get put one foot in the cockpit. Sit down on the rear of the cockpit and grab the sides of the boat with both hands. Swing the other leg into the cockpit and work your feet down into the bow. Lower your bottom into the seat. If you're using a sprayskirt, hook its hem around the rear portion of the cockpit rim and work it around to the front. Then hook the front of the hem around the front of the cockpit rim. Make sure you've got a good seal all the way around. Finally, scoot the boat into deeper water, grab the paddle, and go.

Exit: Paddle onto the beach until the kayak stops. Place your paddle across the front of the cockpit, pop the sprayskirt (if you're using one) and use your arms to lift your bottom out of the boat. Sit on the rear cockpit rim, lift your knees and extract your legs. Stand up, grab the kayak, and drag it further on shore.

4. Explain the steps involved in Eskimo rolling and demonstrate the proper method of doing this.

Learning the Eskimo roll requires both instruction and practice. The roll itself is the act of uprighting an overturned kayak by use of the paddle and body motion. Typically by lifting the torso towards the surface, flicking the hips to right the kayak halfway up and applying a righting force by means of the paddle while tucking close to the front or back deck.

Several styles of Eskimo roll are in use including the "C-to-C", Sweep, Screw, and Extended Paddle(Pawlata). The roll styles in use vary both regionally and by type of kayak. In the USA, the C-to-C has traditionally been taught in the eastern half of the country while either the older screw or more modern sweep roll have been used in the western half.

The type of roll you should learn is the one that your instructor wants to teach you. It is nearly impossible to learn how to roll without an instructor, and there are few people who know more than a few types of rolls.