Translations:AY Honors/Canoeing/Answer Key/83/en

General Safety Guidelines:

Wear a Personal Flotation Device (PFD) at all times.
Do not drink alcohol while canoeing
Paddle directly into or away from the wake made by power boats (broadside waves can easily capsize a canoe).
Kneel in the bottom of the canoe in rough water. This increases the boat's stability by lowering its center of gravity, and it gives you better control of the canoe.
Do not paddle in water that presents a greater challenge than your abilities. Do not be too embarrassed to admit that a rapid is too difficult for you. You won't be able to admit it if you drown.
Do not paddle farther from shore than you can swim.
Load the canoe properly so that it is balanced from bow to stern and from side to side.
Stay away from low-head dams. They may look innocuous, but they are very dangerous. Do not approach them from upstream or from downstream.
Never paddle alone.
Do not paddle into tree branches, especially if they are underwater. Water will pass right through, but if you fall out of the canoe, you will be pinned against them. Moving water is very powerful. You are puny in comparison. Water moving through a hydro-electric dam can generate enough electricity to power a city (including subway trains). If water is powerful enough to move a train, it is powerful enough to hold you under water pinned to a tree branch.
Do not stand in a canoe until you have sufficient skill and experience to do so. Many people would argue that you should never stand in a canoe, but if you have sufficient skill, standing will allow a better view of the river ahead. This can be crucial above a rapid. That said, most people do not have sufficient skill. As the instructor of this honor, it's up to you to decide how to teach this "rule."
Don't be an idiot. If something looks dangerous, it probably is.