In 2007/08 Whitlingham OEC in Norfolk sent a team of L2 and L3 kayak coaches to Leo Hoare at Getafix.com. The aim – to raise the standard of river leadership, safety and rescue and improve our open boating skills.
One day at the centre we counted up how many Level 3 Open Canoe Coaches we had and quickly got to none. We double checked – still none. Things had to change.
After a quick bit of research I called Leo. I’m not sure why but his experience looked just what we needed or maybe his appearance on BBC’s Paddles-Up programme 20 years ago left and indelible impression on my mind!
“Lets start with White Water Safety and Rescue and lead into the new Four Star” says Leo. Good idea but we need something a bit different, not too kayak biased, can you give us WWSR for the discerning open boater? No problem – I’ll put on three days WWSR with extra open boating river leadership skills and problem avoidance.” Yeehaa!
After the excitement of setting up the course for eight paddlers the pre-course nerves set in for those of us whose white water paddling, particularly in open boats, was a distant memory. Would we be up to it?
Day 1
Starting at The Mill on the River Dee at Llangollen, Leo broke us in gently covering the basics in his progressive, thorough way, moving on only when we had grasped the concepts and the practicals for bank based rescues, and defensive swimming through stoppers! Then it was time to hurl throw-lines, first at stationary targets then onto more challenging moving targets being swept down the drops of The Mill. It was here that we perfected the technique for aiming at the swimmers head not beyond it - sometimes with alarming results as we learned what a screwgate karabiner feels like when it hits your nose attached to a 25m line.
Before we know it Leo is taking us through rescue scenarios. Then he’s setting up a scenario with an entrapped swimmer above a waterfall. He sets the boundaries, gives a safety briefing and the team is away – there’s; lots of shouting, some misguided throwing, lots of looking at each other for guidance/support, but the casualty isn’t moving anywhere and its not going well.
It’s at this point that we see Leo’s talent for changing his style to match the occasion. Our performance was dreadful. He brings us together and leaves us under no misunderstanding that we didn’t perform but he gets the group to identify why and turn our disaster into success. A new problem and this time the team is slicker, faster, and better co-ordinated operating with a sense of purpose. Result - the casualty is retrieved safely and before hypothermia sets in! Time to move on to introduce vectors and synches to make casualty retrieval more effective and give us a broader range of options.
Swimmer taking the bottom drop at The Mill showing defensive swim position
Day 2
The Mill gave us a good venue to learn these new skills but Day 2 Leo takes us up stream to the Serpents Tail and the stakes rise. Higher, faster, intimidating water and we’re nervous. Leo gives us the safety briefing and we’re in the water and this time it feels like its for real.
I’m standing on the slippery rocks at the top of the “Tail”, a section of the Dee where the river gets squeezed from 25m to about 4m. The water speed accelerates into a foaming series of drops and you pray that the water is deep enough to avoid entrapment. I’m scared, but the boys need a swimmer to rescue, so….. I glance back, Leo gives the thumbs –up and the team do the same. I drop onto a shallow ledge in the water and edge into the main stream, plunging in I turn onto my back while taking in the cold-shock of the water as it fills my not-so-dry salopettes. Now the training kicks in as my mind focuses on the drills not on the water. Feet up and pointing downstream; hands controlling and steering, keeping my body in-line. I wait for the lads……will they get a rope to me?
The answer comes with a shout from the bank “SWIMMERRRRR!” I look up and left, then, BLAT! a 25m. throwline (now without screwgate) wacks me on the head and suddenly I understand! I know where the ropes is and I grab it. I would have no chance to retrive it if the line landed in the water beyond. Good work boys ! I’m on the line, gripping it to my chest with the floating rope over my shoulder waiting for the tug. In the tumoil of the frothing water I hear a shout “VECTORRRR!” and I know the team are preparing to bring me into the bank.
With all the group through this drill the stakes get raised again and this time we’re looking at worst case scenario’s and how to manage a “livebait” retrieval of a casualty as safely as possible. Leo explains “ Livebaiting is only used when there are no other options as it requires a rescuer to enter the water”. We practice anchoring and belaying techniques and experience that sinking feeling when the safety-line goes tight in fast flowing water.
Again the safety briefing and the team know they’re dealing with a training exercise in a very real and potentially dangerous environment. This time the task is optional but somehow its my turn again and I’m up to “Livebait” Mike who rapidly descends the Tail towards me. I’m attached by a line from my Bouyancy Aid harness to Aran who will belay me and the swimmer. Standing on the rocks above the foaming water I know that I have to time my jump to perfection, too late and I will miss Mike and he’ll be out of reach too quickly. Jump too early and he will be upstream of me and difficult for me to take control of. I jump allowing for the water speed and adopt the “chest-first” position of a sky-diver which prevents either the head or the feet entering the water too deeply and getting snagged. I feel the impact as I hit Mike’s helmet – “BULLSEYE!” I swing round to grab his shoulders and control both him and I in a defensive swim position. The line on the back goes tight and I feel us being pulled down and sideways as the lads get the vector side-pull working to bring us to the bank. Big sighs and we know we all did good. We’ve come along way since our tentative rescues the day before. But then again we had just spent two days with Leo Hoare.
The stakes rise as the option is given to the team to perform a livebait rescue in fast deep water – note the line on the back of the rescuer and the swimmers hand emerging from the water.
Day 3 – River Leadership – Open Boats
The team is buzzing from two days of safety and rescue training but now Leo takes us on a great trip from XXXXXX to Llangollen. Its great grade 2 paddling solo open boats. Now the agenda has changed and Leo is taking us through how to keep a group safe and entertained and how to avoid problems rather than solve them. Starting before we get on the water we discuss the merits of a clear briefing, how to prepare a group for a journey and how to keep them from harm. Swim and manual handling briefings are very much drilled home as is the need for effective warm-up of cold sore muscles from the previous days exploits.
Paddling the Dee in Autumn is a beautiful experience and Leo is using the river’s natural features to point how we keep the group safe and use how we can adopt differing strategies for the variety of obstacles that each rapid presents Communication, Line-of sight, Avoidance and Position of most usefulness are thoroughly rehearsed.
We descend towards Serpents Tail this time with a healthy respect from our work the previous day. Today’s challenge is different – to run the rapid in open canoes! There’s a different feeling in the group now. Leo has given new skills and a confidence has grown within the team so that we approach the challenge in a more relaxed frame of mind. After checking out the Tail and getting a briefing we decide on our line and set up bank based throw-lines to protect the tandem crews. This time though our boats are equipped with something new – swim-lines to buy us time and keep the boats straight through the narrow channel of the Tail.
One crew at time we descend, each having its own “epic”. Mike and I capsize. After taking a line too far right we steer left but over-correct and boat tips over despite our best efforts. We’re in the water rushing down the rapid but heading towards the back of the boat where we grab the swim-line and bring the boat under control, keeping it straight to avoid pinning. Then, BLAT!, BLAT, BLAT! three throwlines hit our heads and we know the lads are keen to get involved ! Lesson learned – sometimes swimmers don’t need rescuing so keep it simple and wait for them at the bottom!
A great three days full of learning and exctiment topped with Leo’s relaxed but client focussed approached to getting results.
Add to it fantastic accommodation at Ffynnon Wen Hostel and here’s a training package that is hard to beat.
Ian Hayward
Whitlingham Outdoor Education Centre
Norfolk
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