Beyond "feet-up"

Most whitewater paddlers have heard the rule of thumb: "keep your feet up", which is the cardinal rule for avoiding foot entrapments caused by trying to stand in the river. This defensive swimming strategy is important, but it is not the only thing one should know about swimming whitewater!

Swimming in whitewater has several different styles every paddler should know: defensive, aggressive, and special techniques for dealing with eddy lines, strainers, holes, drops, and big water.

Defensive Swim- the first thing

The first thing to do after an unexpected swim is get on your back with your feet pointing downstream. Floating in this defensive swimming position, you can evaluate what lies ahead, and you are well protected.

 
Keep your body lined up with the current so you can slip by rocks.

 
While swimming, always keep your feet near the surface, and never try to stand up in water deep enough to float you. If your foot gets caught, the water pushes your body over and can hold you underwater. A foot entrapment is a dangerous, but avoidable situation.

Proper whitewater defensive swim technique

 
Experienced paddlers can make this mistake. Don’t let embarrassment, frustration, or cold make you hunt for footing. Swim properly unless it is just too shallow to do anything!

From the defensive swimming position, on your back with your feet up, you can evaluate what’s next. When you see a hazard to avoid, or an eddy or shore for safety, angle your body and backstroke to maneuver. You can move around by angling your body in the direction you want to go and backstroking upstream. You will be looking between your feet at what you are avoiding… since you can’t see where you are heading, this position can be disconcerting. Think of aiming the top of your head for your destination!

SWIMMING AGGRESSIVELY

If you need more power, change to an aggressive swimming technique. Roll over on your stomach and use a crawl stroke. Breathe on the downstream side if you can to avoid inhaling water. This style of swim is pretty tiring, so it is best for short, intense bursts. A breaststroke or sidestroke will improve your visibility but slow your progress.

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