Floating/Swimming
Sunday, May 18, 2025 at 12:26PM Whitewater Swimming is one of our "7 Core Skills". If students only learn/take away 1 thing from their rescue class it should be self rescue by swimming!
Positions
4 Key Positions
1. Defensive Floating (classic feet up in front floating on your back
2. Defensive Swimming (back crawl, toes pointed, knees locked)
3. Offensive Floating (on belly in "parachuter" position)
4. Offensive Swimming (on belly, head up "eyes on the prize")
Water Entry
Wade to Waist (then splay out on surface of the water… to be used when SWE not advised due to obstructions or depth)
Swiftwater Entry - When 100% certain LZ is free of obstructions and more than 1m depth
1. ACA SWE (Protective)
2. R3 SWE (Projectile)
Ferrying
Angle between 45 and 90 degrees to the current (slice of pie)
Eddy Catching
90 degrees, speed, plant upstream arm
Teaching Tips
Start with a Defensive Float. Watch your participants closely, you can gauge a students level of comfort in the water. Then move to Offensive Swimming to see them swimming at their best. Explain that swimming is undoubtedly the most important skill to acquire on their course.
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