Throwbagging
Sunday, May 18, 2025 at 12:25PM Throwbagging is one of our "7 Core Skills" of Swiftwater Rescue. The more consistent and more accurate we with our throws the better rescuers we will be.
Uses: legal requirement, throw to swimmer, horizontal hauling system, vertical raise, vertical Lower (short throw rappel)
Rope Qualities: buoyancy, visibility (colour), strength, stretch (high/low), construction, abrasion resistance, others
Bag Qualities: durability, visibility, stuffability, portability, others
Throwing Techniques
Underhand
Overhand
Side-arm
Butterfly Coils
Split Coil
Split Bag
Grab and throw
Anchor/Belay Techniques
Seated Belay
Hip belay (body)
Back Up Belay (Buddy Belay)
Dynamic Belay (downstream and deep)
Friction Belay
Receiving Techniques
On back, "in river" hand (opposite the direction of travel), elbow bent to avoid shoulder injury
Teaching Tips
Some techniques are "over emphasized" in different regions (Hip Belay in the USA). It is valuable to show a variety of techniques to use in different situations. Take special note of those that hold the rope inappropriately as a swimmer. They lack an understanding of how the water works.
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