The Coureurs de Bois ( C de B ) Paddling club is not a teaching club.
We ask that you have at least a one week paddling course with an accredited school or the equivalent before you paddle on the river with us. You are responsible for your own safety, equipment and river knowledge on all trips. Any paddlers under 18 are the responsibility of their parents or guardian. All paddlers are responsible for having a current waiver signed. As the organizer of as river trip, whether it is in the springtime or any other time, there are many aspects of the trip of which you should be aware. These aspects discussed below are very useful to know and understand.
The explanation below are
suggestions only and could help you to organize a safer and more enjoyable trip for everyone in your paddling party.
It is always helpful if one person in the group knows the river, or at the least, the group members are comfortable in scouting, assessing river conditions and determining lines on rivers that are unfamiliar to the group.
The white water experience is dependent on all paddlers being responsible for their own safety as well as the safety of others. If you or other paddlers in the group feel that certain paddlers are not up to paddling certain sections of the river or the river itself, it's always a good idea to express your concerns.
The less experienced paddlers may feel that it may be a good idea to abstain from running certain sections of the river or abstain from participating in the trip at all. Each paddler is ultimately responsible for his or her own safety. This responsibility does not fall on the trip organizers!
If any paddler suggests that you can run something and you are still not comfortable, you can always choose to portage it. This is your choice! As an organizer of a paddling trip you should respect the decision of an individual who chooses not to paddle a particular section.
No paddler should paddle above his or her own skill level.Please click on this link to see "Planning a Safe River Trip", by Rick Curtis
This article is based on the pioneering work in outdoor safety management by Alan Hale who administered the International Outdoor Safety Review for many years.
It's a gem of information and could save your life as well as the life of your fellow paddlers.
Link:
http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/paddle/rivplan.shtmlHopes this helps,
Paul Potvin
CdB EXEC
