NAUTICAL SPORTS

Canyoning

Canyoning is a sport related to caving, hiking, climbing and mountaineering on the one hand, and whitewater sports on the other. It consists of progressing in the bed of rivers whose flow ranges from low (sometimes zero for "dry canyons") to high, in portions where they flow through narrow gorges or ravines, with waterfalls of varying heights, most often following the bed of the stream and the direction of flow of the water. It is mainly done on foot, but also by swimming or using the rope techniques commonly used in caving, especially abseiling. Routes that do not present any difficulties with regard to verticality are called water hikes. By high flow, they require a good control of swimming in white water. The progression through the barred ravines of many waterfalls requires mastery of rope manoeuvres (mainly the abseiling technique). Canyoning is therefore a specific discipline that requires good experience and diverse knowledge and skills to be practiced safely. The equipment of the practitioners includes both individual and collective equipment. Individual equipment includes at least a neoprene suit, a helmet, waterproof shoes, and a canyoning harness. The collective equipment is essentially made up of ropes, progression equipment (carabiners, drawbars, etc.), safety and emergency equipment (emergency rope, first aid kit, medicine kit, lamp, etc.). It is shared in the group, and transported in perforated bags to allow the rapid evacuation of water. Equipment that must be kept away from water is placed either in waterproof bags or in waterproof containers. While canyoning combines many of the attractions of the activities it is close to, it also presents its dangers, related to the void, the terrain and the white water. Accidents are due to several factors. The commitment, first of all, because many races have little or no possibility of leaving the course before its end (otherwise known as a loophole) or of going back up the course in the opposite direction. The rise in water levels and the extraordinary increase in flow caused suddenly by a storm in the watershed of the river are the main danger and are the cause of the majority of fatal accidents recorded. It is therefore vital to only engage in adequate weather conditions. The presence of hydroelectric structures (dam, water intake, power plant) can cause a variation in flow and water level in the canyons at any time, even in good weather. It is therefore necessary to find out whether or not these structures are present and what safety instructions must be followed. Secondly, the lack of awareness of the dangers of white water is a source of many accidents. Many people are trapped by water movements at the foot of obstacles (slides or waterfalls) because they have not been able to identify the risk. Another factor is the lack of awareness of the dangers associated with the land. This is why you should never park at the bottom of a booster because of the risk of falling rocks.

Most bodily accidents do not occur due to technical errors but mainly during aquatic progressions: jumps, slides, slips when walking or de-escalating.
Deaths are mainly due to the aquatic nature.

Kayak

A kayak is a lightweight canoe that nowadays uses a double-bladed paddle to propel, steer and balance it.

In the spring, the melting of snow considerably increases the level of the rivers and many kayakers come to enjoy themselves on the rivers. Kayaker's white water equipment :

Polypropylene T-shirt. It is an almost hydrophobic material : moisture passes through the fibres without remaining there, which limits the proliferation of bacteria
Neoprene longjohn (it provides better buoyancy, it protects the legs from scratches due to branches and rocks when swimming)
Closed shoes or boots (with a well sculpted sole to prevent slipping)
Vareuse adapted to immersion
Skirt (The kayaker is equipped with a waterproof skirt that allows him to be one with his boat)
Monitor vest, 50 or 70 Newton
Sharp whistle and knife, easy to access and allowing you to quickly cut a safety rope
Mobile phone in waterproof pocket in the vest
Sunglasses+Ties
Helmet and cap under the helmet
Paddle but also some energy bars

In the kayak cabin :

A safety rope of about 15 meters
A large sponge and a bottle of water

The first danger of kayaking as we know it is to get stuck. First of all, it's an anxiety for a lot of people. The danger in the river with a kayak is indeed to find yourself at an unbalanced moment and to fall over. There, either you can get out of the kayak if there is enough water, or you are stuck and have trouble getting out because the water is rushing in. If the swimmer is not extracted quickly from the water, he or she may die from drowning or hypothermia. It is possible to survive between 30 and 90 minutes in water with a temperature of 0 to 4°C. The submerged person becomes unconscious after 15 minutes. Rocks, tree trunks, various ice jams are all dangerous obstacles.

Rocks that can lead to ties or double ties : the boat is stuck to the rock, across the obstacle and sometimes prevents the navigator from getting out of the boat.
Drifts that are very curved turns where the current is projected on the outside bank. The danger comes from the nature of this shoreline, which can be cluttered with branches or dug in the case of limestone rocks.
The fallen tree in the river : When the current is strong enough, a fallen tree in the river can be a death trap because it prevents the paddler from passing through but also risks trapping the swimmer because the immersed branches form a natural grid.
High obstacles : branches, tree trunks, low walkway, gate, barbed wire across the river... Sometimes harmless, forcing the kayaker to bend or lower his head, they can also take on an impassable or very dangerous dimension.

Each fall or dam must be recognized, each with its own specificity. Thresholds and dams can be lethal when they have a recall effect. That is, a recall is a circular movement of water that continuously brings a floating body back to a waterfall. The siphon attracts and sucks up surface water and what it carries to the bottom or under a rock.

Rafting

Rafting is a sport that involves navigating sections of a river with rapids called whitewater (river rafting) on an inflatable raft (or raft) operated either by paddling by several crew members, or by rowing by a single individual, or even exceptionally by using motors on very large rivers. Inflatable rafts designed for rafting are unsinkable and very stable, allowing you to cross rapids that are inaccessible to most boats (except canoes, kayaks and hydros). The large loading capacity of these boats (from 6 to 10 people) makes it possible to bring food and equipment or to compete as a team at the rapids. The equipment necessary to practice rafting is as follows :
• a self-draining raft
• a paddle
• a high buoyancy vest
• a helmet
• a neoprene sleeveless suit
• a neoprene jacket and neoprene slippers.

Paddlers must be warmly equipped because this sport is most often practiced in mountainous areas. The equipment must protect not only against cold but also against impact and immersion.
The practice of rafting is supervised by an instructor who must ensure the safety of the group. Nevertheless, to ensure that everything goes smoothly in the coordination of the latter, a few rules must be observed to fully enjoy a super session.

Safety rule number one : Stay tuned for action commands.

Rafting does not include unsupervised practice: if the raft is led by an instructor, it must also organize the group's safety in parallel with the vision of the river descent. So on any river and especially the 8 most sensational rivers in the Alps these instructions are to be followed with rigour. To do this, before going out on the water, he will connect with his crew to understand a vocabulary aimed at good deeds.

Safety rule N°2 : Working on the wedges

The initial wedge must be well worked. It understands :

How to behave properly in the boat
How to position your feet to fit into it.

Technically, beyond the instructor's commands, the reactions to be had in case of an emergency are transmitted upstream, with the mention that each one is responsible for the others.

Safety rule 3 : Use suitable equipment

The equipment must meet specific European standards, different from those of the kayak because the raft is considered as a boat where one can easily be ejected.

Additional safety rules : Weather, authorizations, route, timing

If you are rafting outside a centre with a certified helmsman, it is advisable to check the authorisations and water release times of the dams. Weather information, like any other whitewater sport, is essential : storms and wind can be dangerous. Finally, it is necessary to respect a suitable distance from other swimmers, rafts or other boats, especially because it is difficult to anticipate all their movements and because the styles of navigation differ according to them.

Hydrospeed

Swimming in white water is a sports activity in which swimmers swim down a river, using a float (white water board), propelling themselves and leading with fins.
This sport is commonly referred to as hydrospeed, a brand name for one of the first mass produced white water floats for this discipline. The practitioners are called "swimmers (white water)" or more rarely "hydrospeeders". This sport is practiced in mountain rivers and torrents (notably the Dance located in Haute Savoie between Morzine/Avoriaz and Thonon les Bains) and allows you to envisage descents on large and steep slopes. Equipment for hydrospeed :

Whitewater swimming float
Isothermal clothing
Headset
Buoyancy aid vest
Fins
Rope

To practice white water swimming, you must be equipped with a full neoprene suit with leg impact protection, a helmet, a vest, fins and a foam float (hydrospeed). The foam float allows you to slide and therefore navigate, unlike an inner tube that is only used to float. The foam float has replaced the plastic float, which is much heavier and more dangerous in the event of an impact. Natural-flow rivers are ideal for whitewater swimming, are not dependent on dam releases and their configuration (rapids) changes with the floods and seasons. However, caution should be exercised, courses should be identified, topography should be looked at, weather and risks should be known to those with knowledge of the terrain. As with any outdoor activity, whitewater swimmers are exposed to a number of risks induced by the river, even if they have a perfect knowledge of the environment. It is essential to take certain precautions, and to be ready to intervene at any time. Finally, the speed can reach about 12 to 15 km/hour which, in our automotive world, means nothing but is quite impressive for a river.

Water skiing

Water skiing is a water sport consisting of being towed by a motor boat. The current racing skis are mainly made of carbon, for its rigidity, longitudinal and torsional rigidity, and its lightness. Water skis look like alpine skis, but they are wider. The bindings, here called "shoes", are made of rubber, so as to allow the foot to loosen in the event of a fall. In slalom and especially in figures, an increasing number of competitors use rigid front shoes, called "technical shoes" (or "tec shoes"), composed of a shell similar to those used for inline skating, and a binding system from ski touring allowing the same heaving as in alpine skiing in the event of a violent fall. The skis also have a drift, possibly adjustable, at their rear end. Skiers are towed by a motorized boat using a rope with a handle at its end called the "spreader", they can move laterally by changing their centre of gravity. Skiers can also be pulled by a water ski lift cable. In France, two people are required on board the towing boat, one dedicated to driving the boat and the other to supervising the skier. Some advice :

You should always leave with an observer on board in case of a fall or any important report.
Always wear a lifejacket and make sure it meets safety standards.
Make sure your engine is off when the skier gets on or off the boat.
Stay away from the shore and any other objects that could cause a collision.
Never ski towards another boat.
Learn the signals specific to water skiing. There are 7 manual signals. Each skier must memorize them in order to communicate correctly with the boat's pilot.
Strengthen your body to prepare it for exercise = reduce the risk of injury. All parts of the body can be affected by falls that can occur. A violent impact on the water at more than 80 km/h is like a fall on concrete ! At this point, all types of trauma are possible: sprains, dislocations, haematomas, bruises, fractures, etc ...
Tow rope injuries complete the list of water skiing injuries. It is essential to learn the right technique. From simple and unpleasant burns to tragic drownings, frequent water skiing injuries due to towing rope are caused by the cutting power of the rope, which can even lead to the loss of fingers and fingertips. You also have to be careful about the entanglement of the rope when you are pulled.