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Connecticut Water Trails
Program
Paddling Basics
Planning A Paddling Trip
General
Planning:
Getting Ready
To Paddle
 Deciding
If, When, and How Far To Paddle
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Begin the
day of your scheduled paddling trip by deciding whether or not
conditions are safe for paddling.
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If you have
beginning paddlers in your group, take time to carefully evaluate
the conditions.
-
Cancel the
trip if you have to.
To
Make An Informed Decision
Consider:
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Wind,
Weather, Water
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Wind—Strength and direction
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Weather—Current and expected conditions
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Water—Water temperature, size of waves, presence/strength of
currents, tides or rapids
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Route
Features
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The
amount of protection from wind and waves
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The
direction of travel relative to wind and waves
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The
location of safe landing zones throughout your route
(in case conditions
worsen and you're forced to take shelter)
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Paddler
Skills
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Paddling experience in similar conditions – you should have a
sense of the paddler’s on your trip’s skills from your pre-trip
meeting.
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The
ability of the least experienced paddler in the group to handle
the current conditions (never ask a less experienced paddler to
exceed their own limits just so the group can go paddling)
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General
condition of the group (Anyone have medical problems? Can’t
swim? Etc.)
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If
there's any doubt about proceeding safely, you can wait a while
to see if conditions improve or just cancel / reschedule the
trip.
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Never
paddle into questionable conditions simply to stay on schedule.
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Make
sure your trip plans include extra time for rest stops,
non-paddling activities, and delays caused by inclement weather.
The
Pre-Paddle Meeting
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Once the
decision to paddle has been made, the next step is to go over again
the plan, the specific itinerary for the day. To make sure everyone
is informed about the day's plans, hold a brief pre-paddle meeting.
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This
itinerary should reflect the water, weather and wind conditions, as
well as the desires and goals of group members.
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If you
need to make changes to the original float plan – make sure you
contact your home base contact so they can make a notation on
the copy of the plan that you have given them.
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If
there are a number of experienced paddlers in your group, use
the meeting to solicit input about the day's plans.
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If
you're leading a less inexperienced group, use the meeting to
explain the reasoning behind the day's plans.
Be sure to
discuss the specifics of the upcoming route with everyone in the group.
Everyone should
know the location of the day's probable destination, the most likely
rest stops and lunch spots along the way, and any hazards or attractions
they may encounter.
NOTE:
If you're going to be traveling far during the day, identify a
rendezvous point somewhere near the middle of the day's travels where
everyone can gather up in case the group gets divided.
Deciding
How Far To Go
The best way to
ensure a happy, well-rested paddling group is to select a number of
possible stopping points in addition to your primary destination.
Rather than
push hard all day, let the pace of the group and the conditions
throughout the day determine where your next camp is pitched.
If this is an
overnight trip:
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Be
careful—in popular paddling areas, campsites begin filling up early
in the afternoon.
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Start
looking early, or you may have to paddle a long way to find an open
spot.
Making
Sure That Everyone Is Ready
Once the day's
itinerary has been discussed, mapped out and agreed upon, it's time to
pack up camp and get ready to hit the water.
Before your
group shoves off, be sure to make the following safety checks:
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