Offset Waves - A series of waves that develop and curl from different angles and sides, and end up colliding into each other. Boaters paddling through offset waves are treated to a wild ride.

Offside -In rolling, offside usually refers to a roll in which the kayaker initiates the paddle sweep with the left hand. The setup position puts the left hand at the right foot and the right hand near the right hip. Offside can also refer to a roll in which the kayaker initiates the paddle sweep with the non-dominant hand. Outside the context of rolling, offside may be used to refer to a paddler's weaker side.

Onside - In rolling, onside usually refers to a roll in which the kayaker initiates the paddle sweep with the right hand. The setup position puts the right hand at the left foot and the left hand near the left hip. Onside can also refer to a roll in which the paddler initiates the paddle sweep with the dominant hand. Outside the context of rolling, onside may be used to refer to a paddler's stronger side. Canoeist also have an onside and offside.

Outfitting - outfitting can be the factory pieces that came with your boat; seat, thigh hooks, foot brace, backband. It can also be custom fit pieces of foam you have placed in the boat to make it fit you.

Pearling - Occurs when your bow gets buried in the current or wave deep enough to upend your stern. Usually happens when trying to surf a wave.

Peel Out - the act of leaving an eddy and entering the current. A paddler exits the eddy with an angle slightly toward the current, paddling until the boat is fully into the current then leans to the inside of the turn until the boat is pointed downstream.

PFD - Personal Flotation Device, also known as a life jacket.

Pillow - is the water that builds up on the upstream side of an obstruction. Pillows generally tend to push your kayak away from the obstacle

Pin - Refers to being stuck in your kayak between the current and the river bed or an obstruction such as a rock or log. Pins are potentially deadly situations that may require a complex rescue.

Pirouette - A play maneuver performed while popping vertical in a kayak during an "ender". When vertical, the paddler reaches a paddle blade to the water then spins the kayak.

Pivot Turn - a pivot turn is a quick turn done on the stern of the kayak when a paddler drops one edge of the boat and performs a back sweep on the opposite side of the boat. This turn is done most often in slalom kayaking.

Planing Hull - is the flat bottom design of most modern day kayaks.

Playboating - a type of kayaking where kayakers get onto a river feature such as a wave or hole and perform tricks. It can also be done while going downriver using a variety of river features. Also referred to as freestyle kayaking.
Pool- a section of river that is calm in between or after a rapid.

Portage - the act of walking around a rapid because it is not safe to run. Sometimes mandatory and sometimes by a paddlers personal discretion.

Pothole - a geological feature on a river where water has eroded out a hole in a rock

Pour Over - when water goes over an obstacle like a ledge or other feature. Large steep pour overs or will generally have a hydraulic on the downstream side

Power Face- the scooped side of the paddle blade.

Power Ferry - also called a "jet ferry" is a ferry done in very fast moving, irregular water.

Pulley- a pulley is a simple mechanical device that is used sometimes in a kayakers "pin kit". A pulley will give a rescuer a mechanical advantage when trying to free a pinned boat.

Put-in - Starting place of a river trip; where you put your boat on the river to begin a run or trip.

Recovery- regaining control after running a rapid. It could also be the act of regaining control after performing a roll or another maneuver such as a freestyle move.

Reversal - Central term for a wave that drops over an obstacle and curls back on itself in a stationary wave.

Riffles (Shallows) - Shallow, rocky water characterized by many small waves.

River Etiquette: is the curtsey and respect shown to other paddlers on the river. Basic River etiquette says that paddlers with Down Stream momentum or paddlers going downstream have the right away. This means that if you are in an eddy you must look upstream before pulling out to avoid possibly getting in some paddlers way. These rules are largely un written but are essential to regulating traffic on the river. This is also related to River Awareness.

River Left - The left-hand side of the river when looking downstream. This is what most paddlers mean when indicating left – always think in terms of facing downstream

River Mile - This refers to a distance in miles from the mouth of the river.

River Right - The right-hand side of the river when looking downstream. This is what most paddlers mean when indicating right – always think in terms of facing downstream.

River Ratings

• Class I: Easy. Fast moving water with riffles and small waves. Few obstructions, all obvious and easily missed with little training. Risk to swimmers is slight; self-rescue is easy.

• Class II: Novice. Straightforward rapids with wide, clear channels which are evident without scouting. Occasional maneuvering may be required, but rocks and medium- sized waves are easily missed by trained paddlers. Swimmers are seldom injured and group assistance, while helpful, is seldom needed. Rapids that are at the upper end of this difficulty range are designated "Class II+".

• Class III: Intermediate. Rapids with moderate, irregular waves which may be difficult to avoid and which can swamp an open canoe. Complex maneuvers in fast current and good boat control in tight passages or around ledges are often required; large waves or strainers may be present but are easily avoided. Strong eddies and powerful current effects can be found, particularly on large-volume rivers. scouting is advisable for inexperienced parties. Injuries while swimming are rare; self-rescue is usually easy but group assistance may be required to avoid long swims. Rapids that are at the lower or upper end of this difficulty range are designated "Class III-" or "Class III+" respectively.

• Class IV: Advanced. Intense, powerful but predictable rapids requiring precise boat handling in turbulent water. Depending on the character of the river, it may feature large, unavoidable waves and holes or constricted passages demanding fast maneuvers under pressure. A fast, reliable eddy turn may be needed to initiate maneuvers, scout rapids, or rest. Rapids may require "must" moves above dangerous hazards. Scouting may be necessary the first time down. Risk of injury to swimmers is moderate to high, and water conditions may make self-rescue difficult. Group assistance for rescue is often essential but requires practiced skills. A strong Eskimo roll is highly recommended. Rapids that are at the upper end of this difficulty range are designated "Class IV-" or "Class IV+" respectively.

• Class 5: Expert. Extremely long, obstructed, or very violent rapids which expose a paddler to added risk. Drops may contain large, unavoidable waves and holes or steep, congested chutes with complex, demanding routes. Rapids may continue for long distances between pools, demanding a high level of fitness. What eddies exist may be small, turbulent, or difficult to reach. At the high end of the scale, several of these factors may be combined. Scouting is recommended but may be difficult. Swims are dangerous, and rescue is often difficult even for experts. A very reliable eskimo roll, proper equipment, extensive experience, and practiced rescue skills are essential. Because of the large range of difficulty that exists beyond Class IV, Class 5 is an open-ended, multiple-level scale designated by class 5.0, 5.1, 5.2, etc... each of these levels is an order of magnitude more difficult than the last. Example: increasing difficulty from Class 5.0 to Class 5.1 is a similar order of magnitude as increasing from Class IV to Class 5.0.

• Class VI: Extreme and Exploratory. These runs have almost never been attempted and often exemplify the extremes of difficulty, unpredictability and danger. The consequences of errors are very severe and rescue may be impossible. For teams of experts only, at favorable water levels, after close personal inspection and taking all precautions. After a Class VI rapids has been run many times, its rating may be changed to an appropriate Class 5.x rating.

• See also American Whitewater Safety Code

River Right- the orientation of the bank in relation to the downstream current.

River Signals- a set of designated signals that gives paddlers a the ability to communicate at a distance while on the river.

Rock Garden: usually describes a rapid with many, many boulders. Usually good for eddy hopping but bad for swimming.

Rocker - The area of the boat's bottom or hull that is in contact with the water. The more curve the bottom of the boat has, the more rocker it has. Whitewater boats have a lot of rocker where sea kayaks do not. Increased rocker allows for quicker maneuverability.

Roll- a maneuver that will right a kayak after it has been turned upside down. There are many types of rolls, most of which were developed for sea kayaking, (see Greenland Rolls) The most common rolls used in whitewater kayaking are the C to C, the Sweep Roll, Hands Roll and the Back Deck Roll. The open boat or canoe roll is typically done with a Low Brace Roll.

Roostertail - Spray of water that rebounds off a submerged rock or obstacle.

Scout- the act of looking ahead at a rapid either in the boat or on foot to find the line.

Seal Launch - Launching in your kayak from a ledge above a river by sliding down the bank and dropping into the water.

Self Rescue: when a paddler swims and gets him/herself to shore with or without their boat and gear, it is called a self rescue.

Shaft- the area of the paddle in between blades on a kayak paddle, and between the t-grip and the blade on a canoe paddle.

Shallows (Riffles) - Shallow, rocky water characterized by many small waves.

Shoal -  Any shallow ledgy rapid.

Shore- the bank of the river.

Shuttle - This refers to the logistics of getting to the put-in and take-out. Typically a shuttle is driven before the run by leaving a vehicle at the take-out. Other one-vehicle shuttle options include biking, walking, hitchhiking, etc., to return to the put-in.

Side Surf - Normally a play move performed in a hole where a paddler sits sideways in the trough of the hole, while maintaining a slight boat tilt and brace on the downstream side.

Sidewall- this term refers the side of the kayak between the deck and the hull.

Sieve- a very dangerous feature on the river usually caused by two rocks where water passes through, but a boat or paddler my not pass through.

Slalom- a type of kayak and canoe racing where paddlers must pass through a series of designated upstream and downstream gates in a timed format. Slalom is currently the only kayaking event in the Olympic games.

Sluice - A narrow, tight channel in a rapid.

Spin- could refer to a playboating move where a paddler does a 360 degree turn on a wave or in a hole. Also could refer to how a boat reacts when a paddler uses a wide sweeping stroke.

Spray Skirt- the neoprene deck that a paddler wears on their waist that attaches to the cockpit rim of the kayak in order to keep water out of the boat.

Squirt Boat- a specially designed boat with extremely low volume for a specific type of kayaking where paddlers do maneuvers such as "mystery moves" a maneuver where the paddler travels below the surface of the river into the narthex.

Standing Waves – or wave trains are associated with constricted areas of water most commonly called Downstream V’s. Water can only be pushed out downstream so fast so the water pushes upward into waves.

Stern - the back of a whitewater kayak.

Stern Draw - a stroke in which a paddler uses a wide sweeping stroke placed into the water at the hip then sweeps water toward the stern of the boat. A very effective stroke for quick turns when done correctly.

Stern Strokes - Forward, Back, sweep, reverse sweep, draw and J strokes.

Stopper - A hole or breaking wave that stops your downstream momentum.

Suckhole - a very powerful hydraulic.

Surf- a surf is a maneuver in which a paddler stays on a wave or in a hole. Can be done on purpose or by accident.

Swamp - To fill the boat with water. Usually make the boat difficult to impossible to maneuver. Air bags displace water and should always be used on rivers.

Sweep Boat - The last boat down a stretch of the river. Safety measures to make sure no boats are left behind. Should carry rescue kit.

Sweep Roll - in a sweep roll the paddler rolls the kayak while the paddle sweeps an arc on the surface of the water.

Sweep Stroke - a wide arcing stroke that when done correctly is very effective for initiating turns.

Tail Waves - A series of standing waves at the bottom of rapids.

Take Out – Where the river-journey ends.

T-Draw – a stroke utilized to move the boat sideways. The blade is planted with a vertical paddle shaft and power face directing towards the side of the boat and pulled towards the boat. The blade is then turned, power face facing stern, and sliced back out to the original position.

Technical - A description of the character of a rapid that requires skillful maneuvering and boat control because of frequent obstacles. Technical can also describe specific, difficult-to-master paddling techniques.

Tongue - A smooth downstream V typically indicating the route through a rapid.

Throat – Where the paddle blade and shaft meet on a kayak paddle.

Throw Bag – A rope made out of either poly or spectra rope that is flaked into a stuff sack that makes it easily stored.

Throw Rope – A rope coil made out of a high flotation rope preferred by raft guides for its ease to throw and recoil quickly

Trim – How a boat sits in the water based upon where the paddlers weight is focused. A balanced trim would be if the bow and stern are the equidistant in the water.

Undercut Rock – A rock with a void on the underside. There are many types of undercuts varying in danger. The most dangerous of these being an undercut with an upstream face having a void and the flow leading into it.

Upstream – Where the flow comes from

Upstream “V” – found on either side of a downstream “V” which represents the shape an eddy makes. Obstacles on both right and left will create downstream “V’s” and those obstacles create eddies.

Veer – A kayaks natural tendency to want to turn, this due in large part to a kayaks length, width, rocker and shape of hull. Hence, a long narrow boat with very little rocker has less veer i.e. sea kayak. The shorter fatter boats with lots of rocker veer much more i.e. creek boat.

Waterfall - A major vertical drop in a riverbed (typically over six feet in height.)

Wave Hole – A wave that has a breaking foam pile

Wave Train - A series of standing waves usually in the main current at the runout of a rapid.

Wave Wheel - A playboating move where kayakers cartwheel over a wave train.

Weir - A low head dam often associated with a keeper. Should be avoided.

Wet Exit – The most fundamental skill of self rescue. The Wet-Exit includes four basic steps in case of a capsize, this would include tucking forward onto the deck of the kayak, tapping on the hull of the boat to call attention, pulling the skirt off the cockpit and pushing yourself out of the boat while staying in a tucked and safe position.

Wildwater - A discipline of downriver racing which utilizes a specialized asymmetrical kayak typically made of a composite material.

Windowshaded - Occurs when a paddler sidesurf’s a hole and flips on his upstream side. Not usually fun.

Wrap -  To wrap your boat around a rock or obstacle. Wraps can occur after a broach.

Z-Drag  - A mechanical advantage system involving carabineers, rope, prussiks, and pulleys to aid in removal of a pinned object. A typical Z-drag gives a 3:1 ratio, meaning for every pound you enter the system it multiplies the force by 3.

More Terminology For Whitewater Kayaking