Mō ngā awa te aroha, he waiaroha — For the love of rivers
Clubs with a lot of new paddlers, university clubs especially, lean on a small group of rescue-capable members to keep everyone safe. When those members move on, the skills can leave with them. This guide is for clubs that want to build a river rescue capability that lasts. It covers the course to do, where to do it, how to get the most out of it, and how Whitewater NZ can help you fund it. Funding assistance is one of the key reasons you should consider affiliating your club with WWNZ.
A “leaders and seconds” annual on-river training day for UCCC club members – Photo courtesy of UCCC
The recognised standard in New Zealand is the River Rescue course, with a syllabus developed jointly by NZOIA and Whitewater NZ.
River Rescue 1 covers rescue skills on grade 2 water: throw bags, boat-based rescues, knots, mechanical advantage, river swimming and access. It is the right starting point for members who lead trips or help teach beginners, and it is a prerequisite for the NZOIA Kayak 1 instructor qualification.
River Rescue 2 builds on RR1 with advanced skills on grade 3 water, for members taking a leadership role on harder rivers.
Courses should be run by a qualified instructor (a current NZOIA Kayak 2 holder), so you know the training meets a national standard.
Several providers run the River Rescue courses around the country:
You can also book a private course for your club’s group. An NZOIA Kayak 2 assessor can run an on-demand course at a time and place that suits, which works well for a club cohort and can be cheaper per head. The NZOIA website lists scheduled courses and assessors.
Confirm current dates, locations and pricing with the provider directly, and check with the WWNZ board for its current recommended list.
A funded course is an investment. Here is how to make it pay off for years rather than months.
Pick the right people. Put your funding into members who will be around for the long haul. In a university club, a trained first or second-year domestic student delivers far more value than a final-year student about to graduate. Make tenure a deliberate factor when you choose who to send.
Train trainers, not just paddlers. Expect funded members to help run the next intake’s safety sessions and to mentor beginners. That is how the skill stays in the club as faces change.
Make it a fixture. Run a course every year or two rather than as a one-off, and keep a relationship with one provider so you are not starting from scratch each time.
Keep the knowledge. Write a short handover note each year for the incoming committee: who is trained, who your provider is, and what funding you used. High turnover is the biggest risk to club safety, and good handover is the fix. Many uni clubs do a “safety training/leaders and seconds day” on the river – beyond regular trip-to-trip training for your members, this is a great way to pass on skills you’ve learned from a formal rescue course.
Use it on the water. Build the habit of filling in the incident report forms, debriefing near-misses, and passing the learnings on. Putting skills into practice and spending time in a whitewater environment is the most valuable way to solidify your skills – no single rescue course can compensate for this.
Many clubs, university clubs especially, cannot easily fund a course on their own. Whitewater NZ can help with river rescue training for affiliated clubs in three ways.
We can apply for funding on your behalf, or alongside you. This matters most for clubs that are not incorporated societies or registered charities, which is the case for most university clubs. That status is required for many grants, and as a registered charity, WWNZ can often apply where your club cannot.
We can help identify funders. Depending on your region and project, that might include the Mangahao Fund (primarily for lower North Island clubs), regional community and gaming trusts, or your university.
We can help write the application. We have done this before and can save you the learning curve.
Email communications@whitewater.nz and tell us your club, roughly how many members you would train, who you are thinking of, and when. We will help you find a course and the funding to run it.
