Whitewater Dictionary

Like any other sport or special interest, whitewater has it's own set of terms that one should know if one is to take it on as an endeavor.  Normally, it's usually not a problem to learn any given lingo on the fly.  However, this is an exception... on the water and in trouble is not the time to be "confused" about whitewater language.  One needs to be able to effectively communicate with someone else trying to save your life.  If you're just learning, study hard.  There aren't a lot of words here, but each one is important.

This dictionary is set up for the rafters and kayakers.  For guides and more advanced paddlers, check out the WhiteWater Glossary for Guides over at High Desert River Outfitters.  If canoeing is your thing, head on over to the canoeing dictionary posted by FOACC.

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-A-

• Agile Bow - A member of the paddle crew, who is assigned to get out on shore and hold the boat.

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-B-

• Bailer - An open-ended container or bucket used to remove water from a raft.
• Boat Angle - The angle of the boat relative to the current.
• Bow - The front of the boat.

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-C-

• Carabiner - A clip, used to secure items into the boat, and to construct safety and rescue systems.
• Cataraft - An inflatable boat with two pontoons.
• Chute - A narrow channel through which the flow of water is swifter and deeper than the normal flow.
• Current - Moving water.

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-D-

• Day Bag - See "Dry Bag."
• Dry Bag - A bag for keeping gear in on the river, to help keep things dry (but probably not 100%)
• Dry Suit - A suit designed to keep all water out, under which any amount of layered clothing can be worn.
• Duckie (or ducky) - An inflatable kayak.

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-E-

• Eddy - A current of reverse water flow sometimes creating a small whirlpool.  Eddies often provide a safe place to get out of the current.
• Eddie Fence - Where the water flowing upstream passes the water flowing downstream.
• Eddie Line - Where the water flowing upstream passes the water flowing downstream.
• Eskimo Roll - Recovery stroke used to right a capsized kayak without having to get out.

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-F-

• Ferry - To cross a current or river, without moving downstream.
• Flip - The boat turned upside down by a wave, a rock, or other mishap.
• Flotilla - A group of boats together on a trip.
• Flow - The amount of water passing a point in the river, measured in Cubic Feet per Second (CFS).

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-G-

• Gradient - Drop in elevation during the downstream flow of a river.  Rate of gradient is usually expressed in number of feet decreased per mile.
• Guide - The person who steers the boat down the river, giving paddle commands to the crew (paddle captain), or rowing (oar captain).

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-H-

• Haystack - See "Standing Waves."
• High Side - The necessary act of jumping to the "high side" when coming up against an obstacle sideways.  Always jump downstream, towards the rock or obstacle.  When executed properly, it can help prevent a wrap or a flip.
• High Water - River flow above an expected average.  Makes the currents faster.  Some rapids get easier, others become more difficult.
• Hole - A depression in the river caused by reverse water flow.  Also may be called a hydraulic.
• Hoopi - Tubular webbing used for multiple purposes in rigging and preparing boats.
• Hydraulic - A very large hole with reverse water flow.
• Hypothermia - A dangerous lowering of body-core temperature, caused by losing heat faster than it is produced by the body.  Hypothermia is a threat when water temperatures are below 60 degrees Fahrenheit or air temperatures are below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

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-I-

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-J-

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-K-

• Kayak - A type of boat developed by eskimos.

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-L-

• Laterals - A wave or hole peeling off an obstacle at an angle.
• Lead Boat - The first boat in the flotilla, often captained by the trip leader.
• Life Jacket - A personal floatation device, coast guard approved, and worn like a vest.
• Low Water - Flows below an expected average.  More rocks and obstacles may show, rapids become more technical.

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-M-

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-N-

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-O-

• Oar - A long blade, attached to the boat by an oarlock on thole pin, and used to row.
• Oar Rig - A boat rigged with oars, so one person sitting in the center of the boat can row.

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-P-

• Paddle - A paddle held in the hands, not attached to the boat, used to paddle.  Can be single-bladed (for rafting and canoeing) or double-bladed (for kayaking, solo cats, inflatable kayaks)
• Paddle Assist - See "Stern Rig."
• Paddle Boat - A raft with a crew of paddlers and a guide.
• Paddle Captain - The guide in a paddle boat.
• Paddle Commands - Commands used by the guide to communicate to the crew.  Some more commonly used commands are: Forward paddle, Back paddle, Left Turn or Left Back, Right Turn or Right Back, and Stop.
• Pool - An area of flatwater between rapids.
• Pool drop - A whitewater rapid, usually of short duration, that begins and ends with fairly calm water rather than continuous water flow.
• Portage - To carry a raft around unraftable or unsafe rapids or falls.
• Put-in - The starting point of a rafting trip, where rafts are put into the river.

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-Q-

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-R-

• Rapid - Where there's whitewater!  Water flowing through a shallower, constricted, or steeper section forms a rapid.
• Rapids - A series of waves and turbulences.
• Riffle - A very small rapid or wave caused by a shallow sand bar or rocks extending across a stream bed.
• River Left - The left side of the river when facing downstream.
• River Rating - A measure of the difficulty of a rapid or a river.
• River Right - The right side of the river when facing downstream.
• Run - A section of river that can be boated.

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-S-

• Safety Talk - A talk which precedes every trip, in which paddlers learn about safety on the river.
• Scout - To visually survey a rapid from the riverbank to select the best route.
• Setting Safety - Catching an eddie, or hiking down the river, past a rapid to be there for the safety of a boat about to come through the rapid.
• Sieve See "Strainer."
• Solo Cat - A one-person cataraft paddled with a double-bladed paddle.
• Standing Waves - A series of stationary waves caused by water converging at the end of a tongue or a submerged object.
• Stern - The rear of the boat.
• Stern Rig - An oar/paddle boat, in which the guide has oars and frame in the stern, and thecrew, sitting forward, has paddles.  Ofen used on high water. 
• Strainer - An opening or openings where water can flow through, but a solid object such as a person or boat cannot.  Usually formed by trees on the banks, or by rocks on top of one another with water flowing through them.  One of the most dangerous river features.
• Strokemaster - A member of the crew, usually in the bow, appointed by the guide to set the cadence, or timing for the whole crew.  If everyone follows the strokemaster, the crew will be efficient and work together.
• Sweep Boat - A boat rigged with first aid, safety and rescue gear which usually runs last in the flotilla.
• Swimmer - A person who has fallen out of a boat. 
• Swimmer's Position - Often the safest way to "swim" in a river or rapid.  Feet up in front of you, visible on the surface, facing downstream, arms out to the sides for stability and to scull to move across the current.

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-T-

• Take-out - The point where the rafting trip ends and the rafts are removed from the river.
• Throw bag - A small bag containing a coiled rope that is used to rescue rafters in a river.
• Tongue - A narrow depression between waves.
• Trip Leader - A Guide designated to oversee the smooth running of a trip.

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-U-

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-V-

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-W-

• Wet Suit - A neoprene rubber suit which allows a small amount of water in, to help retain body heat.
• Whitewater - Moving water whose surface becomes turbulent or frothy by passing either over rocks, through a narrow river channel, or down a steep gradient.
• Wrap - A boat held against a rock or other object by the force of the current.

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-X-

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-Y-

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-Z-

• Z-Drag - A pulley system used to give a mechanical advantage when trying to free a boat from a "wrap"

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Resources

"Skill Level Info & Whitewater Glossary.", and linked articles.  Idaho Afloat.  2002. 
< http://www.idahoafloat.com/skill-level.htm>.  (27 Jun. 2004).

"Whitewater Glossary.", "WhiteWater Glossary for Guides", and linked articles.  High Desert River Outfitters.  2004. 
< http://www.highdesertriver.com/terms.htm>.  (27 Jun. 2004).

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