Be sure supervising adults have current certification and/or documented experience in specialty areas such as swimming, canoeing, or windsurfing.

Determine the number of supervisors for a given aquatic activity by the skill level of the participants, the degree of risk, and environ mental conditions.

Be sure girls feel safe and confident in the water before participating in activities on the water. To determine each participant’s comfort in the water, conduct a safety exercise such as the following when water temperatures are acceptable: Under the supervision of a certified lifeguard, participants practice putting on a life jacket, entering the water, righting them selves, and coming to the surface. They practice floating and moving with minimal progress.

Follow the basic leader-to-participant ratios for small-craft activities in Standard 13 on page 69 for events, trips, and group camping. Ratios may be increased, depending on:

Be sure instructions in boating safety and emergency procedures are given and are thoroughly reviewed and practiced while on land, including:

Be sure a system for recalling craft that is both audible and visible is taught.

Be sure that on a controlled water front, a system is in place to deter mine the location of boaters, such as a checkboard system.

Make sure craft weight and capacity are not exceeded (some craft have the maximum capacity clearly displayed). Consider weather and water conditions, weight of the passengers, and equipment.

Be sure small craft are seaworthy, fit for water conditions, and used only for designated purposes.

Be sure boats comply with U.S. Coast Guard regulations and/or state and local codes.

Be sure that:

Check that all equipment required by federal, state, and local regulations for the particular craft and waters is aboard, in serviceable condition, and, if appropriate, labeled “U.S. Coast Guard- approved.”

Be sure that no gasoline, liquefied petroleum gas, or other type of flammable liquid is used on board with heating, cooking, or lighting appliances.

Carry a repair kit and tools as appropriate.

Check that the driver knows the principles and has mastered the challenges of driving a tow vehicle and trailer.

Check that the driver knows and uses the equipment required by law when trailering a boat.

Observe the same general principles when using small-craft sites that are either council-owned or public, loaned or donated facilities:

Be sure a first-aider is present and a first-aid kit is available.

Be sure to review first-aid procedures, including those for immersion hypothermia, near-drowning, and sunburn.

Be sure a float plan is filed with local authorities and a back-home contact, indicating:

Be prepared to alter the float plan if weather conditions change.

Teach girls to take shelter away from tall objects in a storm with lightning and thunder. Find the lowest point in an open flat area. Squat low to the ground on the balls of the feet. Have girls place their hands on their knees with their hands between them. Make themselves the smallest target possible and minimize their contact with the ground.

During storms, if shore cannot be reached, secure all loose gear, keep a sharp lookout for other boats and obstructions, head into the wind at a 450 angle, and stay low.

Flatwater canoeing. One adult is currently certified as a Flatwater, Moving, Paddling, or River Paddling Instructor from the American Canoe Association, is certified in Small Craft Safety from the American Red Cross, has equivalent certification, or has documented experience indicating knowledge and skill in teaching and/or super vision specific to the canoeing activity.

Whitewater canoeing. One adult is currently certified as a Whitewater Instructor from the American Canoe Association, is certified in the Small Craft Safety with Moving Water module from the American Red Cross, has equivalent certification, or has documented experience and skill in teaching and/or supervision specific to the canoeing activity.

Tripplng - flatwater and white- water canoeing. One adult is currently certified as a Moving Water Instructor or White Water Instructor (as needed) from the American Canoe Association, is certified in Small Craft Safety from the American Red Cross, has equivalent certification, or has documented experience and skill in teaching and/or supervision specific to the trip.

A minimum of two adults supervise any canoeing activity.

The canoeing skills of the adults are higher than the difficulty of the intended activity or trip.

The adult instructor/trip leader knows the International Scale of River Difficulty and the Universal River Signals from American Whitewater and its Safety Code.

The adult instructor/trip leader has first hand knowledge of the hazards and rapids on the river to be run.

The river conditions are checked on the day the river is to be run. Participants are taught how to negotiate the hazards and rapids.

The following instructor/qualified leader-to-participant ratios apply to all forms of canoeing:

For protection against hypothermia, a wetsuit is recommended when the water temperature is below 50°F. When the combined air and water temperature is below 100°F, or when the combination of cool air, wind chill, and evaporative cooling may lead to hypothermia, a wetsuit may be worn.

Dress in layers—using wool, nylon, or polypropylene pile— under a water-repellent paddling jacket and pants.

Sneakers or other adequate footwear is worn while paddling.

Canoes 15 feet or shorter hold no more than two persons.

All persons wear a safety helmet in Class III waters. The safety helmet fits properly and has a flexible, strong, plastic shell with a chin strap and openings for drainage.

A painter is secured to each end of the canoe. A painter (also called an endline or a grab line) is a strong line that floats and is at least half the length of the canoe.

Paddles are in good repair and sized to each canoeist. On longer trips or trips involving whitewater, one extra paddle per canoe is carried.

On trips of 48 hours or less on flat- water, each group carries two or three extra paddles. On longer trips, one extra paddle per canoe is carried.

For river rescue, all instructors/trip leaders attach a locking blade knife to their PFD or secure it inside the canoe in an easily accessible place.

A throw bag is also available.

Additional gear (clothing, sleeping, cooking) is stored in waterproof containers or packages and secured in the canoe. Do not overload the canoe.

Canoes are transported on car-top racks or canoe trailers. Canoes are secured with two lines across the top and a line at the bow and the stern.

Canoeing is done only on water that has been run and rated. Canoeing is done on whitewater only up to Class III difficulty, as defined by the American Version of the International Scale of River Difficulty.

A first-aider, level 1, is present for flatwater day trips. A first-aider, level 2, is present for whitewater and overnight trips.

A first-aid kit is within the first-aider’s reach. The first-aid kit is in a waterproof container secured in the canoe.

Take an emergency survival pack et—waterproof matches, emergency food supplies, flashlight and extra batteries, a lightweight emergency blanket for retaining body heat, etc - on all trips.