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.

For river and whitewater kayaking or preparatory classes, one adult must be certified in Small Craft Safety (Kayaking and Moving Water modules) by the American Red Cross, or be currently certified as a Moving Water Kayaking Instructor of the American Canoeing Association, or have documented experience indicating knowledge and skill in kayak rescue and in teaching kayaking skills and/or supervision specific to the kayaking activity being conducted.

For sea kayaking, one adult must be certified in Small Craft Safety (Kayaking Module) by the American Red Cross or have documented experience indicating knowledge and skill in kayak rescue and in teaching kayaking skills and/or in leading trips.

At least two adults supervise any kayaking activity. The skill level of the adults is higher than the difficulty of the intended activity or trip.

The instructor/qualified leader-to- participant ratio is 1 to 5.

For sea kayaking, the trip leader is familiar with water and weather conditions and in tidal areas is aware of tidal fluctuations, cur rents, and wind patterns that may accompany tide changes.

For whitewater kayaking, the trip leaders are familiar with the International Scale of River Difficulty and with the Universal Signals and the Safety Code of American Whitewater. The trip leader knows firsthand the hazards and rapids on any river to be run.

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

A wetsuit is recommended when the water temperature is below 50°F. A wetsuit should be worn when the combined air and water temperature is less than 100°F or when the combination of cool air, wind chill, and evaporative cooling may lead to hypothermia.

A change of clothes is carried in a waterproof bag secured to the kayak.

Sneakers or other protective footwear is worn while paddling.

Each person uses a spray skirt with a release loop.

Each person wears a safety helmet. The safety helmet is properly fitted, flexible, and strong and has a plastic shell with an adjustable chin strap and openings for drainage.

Each kayak is sized for the person using it.

Paddles are sized to the person and the craft.

Each kayak has an adjustable bracing system for the feet and bow and stern grab loops.

Each kayak is outfitted with proper flotation. If used, air bags are checked before trips to ensure that the seals are intact.

For river rescue, each instructor/leader attaches a locking-blade knife, two carabiners, and two prusik loops to her/his PFD or secures them to the kayak in an easily accessible place. (A prusik loop is a mountaineering knot with loops, used with a carabiner for quick tie-offs and z-drag rescues, to recover a kayak pinned against a rock or other obstacle.)

A 50-foot length of tow line (light weight nylon, polypropylene, or 50- to 100-pound monofilament fishing line) is carried for every three to four kayaks.

Each person has within reach a bailer or a sponge and an emergency survival packet that includes food, clothing, waterproof matches, flashlight and extra batteries, space blanket, hat, and raincoat.

Each person learns and practices appropriate self-rescue and reentry techniques.

Each person knows cold-water survival techniques and treatment for hypothermia.

A set of whistle and visual signals is established that allows messages to pass between kayaks.

Each leader has a compass and a chart of the area.

Each leader carries a spare paddle, a first-aid kit, a repair kit, and standard safety equipment, including signaling equipment and a paddle float—a solid block of foam or inflatable nylon attached to a paddle that may be used as an outrigger for self-rescue.

Kayaks are carried on car-top rack systems or on trailers designed to haul kayaks.

Kayaks are secured to the carriers with two lines across the top and lines on the bow and stern.

Trips are not taken to unknown coastal areas. Locations of all boat channels are known and avoided. Busy channels are not crossed. Surf zones and areas with standing waves are avoided. On long crossings, kayaks are close enough together so that a group decision can be made if wind and water conditions change.

No trip may be taken on whitewater more difficult than Class III, as defined by the American Version of the International Scale of River Difficulty. Rivers with short stretches of Class IV waters may be run if the girls have the proper skills, are well supervised, and always have the option to carry around the rapids.

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

A first-aid kit is kept within reach of the first-aider. The kit is in a water proof container secured in the kayak.

An emergency survival packet that includes items such as waterproof matches, emergency food sup plies, clothing, flashlight and extra batteries, space blanket, hat, and raincoat is taken on all trips.