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Here is Timo’s Apnea philosophy and all you need to know about the ApneaSurf camps and courses he offers:

Control, power and hard training is what you don’t need to hold your breath for a couple of minutes. The will to learn, to accept and let go are more important then strength. First, it’s crucial to develop a deep understanding of how your body and mind actually work. Your body can do way more than you think it’s capable of. Most of what you need to hold your breath longer, is already in you. So simple? Yes and No.

Your body can do way more than you think it’s capable of.

What happens when you are hold-down by a strong wave or in a nasty low-head dam? Think like “I can stay here for a while”. The goal is to achieve a relaxed state. This helps you to keep a clear mind allowing you to set effective actions instead of panicking. While being under water you often need to do the exact opposite of what your mind tells you.

ApneaSurf takes the knowledge of breathing and breath-holding and brings it to the surf community, where the situation is more like an emergency breath-hold

You need to change your current pattern and stop thinking about time. Thinking about time leads to stress, which leads to muscle contraction, which consumes oxygen leading to a much stronger urge to breath. Understanding the physiology of your breath-hold gives you a huge advantage in knowing what’s going on in your body, finally giving you the confidence you need to endure longer hold-downs.

 Relaxation and the right mindset are key to endure longer hold-downs.

We are now offering ApneaSurf courses to improve your breath-hold during emergency situations. Usually, people start off with in a group or 1by1 Skype session. After spending time on listening to yourself and accepting your physical sensation the next step is to get more comfortable with holding your breath under water. In our courses we mix, dry and/or wet sessions to simulate different situations.

The following ApneaSurf courses and camps are available at freedive-your-life.com:

1. 1by1 SkypeSession to master your fears and experience what holds you back in taking the next step
2. Course (1 Day) for up to 4 persons in the pool or lake (dry+wet)
3. Workshops (1/2 – 1 Day) up to 20 persons in a dry environment
4. Camp (1 – X Days) at the Lake Constance (Bodensee) – WakeSurfing, ApneaSurf-Workshop, SUP, Camping, Grill and Chill

Stay safe and keep the stoke alive!
Timo, Freedive-Instructor & Systemic Coach | freedive-your-life.com

The post Surf Apnea – Maximise the Length of your Breath-Hold appeared first on Riverbreak.

WARNING – DROWNING HAZARD

Any leash can drown any surfer.
River will not let go.
Surfer cannot release. 

A huge thank you to Michael Crichton and Gowlings WLG LLP, Michael Billinger, Trevor Cunningham and Nasser Yassine.

The post Leash Safety Sign appeared first on Riverbreak.

In river surfing even a small mistake can be fatal. If you get hit by your own surfboard or if you hit a rock you can lose consciousness and drown. A helmet can help prevent head trauma and thus loss of consciousness. But what should you look for when you go shopping? In this article we cover the most important things to consider before buying a new lid for your head. Towards the end of the article you’ll find a selection of both affordable and high-end helmets.

Here’s what you need to know to make the right choice.

Helmet Types

There are three basic types of watersport helmets: half-cut, full-cut and full face helmets.

Half-cut (or half-shell) helmets are similar to bicycle helmets. They sit above the ear and protect the top, back and side of your head. They are lighter weight and often more comfortable than full-shell helmets but offer less protection. Some half-cut helmets feature removable ear flaps to add warmth and protect your ears from damage and cold water.

Full-cut (or full-shell) helmets not only protect your head but provide extra protection by also covering your ears. As helmets might dampen the sound, full-cut helmets often include ear vents to improve hearing. In cold conditions, full-cut helmets not only add protection, but can also add some warmth to your ears. In very cold weather, you can wear a neoprene skull cap under your full-cut helmet for insulation against heat loss.

In extreme cases, whitewater paddlers also use full face helmets that look like motor cycle helmets and feature a visor and chin guard.

Components and Materials

A helmet consist of different components that are made of different materials. The price of helmets often reflect material choices, especially when it comes to shell and liner materials. Every helmet consists of the same four basic components:

• Shell: The outer component of the helmet; spreads the force of an impact over a broader area and protects your head against injuries from sharp objects.
• Liner: The cushioning component underneath the shell; absorbs the impact so less energy is transmitted to your head.
• Padding: Fit pads that can be arranged on the inner liner to adjust fit and comfort.
• Retention system: The straps that keep the helmet secured to your head.

Shell: Basically, there are two kinds of shells, plastic and composite, and opinions on them differ. While composite shells are praised for their strength and light weight, plastic helmets are recognized for their better flex and impact absorption. Manufacturers use a variety of terms for plastic shells such as PE, ABS or PC and there is a wide range of composites such as carbon fibre, fibreglass or Kevlar.

Liner: The foam liner of a helmet absorbs the impact of a hit so it won’t get straight to your head. Liners for non-watersport helmets are typically made of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), which is a single impact foam and therefore not the best choice for watersport helmets. The two most popular liner materials for watersport helmets are Expanded Poly-Propylene (EPP) and Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA), which are not affected by moisture and can take multiple impacts. Some helmets are lined with closed-cell foam, which is softer and basically the same material that camping mats are made of.

Padding: Helmets typically come with pads in different sizes and thickness to customize fit and maximize comfort. Pads may either be self-adhesive or attachted to the liner via a hook and loop fastening system. These pads can be cut or arranged in a variety of ways to fit your head.

Retention system: The straps of a river surfing helmet must be strong and reliable and securely hold the helmet in place. Almost all whitewater helmets have a chin-strap with a quick-release buckle that connects and tightens the helmet to your head. Good helmets also have an adjustable back head strap to give a firmer fit. Some even come with a magnetic buckle to ease operation with one hand or gloves while minimizing the risk of neck pinching.

Fit and Sizing

When buying a helmet for river surfing, as for any other sport, make sure you always measure your head properly and consider different brands, models and sizes of helmets. Helmets come in different shapes and some helmets can fit one shape of head while others fit another shape. Make sure your helmet fits snugly without pressure points. If a helmet feels loose and slides when you turn your head, it’s too big. The right helmet stays put even if the chinstrap is left undone.

Helmets for River Surfing

To date, there are no helmets specifically designed for river surfing. However, helmets for kayaking, wake-boarding or kitesurfing can perfectly be used in river surfing. A growing number of manufacturers are responding to the demand for safe and stylish watersport helmets, with Pro-Tec, Gath, Bern, Predator and WRSI being among the most popular ones. We’ve put together a list of some of our favourite watersport helmets to use for river surfing. Please note that we have not tested all these helmets but the ones below reflect a wide range of designs, features and prices.

WRSI Trident Composite

WRSI Trident Composite

The WRSI Trident (#ad) is a popular half-cut kayak helmet, featuring a lightweight, high-impact carbon composite shell combined with a polyurethane sub-shell and an EVA foam liner. It comes with nine foam pads that can be adjusted to fit different head sizes and shapes. Its interconnected retention system and an adjustable O-brace harness keep the helmet firmly in place. The WRSI Trident has a visor to keep the sun or water out of your face and comes in many different colours to suite everybody’s taste.

Gath Surf Convertible (SFC)

Gath Surf Convertible (SFC)

Gath prides the Surf Convertible (SFC) (#ad) on being the lightest, coolest and lowest profile Gath. The helmet is designed for ocean surfing and features removable ear protectors and foam forehead coverage that adds additional protection. The shell is made from high impact resistant ABS plastic and a non-absorbent, molded closed-cell foam liner. Its fit can be customized with comfort fit strips. Available accessories for the Gath SFC include a GoPro camera mount.

Pro-Tec Ace Wake

Pro-Tec Ace Wake

The Pro-Tec Ace Wake (#ad) features a high-impact ABS shell and a dual-density, waterproof EVA liner. It’s equipped with 16 open vent holes for ventilation and water drainage. The cupping ear protectors are removable. The helmet’s Head Lock fit system increases comfort and fit by cupping the back of your head. Overall, the Ace Wake combines durability and ultra light protection with great adjustability.

NRS Havoc Livery

NRS Havoc Livery

The NRS Havoc Livery (#ad) – described by NRS as the “one-size-fits-most solution to whitewater safety” – is an affordable option available in a selection of colours. It has a lightweight ABS plastic shell combined with an EVA foam liner for impact protection and FIT pads to provide comfort. The helmet is equipped with drainage/ventilation ports to let air in and water out and an adjustable chin strap. Its DialFit system lets you adjust the Havoc Livery to fit your head size. With its universal fit, the NRS Havoc Limery Helmet is a great choice if multiple people share the same helmet.

WRSI Current

WRSI Current

Like the NRS Havoc Limery, the WRSI Current (#ad) is designed to fit a range of head sizes. It’s made from ABS plastic with a polyurethane sub-shell and an EVA foam liner. The WRSI Current comes with foam pads that can be adjusted for a custom fit and its interconnected retention system and an adjustable O-brace harness keep the helmet in place. The WRSI Current Helmet comes in two models with or without vents to let water drain and air in. For those looking for ear protection, a third model, the WRSI Current Pro (#ad) adds removable ear pads for extra warmth and protection and a visor.

Bern Brighton H20

Bern Brighton H20

Bern’s Brighton H2O (#ad) is a watersports helmet specifically designed for women. It has an ABS shell combined with soft moisture wicking foam (Bern’s innovation “Brock” foam) with EVA and neoprene. The helmet is equipped with an adjustable chin strap and vents for drainage and greater breathability. If you’re looking for extra protection or warmth for your ears, you can upgrade the Brighton H20 with removable neoprene earpads that can simply be attached to the helmet with press-studs. For all male river surfers, Bern’s Macon H20 (#ad) is the male counterpart to the Brighton H20.

Available at Amazon (#ad)

Keep your head in one piece

Make sure you get a helmet that you’ll actually wear. Many shops will let you send a helmet back for refund or size change if you aren’t happy with the fit or design, so buying online is low risk. Be sure to look after your head – it’s the only one you have!

Note: Riverbreak is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.

The post Helmets for River Surfing: Buying Guide appeared first on Riverbreak.

Monkey grew up on the St. Lawrence river in Montreal, Quebec. Home to the rapids that ended the journeys of Canada’s early explorers. After losing his entire fleet of ships Samuel de Champlain said you would have to be mad to go back in those rapids (in french of course). What would scare the pants of an average river surfer is the wave playground Monkey calls home. Enter the jet ski. Monkey probably has as many hours on a ski in the St. Lawrence as he does on a surfboard. The ski was the best way to access the most gnarly surf waves and he would trade turns with his surf partner at the time, Jean-Louis St Arneault. Basically if you wanted to surf, you had to learn how to drive ski.

The ski is a game changer when it comes to safety.

2005 and 2006 were milestone years in river surfing. The WRSA (World River Surfing Association) was in full swing as Elijah Mack traveled around the world connecting the river surfing communities. New videos were popping up weekly on a new video sharing website called YouTube. In the rapid explosion and progression of the sport all eyes were on Montreal. The Goon Posse showed off a badass aggressive style similar to the FUS Crew in Munich but they were surfing monster waves that no one even knew existed in rivers. Their use of jet skis and giant bulky underwater housings was iconic to their big water scene and unmistakable up against the other communities the search results would render.

Fast forward more than 10 years and the rest of the river surf scene is just now starting to catch up. Jet Skis allow surfers to access not only the biggest green face waves but are primarily there as rescue support in what is sure to be a treacherous swim behind. Monkey now joins us at Skookumchuck Narrows as a friend, member of our crew, but more than anything else as jet ski support. The Sunshine Coast is far from home but not the first time Monkey has been hired to lead the rescue team (including surf icon Donavon Frankenreiter). Justin Gullickson, a river surfing veteran of Alberta, bought the ski after a couple trips to Montreal to surf with Monkey, realizing how much the ski is a game changer when it comes to safety. Justin is learning to drive support for the other traveling surfers: Neil Egsgard, Tristan Gaudet, Ryan Richard, Brittany Parker, Luciano Mariani, Matthew Robertson and myself.

Photo: Luke Morstat | @outlier.riversurf | www.outliersurf.com

Skook is a crown jewel when it comes to river surfing. Found in an ocean inlet, it is the tide rising and falling that runs salty water over underwater bedrock much the same way a river would. This rare synergy between saltwater and standing wave is far different from the one you and I are used to finding in mountain fresh rivers. The sea lions and jelly fish make it feel even more dream like. As the moon circles closer to the earth and the inlet exchange grow larger between low tide and high, the water rushing over the drop reaches speeds of 14 knots and faster. The 40 foot spread of whitewater loved by the world travelling kayakers greens out to form a clean, glassy head high wave. It’s hit its “peak” and the kayakers, no longer able to paddle into the green wave, sit back in their boats and wait for the foam pile to form again on its way down. Luckily for us surfers, the jet ski can drop us in the sweet spot and Monkey is fired up and ready to show off his moves.

When I’m on his ski, he is in charge of my life.

The whirlpools and huge crashing waves at Skook are enough to make any one of us seriously consider getting in for another run but when Monkey is on the ski he is fearless. Surfing waves with the “bike” as he calls it, dodging hazards and throwing this weight all over the ski to balance as he launches 10 feet into the air. He does it all with a sense of style and comfort that allows us to rest easy and put our life into his hands. “Ok Jacob, when I say go, you go.” Monkey explains there’s no room for hesitation. When I’m on his ski, he is in charge of my life. “Three! Two! One! Go”. I release from the sled and sling shot down the giant green face. The wind blows the tears out of my eyes and stretches my smile from ear to ear. What was once an uncatchable wave that we gazed at with awe was now under my feet and it’s all mine.

I caught up with Monkey after the craziness of Skook settled down to ask him a few questions about how the jet ski fit in with surfing back home, his experience with safety, shaping boards and some of the stories from his time in Montreal.

Hey Monkey, first off thanks for taking the time to share some thoughts with the Riverbreak audience. You’re a legend in the scene and most don’t know your story so it’s cool to get a few words from one of the original gangstas. First just introduce yourself. When did you start surfing?

Ok, my name is Eric Chretien, AKA Monkey (that’s my nickname from when I used to break dance). I started surfing in late 2005, 2006. Jean-Louis St Arneault got me into it. Back then he was a rafting guide and one time in a bar I heard he was surfing and I was like ‘yo! I’ve been wanting to do that my whole life’. He was like, come next time and I was like, when’s next time. Tomorrow. Yo, I’m there. He hooked me up with a terrible Budweiser display surfboard all taped up with duct tape so it could kind of float. And that was it man, I was hooked. Snap.

We didn’t know what we were doing when we started. First Jean-Louis used to do it boogie boarding, with the fins, and would climb up on the board. There wasn’t many of us in the beginning, maybe seven. We didn’t know how to catch a wave, we figured it out. Didn’t know where the rocks were, figured that one out too. And now it is what it is today.

When did you start using a jet ski in the river?

I was using jet skis in the water way before we used them for surfing. When I grew up on the St. Lawrence my family, my father, was part of a motorboat club, VMBC, so I was raised on those waters but never in the rapids. The rapids were strictly forbidden. My first jet ski was a stand up jet ski. I explored the river but stayed away from those rapids. Rapids were for rafting not jet skiing, you know? The surfing came and I guess that brought it to another level.

Photo: Justin Gullickson | @justingullickson

We didn’t put the two together right away. At the start we would kick it old school and paddle in, the jet ski would just be there for you when you would fall. It would bring you back up to the wave but it was more for transportation. Then we started to tow into the wave using a rope. And this one time we were using Bob’s standup jet ski and I was surfing in the wave and Jean-Louis brought the rope back into the wave and then I would tow out. That was pretty cool back then, when we didn’t have to paddle at all.

After being in the scene for more than ten years, you’ve seen a lot happen in your local community and around the world. Do you see the jet ski as a tool that can be used in our sport?

A lot of times you don’t need the jet ski. Like normal waves. Like if I go to your place Jacob, I don’t need a jet ski. If you go to Ottawa river, I wanted to bring it after I had been but it’s reserved for the pretty hardcore. Like Skook, you end up getting pushed so far from the wave, in the middle of nowhere. There is a danger to that. Like, sea lions, do you know for sure they aren’t going to bite you? And then what? Without some way of reaching your friend, you’re just on the side with your surfboard wondering what’s happening to your buddy. In the Ottawa, the recovery time is short so it’s like a lot of places, you don’t need a jet ski.

Can you see the jet ski as a tool for new wave exploration?

It’s important that the people are already comfortable with a jet ski before taking it into rapids. Anybody can just hit the throttle and drive a jet ski. It’s easy to drive a jet ski but if you go in the rapids that game is changing. It’s like driving a jet ski in the ocean with good sized waves. You gotta learn how to drive or you’ll get pounded. Same thing in the river. If you fall, you’re going to fly off and you’re crashing that bike. I mean, I’ve seen bikes go down, like expensive jet skis, washed down river and showing up in the next town days later. It’s more of a luxury than a tool to have and if you’re dealing with big waves you gotta familiarize with the area. Like my first day at Skook I’m being cautious. You know, I’m taking big circles, I’m getting familiar with what’s happening in that water. You can’t just jump into a river, you could hurt yourself.

If you fall, you’re going to fly off and you’re crashing that bike.

When you talk about it being like a tool to unlock some big wave, you’ve got to be careful. Cause that thing you unlock… it could be bigger than you thought. There’s some big scary stuff out there, trust me. And sometimes it’s best to be left alone. Like I remember I dropped Jean-Louis into Monster wave and all I can remember is how tight I clenched my butt hole, Haha, like ok, we’re scared. And for good reason, he got beat up. I was right there to grab him as soon as he fell but he got beat up. He would have loved to have one of those Spare Air things. He was like, no way I’m doing that again, haha. It is what it is, there’s some nasty stuff out there.

There’s so much out there to explore. You don’t need a jet ski, you just need to explore more. Me and Jean-Louis, we loved to surf big stuff but we would surf the smaaaallest thing. And we would stay there until we surfed it good. Like we did a trip to St. Catherine’s, where Jeff Brooks is, there was a canal there. I don’t know how far, it was like six or seven hours, like stupid ridiculous. And the wave wasn’t surfable. It was so trashy and small. But we spent the whole day there. We didn’t surf once but you know we had to do it. We tried paddle in, we tried acid drop, we tried with the rope. We filmed it, we got a video up. That’s good because everybody puts up their best stuff but some time you have to put up the sh*tty stuff. It was a great trip but we didn’t surf.

There’s lots of stories like that. Tiny waves. Some of them on private property too. We did it because we wanted to be the first people to surf that wave. We surfed a lot but there’s still so much that haven’t been surfed. There’s still more to find.

So the jet ski is supposed to be used for safety but does it present any of it’s own safety risks? For example have you ever crashed?

Haha, I crashed today! It was big one too! It’s like a fire truck – It’s made to save people but if you don’t look before you cross the street you could run somebody over.

The river is always going to be the boss. The river is very unpredictable. If you lose focus you’re going to do an edge cut. An edge cut is when the edge of the jet ski hits the current in a way that instantly flips you and sends you to swim with the fishes real quick.

The approach on a rescue needs to be practiced a lot. There are certain ways to approach the surfer needing rescue. You don’t go straight for the person. It’s a pick up not a run over, haha. The jet ski could fall on your head. It could hit other surfers. Best example, when they do tow in on big waves in the ocean, it’s life and death. As we bring the ski into the river the risks are the same.

The approach on a rescue needs to be practiced.

I have a story. One time we were towing with the rope (before we knew any better). Something you have to watch for is if you pass over the rope with the ski it can get pulled up into the engine. Well that happened and the turbine is pulling in the rope AND my leg! So I got pulled under the jet ski and the engine is still running. If the throttle was engaged it would have squeezed my leg like a yogurt to go. Luckily I was pulled away from the controls my leg tied up in the rope was enough to stall the engine. If things were different one way or the other I wouldn’t be surfing today. And hold up! That’s not all, then I’m floating down into the rapids tied up under a jetski. I fought to pop my head above water to get air meanwhile working at my leg. I managed to pull my leg hard enough to loosen the rope and unwind it from my leg. I had Jean Louise there to help. It took 45 minutes to get through that one.

Jet Ski will definitely save you time if everything goes good. But if something f*cks up…. Ooooh Boy! It’s going to be a very long day. Just like at Skook, right Justin Gullickson? And a long evening.

It’s a tool. It’s not a toy. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lot of fun but sitting in that driver’s seat comes with a big responsibility. It’s like the river, don’t underestimate the Jet Ski. Know your limits. Respect.

I understand you are also shaping boards now, that’s awesome. Can you tell us a little bit about that?

Ehhh, f*cking shaping. Uh. Haha. I shape because I love it. That’s about it because it’s not about the money. There really isn’t any money in it. I put so much work and so much time and so much love into what I do that at the end, it can never sell for the price that it costs. And everyone wants to get a deal but I don’t think they see everything that goes into a labour of love like that.

Photo: Luke Morstat | @outlier.riversurf | www.outliersurf.com

I still have a lot to learn. There’s a lot that goes into it with all the different techniques and materials but I know what works when I surf it. It makes me smile when people surf my board and say it’s their favourite shape. It’s a big thank you. It makes my day, when I build something that people enjoy. When you look at boards, you know you see that slick design or those flashy colours but then you look at the line it makes in the water and it sucks… I don’t care how many kitties are on that board if it sucks. If you want to make something for people to enjoy, you have to enjoy doing it. Not for the money.

Do you have any advice for the next generation of river surfers? Maybe the young groms starting out or anyone else new to the sport?

First off, rule number one is to have fun. The surfer having the most fun wins.

If you look up to an older surfer, he will look out for you. Like if you come out to a wave and try to act like a know it all, it comes off being disrespectful. Especially if you don’t know what you’re doing, you’ll look like a damn fool. I have a hard time with telling people about ropes but instead of hearing me out they think they know everything. It’s a lot different when I’ve seen people held under until they turn blue or come out of the water crying because of ropes.

Ask questions and show respect to the people at the wave. If you show them that you want to surf they’re going to give you tips, they’re going to warn you about things, they’ll tell you unwritten rules. It’s about respect. If you respect that, you’ll get their respect.

What the f*ck, baby Jesus. But I didn’t stop, I wanted to surf!

The older guys there may not really want to talk to you at first but keep giving them that respect. They have so much knowledge, they’ve seen a lot. Basically, stay humble, surf as hard as you can and the more heart you show the more respect you’ll get. In the river, if you don’t swim hard, you’ll have to swim even harder later. Trust me.

Another thing about surfing hard. At some point it does get easier but it’s hard in the beginning. And if you want to give up right away, I’m sorry, go back to badminton or go snowboard. Catching the wave… it is a logic. Practice swimming, swimming equals surfing. Learn how to actually swim. I remember the first time I went to Habitat, the current took me back and forth and all over the place. If you pet the water (like petting a cat or something) trust me, you’re not moving. You gotta get in there. If you dig in your hand and paddle like you want to get somewhere. My first time at Habitat, I wanted to die coming to shore. I was like what the f*ck. It was like ten minutes and I’m floating further and further but not going anywhere. Spinning through whirlpools and thinking, What the f*ck, baby Jesus. But I didn’t stop, I wanted to surf. It took me three days of intense swimming just trying to figure it out but I wanted to surf. At some point you build your back like an ox.

The most important rule is to have fun. If you lose sight of that, you lose everything.

Fun Monkey Surf Edit

Monkey would like to do a shout out to all the Goons: Jean-Louis St Arneault, Alexandre Ouimet, Jeff Mackay, Dave Short, Daniel Castillo, Étienne Lavertue and Elijah Mack.

The post River Rescues With Jet Ski Legend Eric Chretien appeared first on Riverbreak.

How to Minimise Leash Risks

http://riverbreak.com/how-to/safety/your-life-on-a-leash-ankle-leashes-will-kill-river-surfers/

http://riverbreak.com/how-to/safety/elijah-speaking-up-on-safety/

More on the Recent Accident (in German)

http://www.nachrichten.at/nachrichten/chronik/Steirer-41-wollte-in-Fluss-surfen-und-ertrank;art58,2316289 

The post River Surfer Dies in a Tragic Leash Accident in Austria appeared first on Riverbreak.

Learn to Read the Water

Hans and Nicole from the Austrian Water Rescue Federation (ÖWR) started the workshop with pointing to an important skill: reading the water. Experience and knowledge can help experienced river surfers to discover and judge risks in the river only by looking at how the water flows, how it “behaves” so to say. Learning how to read the water can be crucial for when you decide to go in or not. Hans detailed the various “faces” and flows of water and how to interpret them.

Avoid Getting Trapped by Your Surfboard

If there is one thing that you don’t want to see happening in the river it is getting trapped by your own surfboard. Here’s an example: if you stand still in the river at a flow of 2m/s, more than 40kg of water constantly keep pushing against your neck. While your neck provides only little windage to the water, the story changes with your surfboard. With its much larger windage the pressure can easily increase to 500kg or even reach up to 3.000kg (depending on the size of your board and the speed of the water). No man on earth could withstand this enormous amount of pressure. So what does that mean for us river surfers? If you fall off your board and for whatever reason are not able to get back up on it, always keep swimming behind your surfboard. Swimming in front of your surfboard increases the risk of getting trapped between your board and an obstacle (e.g. rock) in the river. So you better want to stay behind your surfboard when floating down the river.

Understand Different Types of Currents

There is a number of different types of currents (features) that river surfer should be familiar with. These features result from the interplay between the shape of the riverbed and the velocity of the water. In this workshop we’ve discussed pressure waves, pillows, boils, chutes, wave trains, channels, holes, eddies, eddy-lines, backwash, outwash, whirlpools and curlers. A lot of these terms have been developed and used by kayakers since forever — so you might check with local kayakers to find out which of these are relevant at your spot and what they mean for your safety. At the very least you should make yourself familiar with the dangers of a recirculating current and how to escape if you should ever find yourself in such a scary situation.

Deal with Hazardous Objects in the River

Objects in rivers are distinguished between natural and man-made. Rocks are probably the most common natural objects that river surfers have to deal with. Here, one particular threat are undercut rocks, that you want to avoid in any case as you can get trapped underneath them underwater. Rocks that are undercut on the upstream side are particularly dangerous. Once pinned against the rock underwater, there is hardly any chance to escape — this situation has already resulted in numerous whitewater deaths. Cataracts, falls, drops, sieves, trainers and sifts are among other natural dangers that river surfers need to be aware of when navigating in the water. Man-made objects that can pose threats to river surfers are stepped weirs, lowhead dams, compound weirs, concrete slope weirs, weir pools and other types of dams and weirs. What is particularly dangerous for river surfers are bridge pylons, poles and iron installations in rivers. If your leash wraps around one of these objects you’ll find yourself in real trouble. Read this story on a near-drowning accident involving a river surfer who got trapped under water on one side of a bridge pylon while his board got trapped on the other side of the pillar.

Use Safety Gear

There is still no specific river surfing safety gear on the market. Yet, there are safety devices that river surfers can (and should) borrow from other sports that face similar risks in whitewater. Though it depends on the spots, context and individual preferences there are certain devices that river surfers can choose from to make surfing in rivers safer: helmets, PFDs, knifes, throw bags, wetsuits and whistles. Even if the debate on wearing leashes and PFDs and other devices has become hefty, there is one thing that pretty much every river surfer seems to agrees on: the importance of wearing a helmet.

Key Take Aways for River Surfers

There are no universally accepted safety rules in river surfing and there will probably never be any. Yet, there are at least 4 tried and tested recommendations that could make river surfing safer:

1. Never surf alone
2. Always wear a helmet
3. Always swim behind your surfboard
4. Make yourself familiar with leash-related risks

More Impressions from the Workshop

The post Risks in River Surfing: Lessons Learned appeared first on Riverbreak.

The young surfer owes his life to Ben Yates, an experienced whitewater kayaker and rescue volunteer. He was alerted by a distressed woman to the river surfer who was trapped under water on one side of a bridge pylon. His board was still attached to his leg and trapped on the other site of the pylon. This is clearly a nightmare for all river surfers. He wasn’t able to release his board and got dragged under by the force of the river.

The river surfer has escaped from death by inches.

Pro kayaker Ben Yates tried to detach the leash while another kayaker tried to lift the river surfer’s head above the water. While struggling to safe the river surfer’s life, Ben got entangled in the leash and trapped underwater, luckily only for a short time. According to two other river surfers who where at the spot, the river surfer has escaped from death by inches.

Only 10 minutes prior the incident the water level was significantly higher due to Contact Energy releasing water from the Hawea Dam. If the river surfer became entangled only 10 minutes earlier, he would not have been able to get any breaths. We do not want to picture what could have happened.

The current incident reminds us of what Elijah Mack and the World River Surfing Association (WRSA) have been praying for years “the future of surfing is near, it’s nowhere near the ocean, and we don’t ever wear leashes, you always wear a helmet, you always wear a life vest.”

Make Yourself Familiar with Safety in River Surfing

Elijah Speaking Up on Safety
Your Life On A Leash: Ankle Leashes Will Kill River Surfers

The post Near Drowning Highlights Importance of River Surfing Safety appeared first on Riverbreak.

River surfing has grown so much in the past 5 years. I love the sport and I really want everyone to have fun and be safe! When I founded the WRSA (World River Surfing Association) back in 2002, I was driven to share my stoke and my river surfing knowledge. One of the very first pages I built for the WRSA website was dedicated to safety. I listed many issues, but the main concern I had was the use of leashes. It has been about 5 years since I have really involved myself with the promotion of river surfing and I have not been vocal about the direction of the sport.

Now with the explosion of our sport I must speak out: LEASHES SHOULD NEVER BE WORN ON A RIVER! I have so much to share but I do not want to share anything else at this time other than: LEASHES SHOULD NEVER BE WORN ON A RIVER!

 Any kind of rope on a river is a death trap.

When I started river surfing there were no other river surfers for me to surf with. All my earliest river peers were kayakers and raft guides. One of the first lessons I learned, was that any kind of rope on a river is a death trap. Now even many of my old friends from the kayak world who are river surfers now, are breaking this rule. In the future it is very likely there will be a fatality if this trend continues.

The only place I have ever worn a leash is Skookumchcuk Narrows. I did not wear a leash when I surfed Rapid #11 of the Zambezi river. I did take a 30 second hold down at Rapid #11 and ended up a solid 200ft down stream before I surfaced. But the risk of having a leash hang up on a rock was just to great. I would rather take a 30 second hold down than take a trip to the morgue.

So my question is this … Why would you wear a leash on a small wave with no dangers similar to what Skookumchuck Narrows presents? The answer is … you wouldn’t.

If you own a surfshop that caters to river surfing, if you are a leader in your river surfing community or if your just a river surfer who cares about the safety of others on the river, please speak up. From Munich to Missoula the time has come to make sure there are no leashes on rivers!

Please see Negs article on this subject for a more critical analysis of leashes on rivers.

Aloha
Mack

The post Elijah Speaking Up on Safety appeared first on Riverbreak.

Effects

Cold water in your ear canal causes irregular bony growths inside your ear called exstoses.  As the ear canal closes you begin experiencing the following symptoms:

• Reduced hearing until complete loss of hearing
• Water stuck in your ears
• Debris stuck in your ears
• Ear infections  more often
• More serious ear infections

These symptoms develop slowly over years.  The blockage and symptoms only get worse over time and require surgery to fix.

Diagram of clear ear canal vs surfer’s ear

Cross-section of normal ear and Surfer’s Ear (Photo: cdn-surfline.com)

Clear ear canal vs surfer’s ear

Left, a healthy eardrum. At right, an eardrum with Surfer’s Ear (Photo: cdn-surfline.com)

Causes

Surfers ear is caused by cold water and time.  The more time you are exposed to cold water the more bone grows.  The colder the water in your ear, the faster bone grows.  River surfers who surf in below freezing temperatures are at particular risk.  If your river has ice in it you are surfing the coldest water possible, colder than most oceans, which means you will lose hearing faster.

A Japanese Study of Surfers Ear in Professional & Amateur Surfer
See pictures of surfer’s ear and overview of a study on Surfer’s Ear.

Treatment

The ear canal is cleared by surgery.  Typically either a small drill or chisel is used to remove the bone growths.  The drill or chisel either enters through the ear canal or the ear is cut open from behind.  After surgery, if you surf to soon you risk infections and other problems.  Typically it takes a couple of weeks to months to recover depending on the surgery and the surfer.

UCIrvine video of surgery to remove surfer’s ear

Prevention

Wear ear plugs and a hood in cold water.  Wearing both ear plugs and a hood can completely stop or at least dramatically slow surfer’s ear.

Example of moldable ear plugs that shape to your ear

Moldable Silicone Putty Earplugs

Example of pre-shaped ear plugs

Ear Seals Ear Plugs

You can also get custom made ear plugs with help from an audiologist or a hear aid dispenser.

This article was written by Neil Egsgard, ARSA President.
Alberta River Surfing Association — RiverSurfing.ca/forum
Surf Anywhere Project — SurfAnywhere.ca

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