RIVER AND RIVER PADDLER RATINGS

RATINGS

The whitewater rivers that we paddle are classified by difficulty according to the International Scale of River Difficulty. AMC paddlers are classified by their skill according to the Club's scale of skills. The major reason for these classifications is to give trip leaders a reliable indication of the skill level of potential paddlers, whom they don't know, so that they can approximate paddlers' skills with the river's difficulty. This information is extremely important for the more difficult trips where the safety of all depends on the strengths of the individuals. But it is also important on the easier Brownwater trips where many newcomers are introduced to canoeing.

RATINGS OF RIVERS

The International Scale of River Difficulty is generally accepted by most national and international organizations as the most nearly objective evaluation of whitewater rivers. This scale is a part of the 1998 Safety Code of American Whitewater that is online at: http://www.awa.org/awa/safety/safety.html. In general, the rating system applies to a short stretch of the river or just a single set of rapids. The Club considers a section of river to be rated at the class of the highest classified rapids within that section.

INTERNATIONAL SCALE OF RIVER DIFFICULTY
(Revised 1998)

This is the American version of a rating system used to compare river difficulty throughout the world. This system is not exact; rivers do not always fit easily into one category, and regional or individual interpretations may cause misunderstandings. It is no substitute for a guidebook or accurate first-hand descriptions of a run.

Paddlers attempting difficult runs in an unfamiliar area should act cautiously until they get a feel for the way the scale is interpreted locally. River difficulty may change each year due to fluctuations in water level, downed trees, geological disturbances, or bad weather. Stay alert for unexpected problems!

As river difficulty increases, the danger to swimming paddlers becomes more severe. As rapids become longer and more continuous, the challenge increases. There is a difference between running an occasional Class IV rapid and dealing with an entire river of this category. Allow an extra margin of safety between skills and river ratings when water is cold or if the river itself is remote and inaccessible.

The Six Difficulty Classes

Class I: Easy.
Fast moving water with riffles and small waves. Few obstructions, all obvious and easily missed with little training. Risk to swimmers is slight, self-rescue is easy.
Class II: Novice.
Straightforward rapids with wide, clear channels which are evident without scouting. Occasional maneuvering may be required, but rocks and medium sized waves are easily missed by trained paddlers. Swimmers are seldom injured and group assistance, while helpful, is seldom needed. Rapids that are at the upper end of this difficulty range are designated "Class II+".
Class III: Intermediate.
Rapids with moderate, irregular waves which may be difficult to avoid and which can swamp an open canoe. Complex maneuvers in fast current and good boat control in tight passages or around ledges are often required; large waves or strainers may be present but are easily avoided. Strong eddies and powerful current effects can be found, particularly on large-volume rivers. Scouting is advisable for inexperienced parties. Injuries while swimming are rare; self-rescue is usually easy but group assistance may be required to avoid long swims. Rapids that are at the lower or upper end of this difficulty range are designated "Class III-" or "Class III+" respectively.
Class IV: Advanced.
Intense, powerful but predictable rapids requiring precise boat handling in turbulent water. Depending on the character of the river, it may feature large, unavoidable waves and holes or constricted passages demanding fast maneuvers under pressure. A fast, reliable eddy turn may be needed to initiate maneuvers, scout rapids, or rest. Rapids may require "must" moves above dangerous hazards. Scouting is necessary the first time down. Risk of injury to swimmers is moderate to high, and water conditions may make self-rescue difficult. Group assistance for rescue is often essential but requires practiced skills. A strong Eskimo roll is highly recommended. Rapids that are at the lower or upper end of this difficulty range are designated "Class IV-" or "Class IV+" respectively.
Class V: Expert.
Extremely long, obstructed, or very violent rapids which expose a paddler to above average endangerment. Drops may contain large, unavoidable waves and holes or steep, congested chutes with complex, demanding routes. Rapids may continue for long distances between pools, demanding a high level of fitness. What eddies exist may be small, turbulent, or difficult to reach. At the high end of the scale, several of these factors may be combined. Scouting is recommended but may be difficult. Swims are dangerous, and rescue is difficult even for experts. A very reliable Eskimo roll, proper equipment, extensive experience, and practiced rescue skills are essential. . . Because of the large range of difficulty that exists beyond Class V, Class 5 is an open ended, multiple level scale designated by Class 5.0, 5.1, 5.2 etc. . . Each of these levels in and order of magnitude more difficult that the last. Example: increasing difficulty from Class 5.0 to Class 5.1 is a similar order of magnitude as increasing from Class IV to Class 5.0.
Class VI: Extreme and Exploratory.
. . These runs have almost never been attempted and often exemplify the extremes of difficulty, unpredictability and danger. The consequences of errors are very severe and rescue may be impossible. For teams of experts only, at favorable water levels, after close personal inspection and taking all precautions. After a Class VI rapids has been run many times, its rating may be changed to an appropriate Class 5.x rating.

RIVER PADDLER RATINGS

The Club classifies paddlers according to their whitewater skills. It does not attempt to classify paddlers, many of whom are quite skillful, who prefer to confine themselves to the gentler brown water rivers where safety is not as great a concern.

The intent of the paddler rating system is to safely match the paddler with the river. Reduced to its simplest terms, the rating means that the paddler is sufficiently skilled and knowledgeable to safely run rapids with a difficulty rating corresponding to the paddler's rating. A Class 2 paddler can safely run a Class II rapids and so forth. "Safely run" means to negotiate the rapids at hand approximately 80% of the time without a potentially dangerous incident -- capsize, broach, swamping, etc. This definition applies to each individual rapid in a river, not to the run as a whole.

The requirements for each paddler classification define more precisely the skills and knowledge necessary to safely paddle rapids of a given difficulty. Possession of these skills, while necessary to obtain the rating, does not in itself guarantee it. In addition it must be clearly evident that the paddler can safely run rapids of that difficulty, exercising common sense and judgment and can support other paddlers in difficulty on that river.

The following requirements for each paddler class were defined by an AMC Interchapter agreement. They are interpreted differently by individuals and by the various AMC Chapters. They may be further subdivided by the type of craft in which the paddler has met the requirements.

GETTING OR INCREASING YOUR RATING

Each paddler's rating is the result of the observation and evaluation of their paddling skills by their fellow paddlers who have higher ratings. It is an imperfect system, but all of us try hard to be as objective as possible. To get or improve your AMC whitewater rating you paddle on several Club whitewater trips and be observed by several Club paddlers.

The best way to learn is to come to our WHITEWATER training courses. These courses give you an opportunity to learn from several skilled paddlers who are also dedicated instructors.

Each year our Whitewater Instruction includes two Novice courses, two Intermediate courses, and one Advanced Techniques course. There may be additional Skills Development, Solo Paddling, and Safety & Rescue courses. Students who satisfactorily complete a whitewater course are usually accepted on future whitewater trips at the level of the course.

If you don't take these courses, you can still increase your whitewater rating by going on Club trips that are rated slightly higher than your rating and being seen and evaluated there by higher rated paddlers. If the leader of such a trip has enough strong paddlers, and if the trip is not too far beyond your ability, you may be accepted.

Then, AT THE START OF THE TRIP, ask a skilled paddler to watch you or ask the leader to suggest someone who will help. The observer should stick near you, make suggestions, and fill out a rating card for you. This card is their report and recommendation. It is mailed to the Ratings person for consideration at the next Rating Sub-Committee meeting.

Rating cards are stored in the trailers; they may be passed out at training courses, or you can request some from the Chair (send an SASE for best results), or print them from the website:

A few underlying basics that apply to all levels:

Requirements for the specific ratings:

Moving Water (MW) Rating
Two MW trips. This can be 2 river running trips or the Basic Instruction plus one other trip. No recommendations are necessary.
Class 1 Rating
Two trips on Class 1 or greater rivers. This can be 2 river running trips or the Class 1 Instruction plus one other trip. A Class 1 recommendation from any one of these trips is necessary.
Class 2 Rating
Two trips on 2 different Class 2 or greater rivers. This can be 2 river running trips or the Class 2 Instruction plus one other trip on a different Class 2 river. Class 2 recommendations from the 2 different Class 2 trips are necessary. Also necessary is the completion of the Chapter’s Basic Safety and Rescue Course or its equivalent given by an outside-qualified organization.
Class 3 Rating
Paddlers must participate in 5 Class 3 trips on 5 different Class 3 rivers. Needed are recommendations from 3 of the 5 different Class 3 trips.
Class 4 Rating
The class 4 river paddler committee uses five criteria (paddling ability, safety consciousness, rescue participation, leadership ability, and judgment) when deciding if a given paddler should be given a class 4 rating. A brief description of the criteria are listed below.
  1. Paddling Ability. A class 4 paddler has the ability to read and safely paddle a class 4 river with only nominal assistance from other class 4 paddlers.
  2. Safety Consciousness. A class 4 paddler actively looks for potential hazards on a class 4 river and takes appropriate measures so as to avoid such hazards. This includes pointing out potential hazards to other paddlers. In addition, a class 4 paddler assesses a given river, river level, and rapid to determine if it can be run with a good margin of safety and sets up appropriate safety measures (throw bags or persons in a safety boat) accordingly.
  3. Rescue Ability and Participation. A class 4 paddler actively participates in rescues both of persons and of equipment either from land or from the water as appropriate.
  4. Leadership Ability. A class 4 paddler has the ability to safely lead other paddlers down a class 4 river. Such a person has good people skills (able to effectively work with a wide range of personality types), remains calm and collected when facing difficult situations, and is wise enough to seek the counsel of other strong boaters when faced with a difficult or potentially hazardous situation. In addition, such a paddler is familiar with and aware of the abilities (in general and for a specific day) of the participants on a given river trip.
  5. Judgement. A class 4 paddler has sound judgment when paddling a class 4 river. Such a paddler exercises respectful caution when faced with difficult or potentially hazardous situations and offers counsel and direction to others on a river trip.
In summary, a class 4 paddler should have the skills to lead a group of seasoned, class 3 boaters safely down a class 4 river. Seasoned, class 3 paddlers have competently paddled a fair number of different class 3 to 3+ rivers. Rating is achieved by consensus of the Chapter’s current Class 4 paddlers.

All recommendations for rating changes are reviewed and considered by the Ratings Committee, which meets at least twice a year. The changes from each rating meeting are published in Paddle Splashes.

HOW YOU ARE DOING

You can keep track of your progress on the form below. In the "TAUGHT" section, check off the things that you have been taught. If you have not been taught how to do something REQuired for the next higher rating, ask someone for help with that stroke or move. When you can DEMonstrate that you have them all down, you may be ready to move up.

No form can show all the stuff you need to know to improve paddling skills. Things like timing, balance, leaning correctly, river reading and precise paddle control must be judged subjectively.

AMC NY-NoJ CHAPTER
CANOEING & KAYAKING PROGRESS RECORD

STROKES TAUGHT CL 1 CL 2 CL 3
TANDEM SOL K-1 C-1
BOW STN REQ DEM REQ DEM REQ DEM
FORWARD             
BACK             
DRAW             
FRWD SWEEP             
RVSE SWEEP             
CRS BOW DRW ### ###         
PRY             
'J' STROKE###  ###         
STANRY DRAW ### ###         
STANRY PRY ### ###         
LOW BRACE      ###      
HIGH BRACE      ###      
CROSS BRACE ### ###  ###      
DUFFEK ###    ###      
CRS DUFFEK ###    ###      
COMP BACK###  ###  ###      
FRWD CROSS ### ###  ###      
'C' STROKE###### ###  ### ###    
MOVES TAUGHT CL 1 CL 2 CL 3
STRGHT FRWD             
STRGHT BACK             
PIVOT             
SIDE SLIP             
CIRCLE L&R             
FERRY      ###      
BACK FERRY      ###      
EDDY TURN R      ###      
EDDY TURN L      ###      
PEEL OUT R      ###      
PEEL OUT L      ###      
SWIM RAPIDS      ### ###    
THROW ROPE      ### ###    
WET EXIT#########          
ROLL ON-S#########   ### ###    
ROLL OFF-S#########   ### ###  ### 

T.O.C. NEXT

Last updated: Spring, 2006