Paddling Safety

CCPAC Guidelines/Requirements

ACA Safety Web Site
ACA Paddler Safety & Responsibility Code — This is from the old ACA site. It is also available for download from CCPAC's site in Acrobat format (108 KB)
CCPAC Paddling Guidelines — Includes trip ratings & skill levels.
PFD's: Simply put, you must wear your PFD to participate in CCPAC paddling events.

Instruction

CCPAC occasionally holds safety training sessions during the winter months at indoor pools, and during the summer months at nearby lakes and rivers. Check the CCPAC events schedule for details.
Also check the non-CCPAC events schedule for other learning opportunities.
A.C.A. &/or B.C.U. Instructors in Northern Lower Michigan — CCPAC does not specifically endorse any instructors listed here. This list is supplied as a service to our local paddling community.

ACA Tidbits

Did you know that the ACA website has a number of on-line resources with valuable information for new paddlers? Send those aspiring paddlers to the ACA Safety Web Site to get them started on the right track!

"Critical Judgment II - Understanding and Preventing Canoe and Kayak Fatalities 1998 - 2002" is now posted at www.acanet.org/pdf/cj2.pdf. Interesting and sobering fact . . . in 2002 kayak deaths were 42% of the reported fatalities compared to 26% when the report was first published in 2000. This report includes valuable insights and recommendations!

Articles

The Independent Kayaker? (Your Responsibility to the Group)
Sea Kayaker Magazine — Lots of real-life experiences from other paddlers.

Health & Safety

Hypothermia
Cold Shock — Information to Help Keep Paddlers Safe, by Martin Strand III (aka Marty)

Techniques

Revising this section. Many of the articles came from Sea Kayaker Magazine, that revised its web site, making the links that were here out-of-date. Some have been relocated above under "Articles."

Federal & State Regulations

Canada

Small Vessel Regulations