Safe Float Fishing
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Be Safe When You Get Out Your Canoe
August 11, 2010
Reporter: Patrick McMurtry
Videographer: Brad Rice
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The dog days of summer force a lot of people to look for a way to stay cool, and for many that means hitting the river for a nice float. That's all well and good as long as you remember basic safety information.
Lt. Larry Case with the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources say safety is the key. "Knowing your equipment and skill level is very important when you go in a river with any kind of current involved if you feel as a paddler that your training and equipment is not up to the level of the river then you definitely don't want to be in there."
And that can change from day to day. Conditions on the New, or any other river, can deteriorate if a good rain comes through upstream, changing what is usually a slow float into a dangerous rapid. Before you wind up flipping your canoe, here's what you need to do. "The main thing a paddler looks for standing at the top of the rapid is they look for a thing called the downstream V. Anytime there are two rocks roughly adjacent in the river, this is a slick water V and it comes to a point. The largest V points to the safest path through the rapids." says Case.
That's the general rule of thumb. Another general rule comes into play if you're wading down a river. You don't want to wind up in trouble. "First of all wear a PFD. You should not be wading in water that is over waist deep, you'll lose your balance. The main things to keep in mind are water depth, speed and conditions."
Also, err on the side of caution and you'll be ok.
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