INTERESTING TIMES

This quiz is designed to help whitewater paddlers assess what class of whitewater you have the skills and aptitudes to run with success.  For each question, pick the answer that is most true for you now, not historically.  Rigorous and honest self assessment is difficult, but it may be your most important skill for longterm enjoyment in a risky sport.  If you are not honest with yourself, this tool is of no use.  Our abilities shift throughout life so keep checking in about what you can do, adjust your paddling choices accordingly.  You do not have to tell anyone else about your process. 

To take the quiz: Jot down a single number answer to each question, making a list that looks something like this: 1, 3, 2, 2, etc.  You should have a list with 11 numbers by the end.

1. Rolling
   1. I roll most/all of the time in the pool but tend to bail in combat situations.
   2. When I flip on the river I immediately get into a tightly tucked set-up position and try a roll or a T-rescue.
   3. My roll is 90% or more successful on the river.
   4. I roll on both sides, have a hand roll, and can usually do one of those in a pinch.
2. Ferrying
   1. I can get across mild currents but sometimes I flip over.
   2. I’m confident doing a ferry across moderate current with turbulence.
   3. I can jet ferry across intense current and hit the other side where I want.
   4. I am comfortable using waves and holes to cross a rapid upstream from a dangerous obstacle.
3. Catching Eddies
   1. I catch the big eddy at the bottom of the rapid.
   2. I enjoy catching medium sized eddies in the middle of rapids.
   3. I like to "sew up" rapids by hopping from eddy to eddy all the way down.
   4. I catch tiny eddies in weird places for strategic positioning or to get a view of what’s downstream.
4. Reading Water
   1. I need someone to follow because I'm not great at picking lines.
   2. I usually follow through new rapids and feel OK leading through familiar rapids.
   3. I can find my way down a new class II.
   4. I pick my own routes in unfamiliar class III rapids without scouting or following.
5. Playing
   1. I don't play because I don't want to flip over.
   2. I play at the best spots when I am in my playboat.
   3. I bow surf on waves when they have eddy service.
   4. I catch waves on the fly and drop into holes sideways for fun.
6. Rescue
   1. I'm often the one that swims and needs help getting my boat and stuff to shore.
   2. I am good at self rescue and often get my kit to shore before anybody shows up to help.
   3. I carry a throwbag and have pulled in swimmers and boats.
   4. I have training and practice getting boats and people out of pins and other bad situations.
7. Strength
   1. I need help loading my boat on the car.
   2. I do shoulder and core exercises regularly.
   3. I can lift my own boat overhead and set it on a vehicle.
   4. I can carry my boat a mile and then paddle and portage for hours with energy left over.
8. Cardiovascular Fitness
   1. My most vigorous workout is walking.
   2. I run, bike or do cardio at the gym at least twice a week.
   3. I do aerobic paddling workouts like sprints, slalom, or continuous/high water whitewater runs at least twice a week.
   4. I can carry my boat four miles uphill and then paddle big rapids without problems.
9. Mental Toughness
   1. I get emotional or angry when things don’t go well on the river.
   2. I am anxious sometimes on the water but manage my fear without requiring reassurance.
   3. I can take a bad swim or a beating on rocks/in a hole and still have a good day.
   4. I am cool as a cucumber and can function in life and death situations.
10. Flows
    1. I let other people decide when the flows are right for a run.
    2. I know what CFS stands for and how to find gauges on the internet.
    3. I get gauge readings for each run I do (maybe even log them) and study the runoff/release patterns.
    4. I investigate flow recommendations and patterns for new runs and enjoy high and low water.
11. Crew
    1. I participate in pick-up trips with people I find via the internet or clubs.
    2. The folks I usually paddle with are mostly weaker paddlers than me.
    3. I’ve had the good luck to fall in with a crew that’s stronger paddlers than me.
    4. I paddle regularly with friends who are strong paddlers and whose habits and idiosyncrasies are well understood.

SCORING
Don't cheat yourself!  Write down your answers to all 11 questions THEN follow this link.
 

SCORING FOR THE WHITEWATER READINESS QUIZ

Take the grand total of all the numbers you wrote down while taking the quiz
and subtract 11.  Done.

How this works in a little more detail:
For each 1 you get 0 points.

2 = 1 point.

3 = 2 points.

4 = 3 points.

Consider this:

Lowest possible score: 0.

Highest possible score: 33.

SCORE RANGES

• 0-7 Beginner, still.  Stick to class I-II water and the pool, and take classes.  Get on the water as often as possible with people you trust.  Confront your fears and master the basic skills of the sport on easy water.  Learn the T-rescue and find people who will spot you.  Start playing in the river.  Practice eddy turns, peel outs and ferries until you can cross eddy lines without wobbling.  Learn to roll.  Get in shape.  Start carrying a throw bag, learn how to use a it, and rope in some swimmers.
• 8-14 Early Intermediate.  Start doing hard moves on class II water and master key skills before stepping it up to class III.  Running class III rapids without flipping does not make you a class III paddler.  What makes you a class III paddler is the ability to make moves in those same rapids, catching eddies and using waves and holes to maneuver in heavy water.  Try different lines in rapids that you know well.  Polish your roll.  Strengthen your shoulders and core.  Scout any class III rapids that you run, and try to run the line that you picked from shore.
• 15-21 Strong Intermediate.  Run all the class III (and a taste of IV) in your region, at a variety of flows.  Develop your own opinions about best flows, minimums and maximums for your local runs.  Play in bigger features.  Learn to surf holes and how to get out of them.  Start doing challenging moves on class III water before going on class IV runs or class III at high water.  Scout the class IV rapids that you run carefully and repeatedly, and over time, master every line in each rapid.  You can still portage or run shuttle whenever a rapid or run feels wrong.  Keep practicing your roll.  Get river rescue training.
• 22-33 Advanced.  Consider class IV whitewater unless you have a severe weakness in one or two areas, in which case, address those.  Run a LOT of class III and IV at a variety of flows and develop a strong, safety-conscious crew before considering class V.  Keep practicing your roll.  Get more training.  Teach others.  Stay humble.

1. Anyone can survive for three hours without maintaining the core body temperature.

2. Anyone can survive for three days without water.

3. Anyone can survive for three weeks without food.

SOURCE
http://peaksurvival.com

Of course these are debatable but the gist of it is true.  What this perspective does is help you prioritize your actions.  The first thing you must do is maintain core body temperature.  Next, find water.  Then concern yourself with food.  Get obsessed with something else when you have no backup, and you may not survive.