by Kenny Howell with John Lull
Editor’s Note: Kenny has been paddling for 47 years and has decades of both sea kayak and white water experience in every type of conditions. Today he is the West Coast sales and marketing rep for Epic Kayaks. He is also an Honorary Tsunami Ranger and as a frequent participant has won a couple of our legendary Tsunami races, with Rangers Don Kiesling and John Dixon being his two top competitors. Since getting into surfskis, he’s raced in the Molokai Challenge and has made a career of promoting the sport of surfski, working with the American Canoe Association as well as travelling the world to connect with fellow surfski enthusiasts. For more info about Kenny, surfski, and the kayak life, check out this podcast by TC Surfski.
John Lull is a sea, surf, and whitewater kayaker and is a Coastal Kayaking ACA Instructor Trainer and a Tsunami Ranger. He has extensive experience on the open coast of northern California, in San Francisco Bay, in the Sea of Cortez, along the Pacific Northwest coast and in Alaska. He produced the instructional videos Surf Kayaking Fundamentals and Kayaking Ocean Rock Gardens, A Tsunami Ranger Guide (with TR Eric Soares) and has written for many sea kayaking publications and newsletters.
Communication is key not only to having a good time with your team on the water but also to surviving when things go awry. This article contains valuable strategies for managing on-water group communication.
HOW TO MANAGE YOUR GROUP USING THE “HOT DOG/TOP DOG” METHOD by Kenny Howell
How do you keep your group together when paddling across San Francisco Bay, or just across Pillar Point Harbor? It is challenging, no matter the location. It is perhaps the ultimate challenge for guides and instructors – and the most critical. The name of the game is COMMUNICATION. If you don’t communicate, the group will fall apart sooner or later. If you let your group become separated, then you have failed in your fundamental responsibility. The best course of action is prevention; prevent separation from happening, before it’s too late.
NOTE: If conditions are bad and students’ skills are minimal, keeping your group together can be almost impossible – no matter who you are. Aborting the trip underway should be one of your options. I’ve had to evacuate groups from remote areas by foot in Baja a couple times because of gale winds and hazardous seas. Using good judgment and communication, however, you can safely navigate the waters of our typical classes and trips at CCK.
As an example of group management, I’ll use the “Top Dog/ Hot Dog” model for a hypothetical surf zone class, but this leadership role-playing works anywhere. When two instructors are working together, one instructor is designated the Top Dog for the day – he has more experience, perhaps more skill, and better judgment. The Top Dog sets the tone of the class, and makes the big decisions. The other instructor is Hot Dog – a great teacher, but a little less experienced perhaps; he can demo all the surf moves, demonstrate techniques, etc. Hot Dog is totally dependable, capable, and communicates – via paddle/hand signals or voice – with Top
Dog about everything he is going to do, before he does it! They are always close enough to talk or regroup quickly – if not, the group is too spread out.
Let’s say our model Surf Zone class takes place at Pillar Point, near Half Moon Bay, California. The class paddles out of the harbor and the Top Dog lands at the beach at the point first and finds a suitable spot to bring everyone through the waves. Using paddle signals, he brings one boat in at a time. Hot Dog waits outside the break with the class, keeping everyone from drifting into the impact zone. Once everyone is safely on the beach, the class then proceeds, with thorough communication between the two Dogs. When launching again at the end of the class to head back into Pillar Point Harbor, Hot Dog goes first, gets outside the surf, and then holds position while the students paddle out one at a time. Then, Hot Dog keeps the group together until Top Dog gets outside and gives the word to head back.
Now, Top Dog asks the Hot Dog to start paddling and set a steady pace as the point paddler. Hot Dog knows to look back regularly to check that the group is not getting spread out. Top Dog takes the sweep position. If the two Dogs can’t hear each other’s bark, they need to herd the flock tighter. Towing may be necessary to assist a slower paddler. If this happens, make towing part of the learning experience! Get others involved. Towing is NOT a worst-case scenario, but you may have to defuse the issue with some individuals. Call it “tow-assist.”
It is always best to keep the group together on the water. However, if you should find the absolute need to split into two parties, it must be arranged in advance, ideally on shore. One instructor should not be left with the burden of handling a larger-sized, slower party in an exposed area. In sum, use constant vigilance to keep the group together and always be aware of your bail-out options.
At CCK, John Lull and I used this leadership style regularly, and it never let me down. The roles work well, as long as they are clearly defined, and each leader accepts each other’s role and they have the skill to act accordingly.
ON-WATER COMMUNICATION by John Lull
Most kayakers prefer to paddle with other kayakers, for both social and safety reasons. Although paddling with others is usually safer than going solo, there are some safety issues that a group of sea kayakers must confront. One issue is the myth of “safety in numbers.” Some paddlers tend to push way beyond their skill level in the mistaken belief that the more experienced members of the group can take care of them if something goes wrong. The fact is, each and every kayaker must paddle his own craft. When conditions deteriorate, paddlers tend to get separated and lose communication with one another. When this breakdown reaches an extreme, everyone must look out for themselves.
Communication and awareness are crucial team concepts. Every member of the team needs to know where the others are and how to communicate when necessary. The most effective way to communicate on the water is with hand or paddle signals. These signals should be simple, easy to use, and clearly understood by everyone.
There is no official set of signals for kayakers at present. However, several signals are conventionally used and understood by most paddlers. A raised vertical paddle or arm usually means to gather around the paddler giving the signal. A raised horizontal paddle or raised fist means stop and hold position. A waving paddle or arm is usually understood to be a distress signal; use this if you need help. Patting the top of your head with one hand means “are you okay?” The same signal is returned if the paddler is okay, otherwise it is assumed there is a problem. For general safety purposes, these are probably the only signals you really need.
Awareness is a very important component of communication. If you aren’t paying attention, you won’t hear or see any kind of signal. Even worse, you can lose all contact with your partners if you just paddle off will-nilly, without checking to see what the rest of the group is doing. When paddling near the front of the group, be sure to look behind you periodically to see if anyone is being left behind. If you are in the rear of the group and are falling behind, signal those in front to stop or slow down.
A group formation with lead and sweep can be set up to keep the group together. This will work as long as conditions are not too challenging. Don’t expect to keep a group of beginners together in wind and rough water; it is essential to choose a route that minimizes the chances of having to deal with such conditions. Hand or paddle signals can be established for communication.
Even when all paddlers have the appropriate skill level, they may not share the same agenda. For example, on an open-coast trip, some of the group may want to explore rock gardens while others want to paddle offshore. One free spirit may wander off alone. To help assure the safety of the group, the agenda needs to be defined. In the example above, the group may decide to split into two pods, one to explore rock gardens, the other to take an open-water cruise. The free spirit may be allowed to take off, but he must notify the group and everyone needs to understand he is no longer part of the group; he is now a solo paddler. Of course, the group may prefer to define a more rigid agenda that everyone should stick to unless circumstances dictate a change in plans.
Finally, here are three tips for effective communication on the water: 1) know the plan because knowing the plan is having the ability to change it if necessary, 2) discuss your kayaking goals, 3) use hand signals to guide one another.
Thanks to Eric Soares of the Tsunami Rangers for the Top Dog/Hot Dog concept of communication, thanks to Kenny Howell of Epic Kayaks for writing it up, and thanks to John Lull for the excerpts from the chapter Group Safety Through Teamwork from his book Sea Kayaking Safety and Rescue. If you’re interested in learning more about hand signals for paddlers, check out our article on that topic here.
For questions or comments on this article, please contact us below. Thanks for reading and safe paddling!
