Work has begun

                                     The raft guide handbook

For a while now I have wanted to produce a handbook that contains all of the relevant information for raft guides and safety kayakers as a point of reference. I have found that death by power point is not the way forward when running guide training courses. I want to produce a book that a raft guide can use time and time again.

For this Project I have teamed up with Darren Clarkson King who already has already produced a number of excellent guide books.

The book will contain chapters all relevant to the work of a raft guide.

Here is where you come in. I would like you to send in any stories or anecdotes you may have from your time on the water.

We are really interested in your learning outcomes and how the said experienced became a learning process  for you future trips .

below is a example from one of my own experiences along with the learning out comes.


Location: Nottingham uk
Early in my raft career I was working on a artificial slalom course in the UK. I myself was the trip leader and had delivered the safety talk. I had asked the customers if they had any medical conditions if so they had to inform me.
 During the session we had a flip I was the downstream raft so I ended up picking up the pieces from the notorious merry go round eddy. I noticed that one customer was floating with his whole body and head submerged under the water. He had a correctly fitting PFD but it was not floating him correctly.
Once I got the customer and he got his breath back I asked him why he was floating so awkwardly?

He replied to me " My false leg filled with water and weighed me down"  He also promptly replied "My amputated leg is not a medical condition. I had not seen his prosthetic limb under his wetsuit.

Learning outcomes:

• Add asking for prosthetic limbs is now part of my pre trip medical screening.   
• People are not always forthcoming with their medical history. 
• A prosthetic limb can a fill with water and render the swimmer with extra weight on top of their normal weight when swimming.
   

please email you stories to Info@lapinkoskikoulu.com. The stories with the best learning opportunities will be published in the book 

regards 

mark