R2ing Doesn’t Mean Not Talking
Communication is super critical for success in high stress situations, we all know that, but somewhere along the way the idea that 2 people shouldn’t talk while they’re rafting came along and it won’t go away. This whole idea sometimes called Zen boating creates a big problem for our community and we need to seriously reevaluate why we do this. The biggest problem is that when you have 2 people in a boat and you’re just “doing it together” may seem like a nice egalitarian way to get down the river, but you don’t have anyone to break the stalemate when you have opposite opinions on what to do.
There are a few other major problems this idea creates when we get on the water including unclear communication, poor coordination, and above all safety issues. This problem gets even more exacerbated when we look at to people with different levels of skill.
Skill Disparity
Everyone is different and everyone on a team brings something different to the table this includes your skills as a boater. Some boaters my be better with knots, excel in reading water, or have higher medical skills. Similarly, not everyone reads water the same way, so when you have one person who learned in a big water setting and one person who learned by creek boating, you are going to have 2 very different ways you will be reading water. Similarly, when one person who is very advanced and one person who is new to boating get in the same boat there will be things that the beginner cannot see that the expert boater will pick up on and take action on. This disparity of skill creates a problem by revealing an actionable item to one person while that action item may be hiding in plain sight to the other boater. This skill disparity creates massive problems especially for couples trying to get their partner into boating because lack of communication leads to failure and that failure as well as the inevitable discussion happens can sound like nagging rather than positive feedback.
Unclear Communication
Teams often employ various strategies and tactics to achieve success. Effective communication is necessary to convey these strategies, make adjustments in the moment, and execute planned lines through rapids. It helps boaters understand their roles, responsibilities, and the crew's overall plan. This is the whole reason we spend so much time scouting and discussing our lines through rapids. Scouting is a good place to start, but being crystal clear in the boat is even more critical. So, let’s look at a couple ways we can improve in boat communication:
Communication System: You need to make sure that you have a system for communication that everyone can agree on and stick to. Talking it out above the rapid is great, but you need to have a system of how you communicate that is detailed enough to make snap decisions and get you down. Go left or go right is an ok start, but you will find as you run harder rivers, you’re going to need more specific calls to get the job done well. Additionally calling commands can be helpful is circumstances where snap decisions are important so consider adding that possibility into your system.
Raft Guiding: When we’re paddle guiding a raft there is a guide or paddle captain who will call commands and coordinate actions of the crew. One option, especially with folks of vastly different skill levels, is to have the more experienced person be the boat captain. Calling commands and reading the water while discussing the plan of action will lead to more clear communication. With new people you can start by calling commands, however as your partner’s skill improves you can move to more open methods of communication to allow their skill to work to your benefit.
Poor Coordination
Team sports, boating included, involve multiple boaters working together to achieve a common goal. Effective communication ensures that your crew is on the same page, allowing for better coordination of movements, lines, and opening more options. Without communication, boaters likely won’t anticipate each other's actions, leading to inefficiency and errors. Even highly experienced teams that have been working together for a long time will experience this issue. Boating is a dynamic sport in a dynamic environment, and conditions can change rapidly during a rapid. Good communication allows teams to adapt quickly to unforeseen circumstances, such as water moving under a rock that you couldn’t see or injuries. So how do we stay dynamic in our communication to be more effective on the water?
Read it out loud: Reading the rapid out loud as you enter and navigate through it is a great way to be more dynamic in your communication and improve coordination. If one person is reading while you’re running the other person will have a better idea of what is going through their head. This allows a better opportunity for you to make effective moves.
Safety Issues
Sloppy boating leads to higher likelihood of accidents. The reality is that with each little red flag you have a higher likelihood of an accident occurring. It may only be one percent per problem, but 50 missed calls like that and your odds of successfully navigating the run drop significantly. Remember it is a series of problem after problem that creates an accident not one big catastrophe. As you miss calls you end up creating minor issues that can add up to you being way off line and having more issues pop up.
Don’t Assume
One of the biggest tips for improving r2 team coordination is do not make assumptions about what the other person is thinking. There’s a lot that can happen between an idea in your brain, the idea coming out your mouth, then going into someone’s ear, then to their brain, them processing that idea in a stressful situation, and finally you both taking action. Using some of the steps above and learning a bunch of new commands and paddle strokes are going to go a long way in making your next r2 adventure a super fun day on the water.
