Self Rescue It
- Ryder Morfin
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
The first skill you need on the water isn’t paddling harder or moving faster — it’s knowing how to get yourself out of trouble.
No matter your experience level, flips and swims are part of river travel. The difference between panic and control usually comes down to preparation and practice.
That’s exactly what Be WaterWise #18 – Self Rescue It focuses on in the ongoing safety education series from the American Packrafting Association.
This episode starts with one of the most important skills every paddler should understand: the wet exit. The moment you flip, your priority becomes staying calm, exiting cleanly, and protecting yourself in moving water.
From there, the episode builds into:
Re-entry techniques from the water
Throw bag fundamentals
Buddy rescue coordination
Communication during rescue situations
Staying calm under pressure
The biggest takeaway from Self Rescue It is that rescue skills don’t need to look dramatic to be effective. River safety is rarely about heroics — it’s about calm decision-making, repetition, and having simple techniques practiced enough that they become automatic when stress kicks in.
No panic. No guesswork. Just smart, practiced movement.
At Go North Rafts, we’re proud to support the educational work being done by the APA and their Water Wise series. Resources like this help paddlers build real confidence on the water while encouraging a stronger safety culture throughout the packrafting community.
One of the most valuable things you can do before your next trip is practice these skills in a controlled environment. Knowing how to wet exit, how to work with your group during a rescue, and how to respond calmly in current can make all the difference when conditions become unpredictable.
Because when things go wrong on the river, your first instinct matters.
Know your exit before you need it.
You can explore the full Water Wise series from the APA here:
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