Packraft Safety Awareness Series
Discover 10 short, engaging videos that highlight common packrafting hazards, practical mitigation strategies, and essential skills for paddlers of all levels. Learn, connect with the community, and level up your safety on the water.
Whether you’re new to packrafting or a seasoned paddler, welcome! This space is dedicated to helping you stay safe and confident on the water. Packrafting offers access to incredibly scenic places and adrenaline highs, but hazards like strainers or low-head dams can turn a great trip into a dangerous situation in seconds.
That’s why safety advocate Deane Parker, with top experts and partner organizations, created this Be WaterWise video series. These 10 short videos highlight common hazards, practical mitigation strategies, and essential skills for paddlers of all levels.
Watch the videos,sharethem with new paddlers,andrefreshyour own knowledge. Join the conversation with fellow paddlers on Instagram, YouTube, or the APA Forum, and help grow a connected,responsiblepackrafting community.
Thank you to our members from the American Packraft Association (APA), Federated Mountain Club (FMC), and the Packrafting Association of New Zealand (PRANZ) for your generous donations.
Your donation funds the creation of free, high-quality safety videos that teach essential skills, prevent accidents, and promote a culture of safety on the water. Every gift helps us produce more videos and keep these resources available to all packrafters.
65% of boating fatalities are a result of drowning without a life jacket or personal floatation device.
- US Coast Guard 2023 Recreational Boating Statistics
44% of packrafting fatalities involved cold water and solo paddling.
- Luc Mehl Packrafting Fatalities Report
53% of whitewater fatalities are paddlers with no to little experience with 81% of those occuring on class I-II rivers.
- American Whitewater Accident Database
A Personal Flotation Device (PFD) is essential for paddlers, providing buoyancy to keep you afloat if you capsize, get injured, or become fatigued. Even strong swimmers can be incapacitated by cold water shock, swift currents, or unexpected obstacles. A properly fitted PFD reduces the risk of drowning and improves visibility for rescuers.
A leash can keep your boat from drifting away after a capsize, but in moving water, it can become a deadly entrapment hazard. If a leash gets snagged on rocks, logs, or debris, it can trap a paddler underwater. Even in flatwater, an improperly used leash can create a dangerous entanglement risk during rescues.
Entanglement occurs when ropes, leashes, fishing lines, or other gear wrap around a paddler’s limbs, PFD, or equipment, restricting movement and creating a drowning hazard. In swift water, even a minor entanglement can become life-threatening, as currents force paddlers underwater or prevent them from reaching safety.
Cold water significantly increases the risk of hypothermia, cold shock, and loss of motor function, even for experienced paddlers. Water temperatures below 70°F (21°C) can cause an involuntary gasp reflex upon immersion, leading to inhalation of water. Within minutes, muscle control deteriorates, making self-rescue difficult or impossible.
Changing weather conditions can turn a calm paddle into a dangerous situation. Strong winds create waves that make maneuvering difficult, push paddlers off course, or even capsize boats. Sudden storms can bring lightning, heavy rain, and dropping temperatures, increasing the risk of hypothermia.
Solo paddling can be peaceful and rewarding, but it comes with heightened risks. Without a partner, there’s no one to assist in case of a capsize, injury, or unexpected hazard. Delays in rescue can turn minor incidents into life-threatening situations, especially in remote areas or challenging conditions.
The Dunning-Kruger Effect refers to people overestimating their ability and underestimating risks. Safety advocate and guide Deane Parker explains, “In paddling, this can manifest as overconfidence in whitewater, underestimating weather conditions, or failing to recognize hazards like strainers, cold water, or strong currents.”
Alcohol impairs judgment, coordination, and reaction time—critical skills needed for safe paddling. It also increases fatigue, affects balance, and lowers body temperature, raising the risk of capsizing, injury, or drowning. Many paddling accidents involve alcohol.
Foot entrapment occurs when a paddler’s foot becomes wedged between rocks or debris in a riverbed, causing them to be pinned underwater by the current. This is especially dangerous in swift-moving water, where the force can quickly submerge and drown a person. Attempting to stand in strong currents increases the risk significantly.
Strainers are obstacles like fallen trees, bridge pilings, or debris that allow water to pass through but trap paddlers and boats. Water pressure can pin a person against or under a strainer, making escape nearly impossible. These hazards are especially dangerous in swift currents, where even strong swimmers can be forced underwater.
Read the updated Whitewater Safety Code by American Whitewater
Read The Packraft Handbook by Luc Mehl
Watch our curated Packraft Technical Manual playlist on the American Packraft Association Youtube Channel
Take the free Smart Start for Safe Paddling online course by the American Canoe Association
Take a course from Online Whitewater (20% discounts for APA members)
Take a course from the International Packrafting Instructor Association (50% discounts for APA members)
Take a paddling skills clinic with an certified instructor
Practice safety with a swiftwater rescue course
Explore additional resources, like where to find rentals, guide services, and courses, on the Alpacka Raft website.
Your donation funds the creation of free, high-quality safety videos that teach essential skills, prevent accidents, and promote a culture of safety on the water. Every gift helps us produce more videos and keep these resources available to all packrafters.
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