The Rewards Of Swimming- By: Stephanie Gloutney

For many kayaker's, especially beginners, swimming is not always seen as a good thing. For many, swimming can be embarrassing and a confidence breaker, however swimming can have many positive outcomes if taken the right way. For starters, swimming means that you were more than likely pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, you were trying something new, and that is what will make you a better kayaker in the long run. Having a zero swim record means that you never push yourself and therefore never allow yourself any chance to improve.

We all learn from our mistakes, this means that when we swim we should not get upset but instead reflect on why we swam and hike back up and challenge the rapid again when we are ready. It may take a few tries to successfully run a particular rapid without swimming, however, keep in mind that with each swim will come a positive insight on how to run the rapid better the next time. It is very important to note that swims only become negative when you let them meaning that we have direct and conscious control over how we chose to let our swims affect us.  To sum all this up, the sooner a kayaker learns to take swims as a form of constructive criticism the sooner he or she will begin to correct their mistakes and advance their skills and confidence.