There's an interesting discussion regarding the definition of flatwater over at Paddling.com that raises the question: Does flatwater need a sanctioned classification system similar to the ratings for whitewater?
The International Scale of River Difficulty (ISRD) for whitewater uses classifications that are used by whitewater paddlers and provide a relative rating of difficulty/risk. But there doesn't seem to be any accepted classifications for flatwater paddling and maybe there should be, given the range of inherent risks when out paddling on "flatwater", including wind/waves (fetch?) and stream flow volume and current speed. Perhaps shoreline ruggedness for assessing beaching difficulty. Maybe even water temperatures should be included.
I found a few references to flatwater rating systems but they're not really applicable to canoeing or are incomplete or are DIY without sanctioning by a recognized organization.
The American Canoe Association has a five-level skills assessment for kayaks geared for ocean paddling and apparently there are three moving water classifications (From “Canoeing and Kayaking Instruction Manual of the American Canoe Association"; Laurie Gullion; c. 1987), including:
And here's an example (out of several I found) of a DIY rating system:
adventurenerds.com
None of the rating systems I found provide a very useful means of assessing risk for flatwater canoeing because of limited scope, inapplicable levels of risk, or not providing an integrated and comprehensive rating system. I admit to not spending a whole lot of time searching online for flatwater classification systems because it appears that there really isn't one, otherwise I think it would have shown up rather prominently, like the ISRD system does. So should there be a risk classification system for flatwater? And what would it include?
The International Scale of River Difficulty (ISRD) for whitewater uses classifications that are used by whitewater paddlers and provide a relative rating of difficulty/risk. But there doesn't seem to be any accepted classifications for flatwater paddling and maybe there should be, given the range of inherent risks when out paddling on "flatwater", including wind/waves (fetch?) and stream flow volume and current speed. Perhaps shoreline ruggedness for assessing beaching difficulty. Maybe even water temperatures should be included.
I found a few references to flatwater rating systems but they're not really applicable to canoeing or are incomplete or are DIY without sanctioning by a recognized organization.
The American Canoe Association has a five-level skills assessment for kayaks geared for ocean paddling and apparently there are three moving water classifications (From “Canoeing and Kayaking Instruction Manual of the American Canoe Association"; Laurie Gullion; c. 1987), including:
Class A Flowing under 2 m.p.h.
Class B 2 to 4 m.p.h.
Class C Greater than 4 m.p.h.
And here's an example (out of several I found) of a DIY rating system:
Paddling Adventure Difficulty Ratings - Adventure Nerds
A difficulty rating system for paddling adventures using ISRD rapids ratings, distance from shore, paddling distance, and required portages.
adventurenerds.com
None of the rating systems I found provide a very useful means of assessing risk for flatwater canoeing because of limited scope, inapplicable levels of risk, or not providing an integrated and comprehensive rating system. I admit to not spending a whole lot of time searching online for flatwater classification systems because it appears that there really isn't one, otherwise I think it would have shown up rather prominently, like the ISRD system does. So should there be a risk classification system for flatwater? And what would it include?
