Most whitewater paddlers have heard the rule: "keep your feet up," the cardinal rule for avoiding foot entrapments. This defensive swimming strategy is important, but there are a few other things to know about swimming whitewater.

Swimming in whitewater has several different styles: defensive, aggressive, and special techniques for dealing with strainers, holes, drops, and big water. A backstroke is used for orientation and protection. A crawl stroke works well for deep-water power. And special techniques are used for catching eddies, handling unavoidable strainers and drops, and dealing with holes and big water. Don't wait until you really need the skill to practice. There is no replacement for on-the-water training with an instructor.

Defensive Swim- The First Thing
The first thing to do after an unexpected swim is get on your back with your feet pointing downstream. Floating in this defensive swimming position will help you evaluate what lies ahead, and protect you in shallow spots.

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When you see a hazard to avoid, or an eddy or shore for safety, angle your body and backstroke to maneuver. Move around by angling your body in the direction you want to go and backstroking upstream. Look between your feet at what you are avoiding. Think of aiming the top of your head for your destination.

When floating, keep your body lined up with the current so you can slip by rocks without hitting them. If necessary, use your legs to absorb the impact from rocks. If the river is shallow, arch your back to keep your feet up high. Turn your head and time your breathing to take in air between waves and holes. This timing is harder than it looks, and takes some concentration.

While swimming, always keep your feet near the surface, and never try to stand up. If your foot gets caught, the water pushes your body over and can hold you underwater. A foot entrapment is a dangerous, but avoidable situation.

Experienced paddlers can make this mistake. Swim properly unless it is just too shallow to do anything.

Swimming Aggressively
If you need more power, change to an aggressive swimming technique. Roll over on your stomach and use a crawl stroke. Breathe on the downstream side to avoid inhaling water. This style of swim is pretty tiring, so it is best for short, intense bursts. A breast stroke or side stroke will improve your visibility but slow your progress.

Any swimming is exhausting, and you'll be thankful for a little practice and fitness training. The crawl style aggressive swim is especially important for rivers with deep turbulent water. See where you want to be and get there!

Don't Miss The Obvious: Grab A Rock
If the current is powerful, you may not be able to swim into eddies, so your best chance may be grabbing for a rock, or even swimming head first up onto a friendly rock. In certain cases this can save you from a long, battering swim.

Strainer Swim
You want to avoid this predicament, but if you find yourself unavoidably swimming towards a strainer, swim headfirst and kick flat to launch up and over the top. The goal is to keep your head up. The normal feet first position is too passive for strainers-swim head first!

Vertical Drops
This is a concern with sheer drops of several feet or more. When approaching a vertical drop, ball up to avoid the possibility of washing into a foot entrapment.

Swimming In A Pourover Hole
Swimming in holes can be big fun with the right wave hole. But, it is not fun in larger pourover holes. If you feel stuck, don't just swim for the surface. Change your shape to see if this causes the hole to spit you out. The most reliable method of flushing out of a hole is swimming aggressively for the sides where water rushes by, or swimming upstream to hook up with current flushing out underneath.

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Swimming In Big Water
It is best to avoid a swim on long stretches of continuous whitewater, especially in cold, flooded rivers lined with trees and strainers. If you end up in an unfortunate big water swim, be super aggressive if you see a way to get to safety. Watch the currents to decide if you are safer staying with the extra floatation of your boat, or abandoning your boat to allow an aggressive swim. In big flows you will probably need help getting to shore, and you'll be thankful your group has the skills to assist.

Dress For A Swim
You end up in the water when you least expect it, usually from an unplanned swim or minor rescue situation. Being prepared to swim starts when you dress for the river. Cold water and hypothermia are an obvious threat on nasty snowy days. But good weather days can be deceptive. If the air temperature plus the water temperature combined is less than 120 degrees, it is pretty chilly. Check the water temperature, and dress accordingly.

Snug, quality helmets and PFDs round out proper preparation for boating. Keep everything streamlined so nothing holds water or can get snagged.

Author Kent Ford recently released Whitewater Self Defense, an instructional video designed for recreational whitewater paddlers. His books and videos are available from Outdoorplay.