A canoe or a kayak is the most efficient way there is to move a load through wild country, and it is also the boat most likely to turn a good day into a fatal one. Paddlecraft make up a small share of the boats on the water and roughly a quarter of the people who die on it. The pattern behind almost all of those deaths is a short list of decisions made before the boat ever left the beach. This guide covers what actually drowns paddlers, how to dress and load for the water you are actually on, what to do in the first seconds of a capsize, and how to get back into the boat.

You cannot out-swim a river. How to read moving water, hold the right body position, use eddies to get out, escape a hole or a strainer, and rescue someone else.

Bogs, mud, and quicksand trap the people who panic and fight them upright. How to recognize soft, sucking ground, cross it if you must, and get yourself out if you’re already stuck.

Cold water kills faster than you think. The 1-10-1 timeline, how to self-rescue back onto ice, and how to treat someone pulled from cold water — including the after-drop trap.

Force rises with the square of speed, which is why crossings fool people. How to judge one, time it, cross it, and recognise the one to walk away from.