How to use a whistle...
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Category: General
Forum Name: Whitewater Forum
Forum Discription: Open Discussion Forum. Whitewater related subjects only
URL: http://www.professorpaddle.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=6169
Printed Date: 17 Sep 2025 at 11:37am
Topic: How to use a whistle...
Posted By: SupaSta
Subject: How to use a whistle...
Date Posted: 14 Jan 2008 at 6:35pm
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There's a good thread on BoaterTalk about using whistles
I thought I should ask the question here since you guys are the people I'm most likely to see on the river.
My take:
One whistle blast to get someone's attention - not an emergency, but good idea to find out why.
Three whistle blasts for emergency (someone's pinned & needs help fast, there's wood not visible from above, I've fallen and I can't get up, etc.)
Comments?
Dan
------------- Life is short, paddle hard! |
Replies:
Posted By: James
Date Posted: 14 Jan 2008 at 6:49pm
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I agree with the 1 and 3 but I would go further and say that there are other group dynamics to consider. First if your doing a run that is hard or a run where you know you might be split up between falls or drops then you should have a preplanned strategy behind your whistles.... IE. continued whistling or 3 short bursts is danger ... where as one means your clear to go... That is very common. First dude runs it... then you either see a waiving paddle or your hear a quick beep.. followed by silience... you think, ok hes good..wait for one more so I'm sure he's callin me .... beep... followed by more silience .... hes definitly calling me down, here I come.... Or if its just you and dufay together you don't take whistles because you plan on running each other over and using the whistle room for something else... Now if your going with Chris Tretwold.. you can count on hearing more whoot ... whoot's than whistles. My general rule is .. if I am in question, I'll confirm before I get on the water. Nothing can replace good safety skills and understanding! ------------- |
Posted By: hugo
Date Posted: 14 Jan 2008 at 7:41pm
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a lot of dudes use one whistle blow for all good (when running big drops when the lz is not visible) 2 blows means hold fast..3 blows-poop hit the propellor
h ------------- suck it |
Posted By: water wacko
Date Posted: 14 Jan 2008 at 7:44pm
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The best is getting a style that your group uses so everyone is on the same page. Rescue 3 teaches 1 blast = attention, 2 = attention upstream, 3= downstream, 3 long repeated blasts means emergency. ------------- "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." ~Howard Thurman |
Posted By: SupaSta
Date Posted: 14 Jan 2008 at 9:44pm
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The argument for a standard that EVERYONE knows is that you never know who you're going to run into out there.
Suppose that Cascade boaters think the 1-blow, 3-blow thing is lame and we adopt a 3-blow, 5-blow system. Everything's fine as long as only Cascade boaters paddle in the Cascades. However, if a some punk from Idaho decides to try the Sky and his buddy gets pinned, he can do 3-blows until he's blue in the face, everyone's just going to think he's needy for attention.
I know what you're thinking, who cares about some punk from Idaho, he should have known he couldn't handle the gnarliness of our rivers, serves him right. But no, that could happen the other way. What if Leif and D4 go to Colorado and get in trouble. They can do 5-blows all day and not get help; everyone will just think they're crazy.
Alright, so that's rediculous. But still, the point is that standards can be good. Of course it's probably good to know that not everyone is going to follow the standard. It soulds like at least everyone knows that 3-blows means something serious is going on.
Dan ------------- Life is short, paddle hard! |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: 14 Jan 2008 at 10:43pm
No one ever agrees on things these days... well except the fact that hugo has never had his whistle blown!!!!! ![]("smileys/smiley10.gif")
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Posted By: hugo
Date Posted: 14 Jan 2008 at 10:47pm
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Tell me about it man, not getting my whistle blown is totally lame. ------------- suck it |
Posted By: water wacko
Date Posted: 15 Jan 2008 at 6:58am
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I agree Dan, not everyone follows standards. Get a system that works for your crew and practice on FITW or something like that. ------------- "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." ~Howard Thurman |
Posted By: RemAcct2
Date Posted: 15 Jan 2008 at 9:44am
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Now Dan, why would I be boating with D4 in Colorado? D4 is a sea kayaker. I boat with whitewater kayakers, like D1, for instance... Hoping D4 reads this and fires back... Besides, I use the same standards as the ferry...A series of short blasts followed by a long blast means abandon ship. ------------- |
Posted By: Ryan
Date Posted: 15 Jan 2008 at 11:26am
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Whistles are important and all but Hugo's slinging mud on my good name! Those are fightin' words! We need to discuss this over beer... or did we. ------------- |
Posted By: slickhorn
Date Posted: 15 Jan 2008 at 11:39am
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Here are some of my favorite whistle signals. L = long blast, S = short blast SSSLLLSSS - "Chopper pilot, I'm down here! EVAC MY ASS!!!" LLL - "Don't worry, we IKers are pros at this. He'll self rescue before he washes into the portage. Probably." S - "Does this thing work?" sometimes "Hi bob!" May be confused with L signal. That's A-OK. SSL - Scott just boat scouted. Should we stop and scout, or just start hiking out?" LL - Lunch stop! L - Quick I need safety! LS - My lighter is wet! Anyone got a waterproof one? SLS - You missed the portage eddy. Sorry dude. SSL - Don't worry, a throwbag is coming. Really. I am watching someone run back to their to get a rope. Just hang in there. It's not that retentive. I saw a flash of helmet, does that mean you got a breath? Oh, he can't unlock the biner holding the rope into his boat. Stick with it dude! LSL - Oh shit, we put in on the wrong river! SSSL - Can someone get that log out my way? I can't catch an eddy in time to portage. Then there are the classic multiday signals: LSS - Shit, we missed our camp. SLLS - pull over and collect firewood LLSL - where the @#%^ are we? SLSL - the outfitters took our camp. Arm your selves with guideknives and attack! * please note I do not condone attacking camp poachers. That is, unless they've poached your camp, in which case they forfeit all intoxicating substances, cash, and cute female clients, and must vacate the camp in 30 minutes or less to avoid boat damage. ------------- |
Posted By: cronar
Date Posted: 15 Jan 2008 at 12:28pm
Damn, Brian, that's why it sounds like a bird sanctuary when you guys are on the river. Maybe you should consider taking up swahili?![]("smileys/smiley1.gif") |
Posted By: Fish
Date Posted: 15 Jan 2008 at 1:32pm
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Damn B, looks like you got it about covered. You did forget one however... LLS - David has pinned again, it's your turn to set up the Z drag, HAHAHA |
Posted By: Ik'er
Date Posted: 15 Jan 2008 at 2:55pm
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Don't forget -LLSSLL " I just ran out of booze, what do you have left ?!" ")
S~
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Posted By: Tobin
Date Posted: 15 Jan 2008 at 5:44pm
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Ask Hugo, he blows like the wind! ------------- Sure? |
Posted By: hugo
Date Posted: 16 Jan 2008 at 11:23am
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I got nothing, it hurts when you all talk ill of me. I am fragile. ------------- suck it |
Posted By: RemAcct2
Date Posted: 16 Jan 2008 at 11:29am
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So that fragility explains the Anonymity (and perhaps Animosity)? ------------- |
Posted By: hugo
Date Posted: 16 Jan 2008 at 11:32am
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damn dude, you cleaned up your keyboard pretty fast. ------------- suck it |
Posted By: Ryan
Date Posted: 16 Jan 2008 at 11:43am
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ahhhh hugo shows his soft side... Originally posted by hugo sniffle sniffle, i'm sorry, sniffle sniffle. I don't want to hurt anyones feelings. Please be my internet friend! ![]("smileys/smiley36.gif") ------------- |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: 16 Jan 2008 at 3:51pm
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I just don't know if I like this whole hugo thing .... It is all such deception and deceit... I can't even tell if Ryan is Ryan anymore ------------- |
Posted By: slickhorn
Date Posted: 16 Jan 2008 at 3:53pm
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time to start logging IPs along with usernames ala mtn buzz!
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Posted By: RemAcct2
Date Posted: 16 Jan 2008 at 7:10pm
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Brian - I am told that web proxy (there are many, an example would be anonymizer.com) are being used to mask their IP address. While there are ways to defeat these sorts of sites, they would violate various laws and implied terms of service. Ultimately, we are going to have to put up with this. As someone suggested to me today (who can take credit for this wisdom if they should so desire) - Trolls go away when they are ignored. ------------- |
Posted By: water wacko
Date Posted: 16 Jan 2008 at 7:21pm
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I wanna boat with Homo and show him some NW hospitality. Where you boatin' this weekend, Homo? ------------- "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." ~Howard Thurman |
Posted By: hugo
Date Posted: 17 Jan 2008 at 1:01pm
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Is everybody on the "Jackson Posse" as homophobic as you? ------------- suck it |
Posted By: belshazzar
Date Posted: 30 Jan 2008 at 7:38pm