| term | definition | |
| 1. | bow | front of boat |
| 2. | breaking in/breaking out | entering/exiting an eddy |
| 3. | capsize drill | drill that every paddler must practise before paddling a kayak |
| 4. | draw stroke | technique for drawing boat sideways |
| 5. | eddy | relatively still pocket of water below boulders, logs, etc. |
| 6. | eskimo roll | technique for flipping a boat back up the right way without bailing out |
| 7. | flat water | water where there is no current or a very slow-moving current |
| 8. | grade | degree of difficulty from 1-6 — grade 1 is easiest; grade 6 is suicidal |
| 9. | helmet | essential protection in whitewater |
| 10. | J-stroke | technique that stops boat turning away from paddle |
| 11. | K1/C2 | 1-seater kayak/2-seater canoe |
| 12. | pebble race | shallow gently descending section of river — often too shallow to paddle |
| 13. | portage | carry your boat between sections of the river that cannot be paddled |
| 14. | PFD | personal flotation device (i.e. like a “life jacket”) |
| 15. | raft up | when all boats join up alongside each other pointing the same way |
| 16. | river left/river left | right/left side of river when you are facing downstream |
| 17. | standing wave/stopper | wave forming below boulder or log in midstream; can be surfed |
| 18. | stern | rear of boat |
| 19. | stern rudder | very effective way of rear paddler preventing boat turning away from paddle |
| 20. | strainer/log jam | obstacles in moving water |
| 21. | sweep stroke | stroke used to turn boat away from paddle |
| 22. | T-handle | canoe paddle |
| 23. | tongue | smooth water in the shape of a V immediately above a drop (aka V) |
| 24. | whitewater | section of river characterised by steep fast water |
| 25. | whitewater float position | safety technique for going down rapid foot-first after capsize |
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