If you row or paddle often enough on the Bay, eventually something will go wrong. The key is anticipating problems, thinking about how you can prevent them, and knowing how to handle them.
As part of your certification outing. You will need to plan your trip. You should think ahead about what problems might arise, how you can avoid them, and what you might do if they did happen.
Here are some problems that have happened in the past. How would you handle them?
| Problem | How can you Mitigate? | Action if it Happens |
| Bumping into a swimmer | ||
| Hard landing at the dock in a wooden boat | ||
| Capsize and your kayak blows away from you | ||
| Current sweeps you under a pier or pilings | ||
| Fog comes down while you’re at Alcatraz | ||
| Wind comes up while you’re out at Angel Island | ||
| Current too strong to row against to get home. | ||
| Big ship heading straight towards you | ||
| Capsize (or fall out of boat) in winter | ||
| Oar / Paddle breaks on the water | ||
| Boat breaks in half while you’re rowing in the middle of the Bay |
