🏛️Official — ICF
Loading OpenSourceSports…
Water Sports
1–2 players
both
paddle, canoe
10 essential rules
Canoeing has been part of the Olympic programme since the 1936 Berlin Games (canoe sprint) and the 1972 Munich Games (canoe slalom). The International Canoe Federation (ICF), founded in 1924, governs all forms of competitive paddling worldwide under the ICF Canoe Sprint Competition Rules, the ICF...
Key Fact: ICF regulations specify maximum length and minimum weight for sprint boats in canoeing.
Sprint boats are long, narrow, and designed for maximum speed on flat water. ICF regulations specify maximum length and minimum weight: K1 (single kayak): Maximum length 520 cm (17 ft 1 in), minimum weight 8 kg (17.6 lb); K2 (double kayak): Maximum length 650 cm (21 ft 4 in), minimum weight 12 kg...
Slalom boats are shorter and more maneuverable to navigate whitewater and gates: K1 Slalom: Maximum length 350 cm (11 ft 6 in), minimum weight 9 kg (19.8 lb), minimum width 60 cm (23.6 in); C1 Slalom: Maximum length 350 cm (11 ft 6 in), minimum weight 8 kg (17.6 lb), minimum width 60 cm (23.6 in)...
Kayak paddle: Double-bladed. No restrictions on length, blade size, or material. Typically 210–220 cm for sprint, 196–200 cm for slalom. Carbon fiber shaft and blade standard at elite level. Blades may be offset (feathered) at various angles.; Canoe paddle: Single-bladed. No restrictions on lengt...
Helmet (Slalom/Kayak Cross): Mandatory. Must meet ICF safety standards. Full-cut design covering temples and back of head. Ear protection required in Kayak Cross.; Buoyancy aid/PFD (Slalom/Kayak Cross): Mandatory. Minimum buoyancy 6 kg (13.2 lb). Must be worn at all times on the water. Cannot res...
Competition bib or number vest worn over the buoyancy aid (slalom) or directly (sprint); National federation uniform required at Olympic events; No restrictions on footwear (many slalom paddlers wear neoprene booties)
A purpose-built regatta course on calm, flat water. Specifications: Distances: 200 m (sprint), 500 m, and 1000 m. The 200 m course uses the final 200 m of the 1000 m course, with a separate start area.; Lanes: 9 racing lanes, each 9 m (29.5 ft) wide. Lane markers (buoys) spaced at 10 m intervals ...
Sprint and slalom have distinct venue requirements.
Length: 200–400 m (656–1,312 ft) of whitewater channel; Water: Artificial (pump-recirculated) or natural river. Artificial channels allow consistent, repeatable water conditions for fair competition. Water flow rate typically 10–15 m³/s.; Gates: 18–25 gates suspended from overhead wires by a...
Length: Approximately 250–350 m modified slalom course; Start ramp: Elevated platform where 4 athletes launch simultaneously on the start signal, sliding down a ramp into the water; Eskimo roll gate: A mandatory section where athletes must capsize and perform an Eskimo roll (self-righting maneuve...
Rescue the swimmer — all other runs stop
In whitewater disciplines (slalom, wildwater), when a paddler capsizes and cannot roll, every nearby paddler abandons their own run to assist. No training rep or race preparation outweighs swimmer safety. Considered the most sacred obligation in whitewater paddling culture across all skill levels.
Formal ICF competition venues deploy dedicated safety kayakers, but the cultural expectation extends universally to training and informal paddling.
Offer your bow to a swimmer
When a paddler is swimming, the nearest paddler paddles over and presents their bow for the swimmer to grab, enabling a tow to the bank. Paddling past a swimmer without offering a bow rescue is a serious breach. The technique is taught at beginner level and expected instinctively at all higher levels.
The specific application of the rescue imperative; the bow rescue is the standard first response in calm water. In heavy whitewater a throw line or other technique may be used instead.
Downstream paddlers have right of way
On moving water, paddlers committed to a downstream line have right of way over those ferrying across current or moving upstream. Anyone eddy-hopping or crossing must yield and time their move around downstream traffic. Universally observed on rivers to prevent collisions.
Ready to dive deeper?
Wait for the all-clear signal before dropping in
In a group, no paddler enters a rapid until the paddler ahead has completed the run and given a visible all-clear — typically a raised paddle. Running on top of another athlete risks collision with a swimmer or pinned boat below. This norm is embedded in every whitewater skills curriculum.
Especially critical in ICF slalom and wildwater training where multiple athletes share a single course corridor.
Scout unfamiliar or serious water before committing — especially when leading
Paddling blind into an unseen or potentially dangerous rapid, particularly when others are following your lead, is considered reckless and a failure of leadership. Experienced paddlers are expected to set the norm by scouting when conditions warrant it, regardless of perceived skill advantage.
Less directly applicable to closed ICF competition venues athletes inspect beforehand; most relevant in wildwater, marathon, and expedition paddling.