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Each time you don a lifejacket, examine it for signs of wear or damage by seeing that the harness is securely attached and the valve is firmly fixed in its seating. Fasten it as tightly as is compatible with comfort. Never use it as a cushion and stop children from chewing the valve-cap tongue. Wash it well with soap and fresh water, never detergents or solvents, after being exposed to saltwater or when marked by mud.

The proper care of your lifejacket while in store means hanging it in a dry place of even temperature, and occasionally dusting it lightly with French chalk to preserve it. Check its efficiency sometimes by inflating and dipping the valve-cap under water to look for any leaking air. When a lifejacket is first bought, try deliberately falling into a river as a practice test for this vital piece of equipment.

After having stressed the importance of possessing a proper lifejacket and looking after it, I want to say that another of my secrets for enjoying good canoeing is to try something adventurous or make an unusual voyage. As an example, therefore, of what can be done, some remarks about the Severn bore are given, followed by brief notes and suggestions for taking your boat underground: so refreshingly cool on a hot day, and perfectly safe away from traffic.

Many canoeists think about taking their boats on the Severn bore for a speedy out-of-the-ordinary run up an estuary where it is possible to travel forty miles on the same tide, but the majority do not actually get round to setting off when they realize the risks involved.

At spring tides the Severn bore is a spectacular wall of water, perhaps six feet in height, or rather, a series of waves stretching right across from bank to bank, some smooth, some breaking. The height of these waves becomes insignificant at periods of neap tides when they present absolutely no danger. According to conditions, bores vary tremendously: a south-west gale will raise a big bore; while heavy flood water coming down the river will tend to make them less formidable.

It is indeed an exciting sport for expert canoeists to ride the Severn bore, but they should indulge in some practice on small and medium-sized ones before tackling the monsters! The technique is to wait for the arrival of the rushing water well clear of the bank (near which breaking waves are more likely to occur) and paddle straight into the oncoming bore, turning round quickly after its head has passed and following it upstream. This novel kind of sport should not be attempted alone, nor in a boat having a large cockpit or an inefficient spray apron.

Smooth waves present no real problems of navigation provided a canoe hits them head-on or nearly so: it is the foam-spitting ones which seem incredibly menacing, and anyone capsizing while surfing on the back of the bore would probably get into serious difficulties even if not struck by a tree trunk being hurtled along. An altogether safer way of experiencing the milder thrills of canoeing here is to cruise at a respectable distance behind the leading waves. This is best done by hiding up a side channel while sitting in your canoe until the front of the bore has swept past and then paddling briskly in pursuit. Take care not to overtake the more turbulent waves which are liable to break when passing over shallows and re-form again.

Before venturing into this estuary, reputed to be so treacherous for small craft, it is very desirable to read The Severn B01″e by F. W. Rowbotham and to heed his advice. The photographs in that book give a good idea of what to expect, showing that a voyage in the vicinity of the bore will always have its hazards. Below Gloucester the bore’s speed may be up to thirteen miles an hour. After first forming at Awre, it flows a total distance of twenty-one miles. There are about 260 bores annually, of which fifty can be described as large, the biggest being seen near a vernal or autumnal equinox, just after new or full moons.