Water crossings and boat kit: what to check before you launch

The pre-launch check

Inflate fully at home before you ever need it, and leave it a few hours to find slow leaks. Valves are the usual culprit and are usually fixable with a valve key that costs almost nothing.

Carry the pump, a patch kit with fresh adhesive, spare valve cores, and paddles that are actually attached to the boat rather than borrowed at the last moment. Adhesive dries out in storage, so replace it when you do the annual check.

• Full inflation test and leak check once a year
• Patch kit with in-date adhesive, plus a valve key
• Paddles and a bailer or sponge stored with the boat
• Painter line at the bow for tying off and towing

Cold water is the real hazard

European rivers and floodwater sit at temperatures that cause cold water shock: an involuntary gasp, rapid breathing and loss of grip strength within seconds. Swimming ability makes far less difference than people assume.

A buoyancy aid keeps your airway clear during that first minute, which is the minute that matters. Add a whistle and a light, keep a throw line in the boat, and never send someone out alone.

The survival scenario: reaching a cut-off property

Floodwater has isolated a house and someone inside needs medication. Where water is standing and shallow, a small inflatable with two people, buoyancy aids and a line can make that trip. Where it is moving, it cannot — and the correct call is to hand it to emergency services.

Decide that boundary before you are standing at the water's edge. The most common bad outcome in floods is a well-meant rescue attempt that turns one casualty into three.