Reflect on your experience

Keel-Hauler Self-Assessment Test

A starting point for a conversation with an instructor, mentor, or trip organizer. Think about the boat, equipment, and group you paddle with.

Your answers stay on this page. This worksheet does not send them to a server or save them.

1. How strong of a swimmer are you?

Physical Fitness and Equipment

2. How good is your stamina?

Physical Fitness and Equipment

3. How much upper body strength do you have?

Physical Fitness and Equipment

4. What type of equipment do you use?

Physical Fitness and Equipment

5. Do you have any experience ?

Whitewater Experience

6. Can you read water?

Whitewater Experience

7. How is your boat control?

Whitewater Experience

8. Do you play in whitewater?

Whitewater Experience

9. Can you exit eddies without flipping upside down?

Whitewater Experience

10. Can you ferry?

Whitewater Experience

11. Can you boof?

Whitewater Experience

12. Can you play in holes and brace?

Whitewater Experience

13. Do you have any rescue abilities?

Whitewater Experience

14. Can you roll?

Whitewater Experience

15. Who do you paddle with? Paddling in a strong group will give you the confidence to paddle rivers that are personally challenging.

Whitewater Experience

Where the questions and points came from

Question labels and all choices were retrieved from the club’s self-assessment Google Form on October 19, 2026.

The test was developed by a team of Keel-Haulers led by John Kobak. The club’s Google Form answer key was verified on October 22, 2026, and matched to every question and choice here.

Selecting one answer in each of the 15 categories has a maximum of 41 points. The Form’s 81-point display adds the weights of all its answer rows; it is not a reachable maximum when you choose one answer per category. No percentage conversion is applied.

The archived club calculator uses different choices and wording. This worksheet uses the verified current key, and does not compare your score with a river rating or reproduce the old “within three points” trip-selection rule.