The power of water can be intimidating, especially fast moving whitewater. Humans tend to fear what we don't understand and when we first come to a swiftly flowing river it appears chaotic and scary because we don't yet understand the flow of the currents.

If you want to feel less fearful and more confident on the river it's worth taking the time to visualize yourself feeling good and making the moves you want to make.

During a recent visit to a college where I was a keynote motivational speaker one of the students made a comment about whitewater that I had never heard before.

As the paddling season approaches many of you are probably hitting the pool to practice some rolls and get back in the groove before venturing out on the chillier rivers.

In my experience, when female paddlers mess up their lines it's not usually because of their lack of physical skill (although that can be the case too), but it's most often due to their lack of mental preparation and focus.

Kayaking is a relatively intense sport, and all paddlers experience emotion on the river. Sometimes it's the excitement of completing a challenging river or a new freestyle move. Other times it's frustration that comes from failing to attain a goal, fear in the face of difficult whitewater, or intimidation when sitting in an eddy full of skilled paddlers.

Ladies, you don't have to settle for gear that doesn't fit right or look good! Almost every manufacturer is now making gear specifically designed for women. There is a variety of women's PFDs that fit the shapes of your upper bodies, small shaft paddles that are easier to hold, helmets with funky designs, sport tank tops and other comfy underlayers in groovy colours.