How do you execute 'Give way port, Backwater starboard' commands?

Prepare for the Water Survival 929 Test. Use flashcards, multiple choice questions, hints, and explanations. Get water safe!

The command test is about translating mixed naval rowing directions into actual oar work. “Give way port” means the rowers on the port side should propel the boat forward, moving away from the other vessel on that side. “Backwater starboard” tells the starboard-side rowers to reverse their stroke, pushing water backward to produce backward thrust on that side. Taken together, you perform the port side forward and the starboard side backward, which yields the intended maneuver to yield or move away to the port side. This combination matches executing port oars in a forward direction while starboard oars go astern, which is why that option is correct.