[Paddlewise] sea chutes revisited

Wayne Langmaid introduced this topic back on Feb 4.  I still have a few
questions.  I agree with Julio that the information on the web page
about sea chutes was a bit confusing and seemed to apply more to sail
boats.  The section in John Dowd's book on sea chutes does not go into
much detail, either.  I have a feeling that a sea chute would be a good
addition to my safety arsenal (after reading Deep Trouble I'm interested
in just about every safety device and skill known), but I'm not sure.

I have been out on the ocean in scary high seas.  Fortunately there was
a sheltered beach to land on.  But I know that's not always the case.
What if you're really tired and the wind and waves are forcing you into
a cliff?  Could you paddle directly into the waves say a half mile off
shore, set your sea chute and then using your rudder, or maybe your
paddle as a rudder, steer your kayak down the coast while you attempt to
scout out a suitable beach to land on?

We were taking 10 foot seas with gnarly white caps off the rear
quarter.  It was a lot of work but we weren't overly tired.  If we had
needed to I know we could have rested by pointing our bows into the
waves, but then we would have been heading away from shore.  My vision
of the sea chute would be that you would get out of the immediate danger
of the rocks near shore, set your chute, and drift slowly in a
controlled manner.  Your bow would still be pointed out to see, but you
would be stable, and you could look over your shoulder for a landing
site, possibly using the Steph Dutton technique of keeping the chute
deployed through the surf zone.

Is this what sea chutes can be used for?  Has anybody used one for
similar purposes?

Thanks,

Keith Kaste



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