Here is another take on ballast. In many cases people are paddling a boat that needs more load aboard to be on their lines and handle best. a boat designed to carry a 200 lb paddler and 100+ lbs of gear is not likely to be comfortable to paddle by a person who only weighs 150 lb, even though it might be great with that paddler and 150 lb of gear. The solution is to add enough ballast to get the boat down enough to handle well. As long as we are adding things to the boat, why not make them do as many different things as possible? Rather than bolt lead into the kayak, carry a bigger first aid kit, more signaling devices, some (or more) emergency rations, etc., you get the idea. Carry things that you would want to have along. The second part of this is to attach these items to the kayak, as low as possible and on the centerline. This way they also add stability. To aid with longevity, emergency rations, clothes, etc., can be vaccuum sealed in heavy plastic so that if the time comes when you need them, they are still dry. Lead is very efficient for getting lots of weight into a small space but that is about all that it is good for, you can't eat it. :-)) jackie_at_intelenet.net wrote: > > From: "K. Whilden" <kwhilden_at_u.washington.edu> > > > The comment regarding sponsons is a joke referring to Mr. Unmentionable's > > penchant for raping the laws of physics and logic in his defense. I do > > not advocate any device as a substitute for skill, but rather I believe > > devices should be a supplement to skill. > > I think ballast fall into this category... a supplement. It is a supplement but can be much more, see above. > Agreed. Many do, but there seems to be an awful lot of rescues of > sea kayakers without appropriate skills from that recent coastguard report > (such as those who could not even re-enter their boats). Perhaps, but for comparison, how many times does the coast guard have to rescue commercial fishermen? I hear of very large numbers of fishermen dieing at sea but rarely hear any outrage or push for real prevention. I do not like to hear of deaths of kayakers, especially those that could have been easily prevented by a little training and practice, but I often think the danger is shown out of proportion. Has anybody looked at the death and injury rate for High School football? > > There > > are lots of simple little drills that can be done while paddling to > > improve technique without undue effort. My personal favorite is paddling > > with the boat on edge for an extended time (1-5 minutes). This does > > wonders for edging and hip snap strength, as well as directional control > > because boats turn easier when leaned. This is a great tip. Please keep droping more like this. > I think paddling parallel to the beach in surf (not big stuff) is good > for developing bracing skills (besides being fun). This is also a good one, lots a practice in a short time. > > I can believe that pooch_yakkin' does wonders for bracing skills. If you > > want to increase the level of challenge, you might consider upgrading to > > a St. Bernard. :) Great art snipped > "You ought'n to talk about open-water fetch when Tiny is along." I have a friend who has a rotweiller who likes to swim with (chase) the sea lions. It can be a bit exciting when he gets out and back into the boat. :-) michael *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net ***************************************************************************
From: Michael Neverdosky <MichaelN_at_cycat.com> > jackie_at_intelenet.net wrote: > <snip> > > Agreed. Many do, but there seems to be an awful lot of rescues of > > sea kayakers without appropriate skills from that recent coastguard report > > (such as those who could not even re-enter their boats). > > Perhaps, but for comparison, how many times does the coast guard have to > rescue commercial fishermen? I hear of very large numbers of fishermen > dieing at sea but rarely hear any outrage or push for real prevention. I've forwarded at least one study from the Center for Disease Control on the subject using the results from one area to warn fishermen in all areas. There are more regulations governing commercial fishermen than there are for sea kayaking. Just because :you: rarely hear outrage or push for real prevention, doesn't mean it doesn't exit. The case study I forwarded is only one example. > I do not like to hear of deaths of kayakers, especially those that could > have been easily prevented by a little training and practice, but I often > think the danger is shown out of proportion. Has anybody looked at the > death and injury rate for High School football? Other than I don't see the relation between HS football deaths and sk deaths, HS football also includes a lot of of training and practice with the awareness of what risks are possible and first aid is always nearby. The problem in sea kayaking often results from uneducated risks. And no one is involved in SAR of HS football players. When a kayaker goes missing, there tends to be a lot of noise (as well as expense) about it and the possibility of other individuals put at risk performing the rescue of a sea kayaker. Much of what happens is preventable with training, especially training in the area of awareness and prevention in the first place. <snip> > I have a friend who has a rotweiller who likes to swim with (chase) the > sea lions. It can be a bit exciting when he gets out and back into the > boat. :-) Depending on where this is taking place, your friend could be subject to a very hefty fine and might want to check into that if he/she hasn't already done so. Just an fyi. cheers, Jackie http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/ _ _ _ _ _ \\ / \0/ \ / \0/ \ \\ " " `\ ,sSSs,\, )\w/( ,sSS..)/{) <<..> sSSS_v)/ \ )<*> sSS[(\_]___\ <(_/_o_o_ 'sS[_`-+---+) \----+-------+-------'---`-----\-------------') ~~~~~~~ ~~jf ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~\~ ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ o \ o \\ o o \\ o o ` (\ o o >jf:-) o (/ o *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net ***************************************************************************
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