Re: [Paddlewise] Breathing tube

   Years ago, when I was learning to roll I put together a "breathing tube"
from a three foot (give or take) length of garden hose with a diving regulator
mouthpiece taped onto one end. The free end of the hose would be tucked into
my sprayskirt tube so when the boat was inverted I could breath the air in the
boat providing unlimited (yeah, I know, not quite) down time to really work
the bugs out of my technique. It worked really well! Of course you need either
a face mask or nose plugs in order to prevent taking water up the nose when
you inhale.
   Since then I have mentioned my "breathing tube" to others only to find that
people who are familiar with breathing through snorkels do much better with it
then those folks who do not have that experiance. The other drawback to it is
the panicked looks on the faces of onlookers when I finally came up, who
didn't realize what I was doing. 
   As far as it's use as a viable rescue device - - - - well who am I to
question Steph Dutton? Personally, I think it's just one more piece of
equipment cluttering up what precious space I have. I would rather spend a bit
more time working on my rescue skills and save the space in my boat for
something more important like a nice bottle of wine.

Scott
So.Cal.
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