>> Wilky; There are a couple of main reasons that the paddlefloat/paddle is attached to the back deck and not the front. [BTW you can do a paddlefloat rescue off the front deck but it is a bit trickier.] The first reason is that the front deck tends to be more pinicalled (sp?) than the rear deck and hence will act as a fulcrum to the paddle. This causes a loss of support. The second reason is that it is often necessary to, using your hands, feet etc, to keep the paddle at a right angle to the boat during the rescue to maintain the "outrigger" effect. Re-entering requires that you get onto your back deck and enter the cockpit feet first, hence, if the paddle is on your back deck it is easily maintained in that position. If it is on the front deck it is much harder to keep in place. The huge disadvantage of having the paddle on the back deck is that, once the boat has been emptied and you are ready to get underway, it is necessary to remove the paddle from under the rear bungies etc. It is not uncommon for a tired, cold paddler to fall back over at this point. Having a quick-release system of some sort helps. John Winskill >> ************************************************************************** * Good points. Also, when I am using a paddle float to help me climb up on the afterdeck -- which in most kayaks is lower and therefore more stable than crawling up on the foredeck -- I find it handy (footy?) to lever myself up by hooking one foot over the paddle shaft. However, a reentry and roll is at least twice as fast as the fastest paddle float reentry, and if your roll is a bit shaky, your paddlefloat can help you roll and then provide extra stability while you pump out and refasten your spray skirt. Chuck Holst *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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