Re: [Paddlewise] How many backups?

Good topic idea, Julio!

Last weekend, I had an interesting experience regarding backups. I decided
on a lark to go paddling in a little storm that we had last saturday in
Seattle. Winds were blowing 20 knots, with gusts to 25. I paddled from
Golden Gardens to the lighthouse on West Point (about 1 nmi), where there
is a meteorological station with hourly web updates, so I knew for sure
that the winds were 20 knots. :) Wind waves were about 2 feet.

On Thu, 22 Oct 1998, Julio MacWilliams wrote:

> This list is too silent; let us reopen one of the classical subjects.
> 
> How many backups do you have for self rescue?

I had rushed to get my boat (a current designs gulfstream which I am
reviewing for sea kayaker magazine), and then get on the water before the
wind died down. It was only after I had unloaded the boat and put on my
drysuit that I realized that I had forgotten my pump and paddlefloat! 

Since I was alone, my only option for self-rescue was my eskimo roll. I
had also forgotten my flares, signal mirror, and a VHF. (Julio, lets add
those to the rescue option list below). I decided that if I went for a
swim, I would have no way to get back into the kayak, or even summon help.
There was a sailboat race about 1 mile downwind of West Point, and also
there is quite a good bit of boat traffic in this area.

So what would you do in this situation, go home, or go for a paddle?

I decided to go for a paddle, even though I knew I would be Sea Kayaker
Magazine Safety Report fodder if something went wrong. Obviously, most
people would consider this a very unsafe thing to do. Here are the
questions that I asked myself before going out.

1. What do you think about the conditions? 
 my answer to myself:  These conditions look fun. I am excited to get out
on the water and do some wind-wave surfing.  Too bad the waves are only 2
feet.
 
2. Will you have any trouble handling these conditions?
 Answer: I doubt it. It would be kind of fun if I did have some trouble. I
could always duck in behind west Point if I encounter anything close to my
limits.

3. If you flip, what are the chances that you might miss your roll?
Answer: Que? no comprende "miss your roll"...

4. What happens in the event of the worst case scenario?
Answer: If I get separated from my boat, I will float in my bright yellow
drysuit until rescued by a boat. There is heavy boat traffic in this area,
and I should be able to last quite a while in my drysuit.

So as you can see, I had a lot of confidence in my ability to handle the
conditions. I have an excellent roll on both sides, which I practice
regularly in the ocean and on the river. I rarely miss my first attempt at
a roll, but I have the motivation to keep trying my roll if I miss the
first two or three atttempts.

So what happened on my paddle? First, I paddled at an estimated 2.5 knots
directly into a 20 knot headwind. Yes, it was hard work, but it was kind
of fun. Then I got to West Point for the 1 mile downwind run with the
waves. Surfing was quite good, and I enjoyed testing my boat to its
limits. I found that it caught waves well enough, but that it broached
quite easily with the skeg retracted. I liked the performance best with
the skeg fully extended. Then, it had the least tendency to broach, but I
was still able to actively position myself where I wanted on the wave
face. I was pleasantly surprised by the boats ability to surf, although I
would still consider it a dog...

The most exciting part of the trip came when I tried too hard to fight a
broach with a stern rudder. Suddenly I found myself doing a desperation
high brace to prevent a capsize. The brace didn't work, and I was going
under. momentary panic ensued, "I am all alone, don't miss my roll!  Of
course I'm not going to miss my roll... Set-up, sweep, hipsnap. Hey, what
do you know...  it worked the first time!"

In river paddling, we sometimes say that if you run the river too many
times without needing to roll, then you are wimping out and not pushing
your skill limits enough. It felt good to exercise my roll at sea, which
is something that I have not had to do in a very long while.

The rest of the paddle was even more fun, given the good feeling of making
a successful roll when it really mattered. I surfed down to the sailboat
races, which I watched for a little at the upwind mark. It was neat to
watch the boats tacking upwind and vying for position around the mark. It
was also neat to watch the boats unfurl their spinnakers with big snap.
However sailboat racing in general seemed like a very uptight sport, and I
saw very few smiles on the faces of sailors during the race. Perhaps they
wait until the pub after the race to let loose. :) I think I prefer the
individual freedom of a solo kayak.

Well, I think that about wraps up my story. I should close with the
comment that a solid roll is the absolute best self-rescue device there
is, and I would encourage all kayakers to practice their roll if at all
possible. Finally, whitewater rivers and the ocean surf are the best
proving grounds for developing your bombproof roll.

Happy paddling,
Kevin


> 
> Ideally, a good paddler would know how to roll on both sides.
> As a first backup, he/she would grab a spare paddle, or half paddle,
> from the deck and roll up with it.
> As a second backup, he/she could roll up with an inflated or solid
> paddlefloat after retrieving it from the deck.
> A third back up would be having a solid hands roll.
> A fourth back up, would be to carry a 1.5 feet PVC pipe to use as
> a snorkel while awaiting for assistance.
> 
> For those without a roll I can only think of having competent partners
> in every paddle.
> As a second backup, a good very buoyant paddlefloat, but avoid rough seas.
> As a third backup an inflatable raft. I have already evaluated the
> sea seat with a D grade (see last Sea Kayaker magazine), but considering
> the absence of alternative, it is better than nothing.
> A fourth backup is the photograph of a beloved one.
> 
> Let me emphasize that we are talking about backups here. The first line
> of defense of every paddler is to assess the conditions properly 
> to stay out of trouble. Such an assessment needs to be done with care
> of not falling into the risk homeostasis cycle. Please refer to
> John Winters page to learn about that.
> 
> - Julio
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