RE: [Paddlewise] How many backups?

> I don't understand this talk of rigging an outrigger for solo rentry
> techniques.  If you depend on a particular rigging on a kayak, what
> happens when you switch to a different boat?  In short, if you depend on a
> boat being setup to support your outrigger, you are screwed when you
> switch boats.

Why would I switch boats???   But lets leave that aside for the 
moment....

> The solution?  A paddlefloat re-entry roll.  This works even if you can't
> roll.  The key is to practice getting into the boat upside down and then

You are assuming that I can't do a paddle float reentry...  

> easilly rolling back up.  The technique is much easier then the
> "traditional" paddlefloat re-entry techniques.  It has the further
> advantage of working in realy rough water --- something I question for the
> traditional, outrigger technique.   

I have not given much thought to using the paddlefloat+paddle and 
roll.  I will compare it tomorrow; but you have to realize, I'm using 
this not as a rescue technique, but as a way to get in and out of 
the boat, maybe as many as a dozen times while on a particular 
spot.  My main concern is how much energy I burn doing each of 
the techniques.  The point of getting back in the boat is to be able 
to rest between a series of dives...  If I end up exhausted from 
performing an athletic excercise of tipping over the boat, slipping in, 
rolling back up, and pumping out water; I didn't exactly accomplish 
anything positive.  The outrigged boat should stay, more or less, 
unswamped...

> So my advice is skip all this worry about how to rig a kayak to support
> the outrigger.  The re-entry roll feels weird at first, but once you
> practice entering the boat upside down a couple times, the re-entry roll
> will work every time.  

One problem I have is staying in the boat upside down.  The 
cockpit on mine is very quite large, compared to sexier, 
performance boats.   The outrigger system allows me to avoid 
dealing with this particular problem.

I have honestly thought about using a fairly dangerous idea of 
having a fastex waist belt hold me in the seat so that I can roll; 
though I have not, as of yet, given up on learning to roll without 
such a support.


Richard Walker
Houston, TX
http://www.neosoft.com/~rww/kayak_log.html
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