Re: [Paddlewise] Landing a victim through surf

My initial reaction was that I would have the victim swim to shore with a
support team on the beach assisted by a strong swimmer in the water. Some
of the responses on this thread have been very thought-provoking.

Carrying a swimmer on the aft deck, with a hold on your waist might be a
good solution depending on your circumstances but my belief is that the
victim would probably not hang on long in violent surf. I usually side-surf
the kayak to the beach in rough surf and this would leave the victim
struggling to hold on and possibly getting hit by the paddle should they
pivot around perpendicular to the keel. Perhaps keeping the bow to the surf
and landing backwards would be a better approach, but sooner or later the
boat will broach. As someone else has noted, even if the victim falls off,
they would at least be closer to shore than if they had started swimming.
If you successfully arrive near the beach carrying the victim, I would
prefer to have the victim drop off and swim the remaining yards to the
beach rather than risk the kayak injuring the victim upon landing (the
kayak could roll or entrap a limb while sliding up the beach). 

Ralph's idea of putting the victim in a stable boat and having a strong
swimmer guide them to shore has merit. As an enhancement, I would place a
paddlefloat over each end of the victim's paddle blades outside of the surf
zone. If the victim has enough strength and dexterity to hold the paddle,
this might add to the chance of success.

Greg Stamer 



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