> Tim, I'm asking this seriously in the hope of learning something, not > flippantly (so to speak). How do you work the pump down the sprayskirt > tunnel and operate it with one hand while bracing on the paddle with the > other. Or were you assuming use of a footpump or electric pump? Please allow me to answer that. Hand held pumps are pretty much useless in rough water, unless there is someone else who can stabilize your boat. You can balance yourself with the paddlefloat as an outrigger, but with that, pumping takes an awful lot of time. Then, balancing is difficult because you are using both hands for pumping, and quickly grabbing the paddle with the paddlefloat when about capsize again. The bilge pump that many British boats have, which is actuated with one hand and the spray skirt on, works fairly well. You can leverage the paddle on your deck, while holding onto it with one hand, while the other moves the pump. Foot pumps have one problem. If they are not properly installed, your legs would be busy pumping out water instead of bracing inside the boat. Some people have successfully installed foot pumps in a way that they can have their knees braced under the cockpit, while using their ankles to move the pump. Electric pumps have many failure points --batteries, the pump itself, electric wires, mud blocking the inlet slits. They are very nice to have when they work, but carry a backup. Now let us shift to actual experience. A proficient paddler got out once in very rough seas in Monterey Bay (CA). He capsized and used his paddlefloat to get back on his boat. It is unknown whether he used standard paddlefloat rescue or paddlefloat reentry and roll. The conditions did not allow him to pump out the boat. So, he grabbed his radio, and called for help. He stayed upright using his paddle with the paddlefloat to brace. When the Coast Guard found him more than an hour later, he was suffering mild hypothermia. His, was definitely the right course of action. It can be argued that he should have had a reliable roll, and thus have not come out of his boat. But in rough conditions we all eventually get tired, and our body might not put up with another roll attempt. Then is when we shift to another layer of safety and use other techniques, i.e. paddlefloat rescues. It can also be argued that he should have stayed home watching TV. But had he done that, he nor us would have learned anything. - Julio p.s. The best help is to have another proficient paddler with you. Make sure he is vegetarian, ask John Winters why. :-) *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************Received on Fri Jan 29 1999 - 10:48:34 PST
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