Re: [Paddlewise] footpumps

I have tried it in a real incident, it did not work.

We had 6+ foot seas with high slope, and were just outside of a
rock garden.  Someone in a Romany 16, who obviously did not have
the skills for that trip, capsized.  In spite of his farmer John wet suit,
he became hypothermic withing seconds.

We got him back in his boat, and tried to pump it out. There was about
as much water coming in from the waves, as coming out through the pump.

The wind was pushing us towards the rocks, so we proceeded to tow the 
victim, with someone holding him, away from rocks.  The victim became
even more hypothermic, and eventually capsized again even though someone
was stabilizing his kayak.  We almost lost the guy.  I already described
the incident earlier last year, for your reference, in the context of
how a novice can get into an advance trip unoticed, when there are more
than 10 paddlers.

Anyway, the hand pump was not much help in those conditions.

My advice is that, if you find yourself in similar conditions,
forget about pumping. Get back in the kayak and try to keep yourself
upright until help arrive, or the conditions improve.

If you have a pump other than hand-helf, and your level of energy allows 
it, you might try to pump a little water in between braces, but do not
make that a high priority.

- Julio

> In a message dated 2/1/99 8:10:54 AM Eastern Standard Time, Tomckayak_at_aol.com
> writes:
> 
> << 
>  Have you [bailed out a kayak in distress with a footpump] in the real world
> or did some passionate intsructor/salesman in part this information?
>   >>
> 
> Neither.  Dunno where I got the idea --- although I'm sure it wasn't original.
> But I've done it in drills a good deal, and think it's a viable option to a
> handpump.  (I've also never done CPR in the real world, but I think I'm still
> qualified.)
> 
> Jack

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