Re: [Paddlewise] Rough Water Rescue and Foot Pumps

I would like to second some of the thoughts that John shared.  In true self
rescues reattaching the sprayskirt is the biggest chore.  If you can do it from
the maximum point of stability (down periscope-talking to the trout) so much
the better.  For a reentry roll with minimal gear ie not to much bouyancy from
a drysuit or wetsuit, I find it easy to stick my head facing the back of the
seat and rest and breath in the air pocket before someraulting into the boat.
This done it gives me enough time to hook the skirt if I am relaxed. Having
practiced your rescue skills until you are confident is important since if you
are really unnerved you will burn up your air fast!   I would always use a
paddle float roll since the paddle float is useful for the followup pumping
etc.  With a drysuit and full battle gear I find that I tend to float up to one
side of the other of the boat, which makes reentry a bit more difficult but a
half roll or sculling brace usually buys me a bite of air if need extra time to
hook the sprayskirt.

I have used all three systems and I have settled on using a Henderson deck pump
mounted in the middle of my deck in front of me with the low profile fittings
and detachable handle.  This allows me to easily pump with one hand while
bracing on a paddle float with the other hand.  Most important of all it is not
in my way when I don't need it, which is of course most of the time.  The only
disadvantage to this system is that the drop hose goes straight down so if you
do a face-down reentry such as a paddle float rescue you need to cross your
legs as you get in and slide back so that you can turn and sit up without
hitting the hose.

I don't like hand help pumps for a solo rescue because they require at best 1.5
hands to operate - one hand and and elbows, forearms etc. to hold them in
place.  To expect the manufacturers rating of 60 strokes per minute in rough
conditions solo for any pump is just not realistic.  Regardless of your system
you will probably have to pump between the waves and grab your paddle and brace
like hell when the next breaking wave hits you.  If you can pump sixty times
per minute in these conditions you are a far better man than I.  I do believe
that the foot pumps are bit slower in part because you need to wait for the
spring to return the pump to the up position where with and handle you can more
actively pull up.

The foot pump allows you to be ready to brace at all times with the only
compromise being you may have a little poorer footing with one leg during the
pumping.  If conditions are extreme pump when you can and get your feet back on
the braces when you need them.  Regardless this is much better than trying to
use a two handed hand pump and brace with your forearms and elbows on the
paddle shaft.  If given a choice in a solo rescue situation I would always
choose the foot pump, the one-handed deck pump would be my second choice and
the hand pump a distant third.

One place where a hand pump works great is for pumping out other peoples
boats.  With a raft of three you can quickly pump out the victims boat with two
or three pumps from a stable raft.  It is also great to carry a hand pump as
backup in case your pump is frozen or fails for some mechanical reason.  Some
of the comments discussed using longer hoses or attachments to pump out other
boats with a dedicated foot or deck mounted pump.  This works but it is
cumbersome and the more hose lenght you add the lower you pumping rate.  If you
want to be ready as a good Samaritan for a hapless-pumpless victum having a
hand pump is your best bet.  However I would recommend that you instead paddle
with others so you can raft up to pump out and most importantly make sure that
anyone in your group is properly equipped with their own pump so you will not
need to use your pump on their boat.

As for practicing any of the techniques in rough conditions I must admit that I
have only done most practice rescues in at most 3-5 foot seas and winds of
20-25 knots.  However there was never a problem with any of the three ways - I
just found it was by far much more difficult with a hand pump and took much
longer since it was hard to be ready brace when larger waves hit me.  As for
paddling in really nasty conditions pumps and paddle floats are nice backup if
you get seperated from you friends, but there is no substitute for a reliable
roll and couple of skill companions to save your but if you miss that roll.

A reentry roll or a team rescue will likely limit the amount of water in you
kayak, but pumping it out will take time.  As for the scenario of drifting into
the lee shore while pumping, again a group is a big help.  When in doubt anchor
the rescue with a tow line right away and have a second paddler raft with the
capsized victum for stability.  Then you can pump at your leisure and hopefully
not have to choose between being stable and braced for being able to pump.



John C. Winskill wrote:

> Greg;
>
> I went to a foot pump some years ago after ewperimenting with rough
> water rescues and discovering just how difficult it was doing a self
> rescue in 'real' rough water.  Having a paddlefloat on the end of my
> paddle helped to some degree, but not much.  [As an aside;  I know of
> very few paddlers who have actually done self rescue practice in real
> conditions. It certainly makes the decision process alot clearer not
> having to theorize about how a rescue might go.]  Emptying a boat with a
> hand pump by yourself is a hassle in the best of circumstances and well
> nigh impossible when the conditions are rough (not even considering
> being cold).  Using your elbows (or belly) to hold the paddle at a right
> angle to the kayak just does not work very well while you are wrestling
> with your pump and the sea is shoving you all over the place.  The
> paddlefloat is a handy tool but is lousy (and maybe even misleading) in
> true emergency conditions.  Also, I find it bad policy (for myself) to
> be dependent on my paddling partners to rescue me.  This isn't to say
> that I don't appreciate help, it's just that any conditions that may
> result in my having difficulty are most likely going to be difficult to
> rescue or be rescued in.
> The huge advantage of a foot pump is that it allows you to both brace
> and paddle while you empty your boat.  It is also, contrary to what I
> have read over the last few days, not a problem to brace with your knees
> while emptying the boat.  You simply time it as needed.
> Concerning the difficulty in putting on your sprayskirt in rough water.
> I re-enter and roll, pause for a bit to catch my breath, and simply roll
> back over again and put my sprayskirt on while upside down.  It's really
> not that hard to do provided you can force yourself to relax.  It's much
> like stripping a paddle off of your back deck to do a 1/2 paddle roll in
> the event of losing your paddle.  You don't have to keep your balance
> while upside down and it greatly simplifies the process as a result.
> BTW, although the Henderson foot pump is a lower volume pump than the
> standard hand pump it is still much faster in rough water both because
> you can begin pumping immediately and because it uses the large muscles
> of the leg and butt and not simply the arm muscles.
> John Winskill
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