The original message date is earlier than when I joined, so all this might have been covered already.... Lots of reason why a rope should float. You hardly ever hit a swimmer bang on with the rope. If it's on the surface he can see it and get to it. Since he is wearing a pfd, how does he go down to get it? Suppose it snags on a rock below; either the swimmer goes under or he has to let go -- so what's the good of the rope? For the same reasons, painters should float. A swimmer must be able to see it and grab onto it. In really cold water his hands might not work too well but he can at least wrap his arms around it a coupla times. There was also an instance last year where an open boater took a swim. Her painter was nonfloating and got tangled in a submerged log. The force of the water pulled the whole boat under. Finally had to pull up and cut the rope which was neither an easy nor safe procedure. Also----- -----Original Message----- >>>So, here is the question. Is it really an advantage that the length >>>of a tow rope floats? >>>I can see one disadvantage. If the thing is floating all over the >>>surface, the chances of getting entangled with it are a lot higher. >>>opinions? From a WW point of view, this is a non-event. If you threw it straight out, then the water current will ordinarily put a bow in it and it will stay untangled but presentable to the swimmer. Entanglement of this sort is very unusual. >>> >>>- Julio >> >>good question. on the river, we want rope to float, you don't want it >>snagging on the bottom... >> >>mark >> >>#------canoeist[at]netbox[dot]com-------------------------------------- >>mark zen o, o__ o_/| o_. >>po box 474 </ [\/ [\_| [\_\ >>ft. lupton, co 80621-0474 (`-/-------/----') (`----|-------\-') >>#~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~ >>http://www.diac.com/~zen/paddler [index of Paddling websites I manage] >>Rocky Mtn Sea Kayak Club, Colorado River Flows, Poudre Paddlers >>The Colorado Paddlers' Resource, Rocky Mtn Canoe Club Trip Page >> >>************************************************************************** * >>PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List >>Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net >>Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net >>Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ >>************************************************************************** * >> > >*************************************************************************** >PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List >Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net >Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net >Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ >*************************************************************************** > *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:32:56 PDT