This is just to echo the thoughts that Arthur, Ralph, and others have made. I have used a Boulter Driftstopper off and on for seven years, both as a potential safety backup on several long crossing projects, and as a means of staying put on breezy days for rest and photo breaks. I have found that it works pretty slick most of the time, but like any other equipment-related procedure, it does require some practice to become familiar with what it will and won't do. For example, a bit of timing is needed while retrieving the anchor in short steep chop to prevent it from tangling in the bow toggle if the bow is pitching up and down in the waves. In very breezy conditions, it is good to have your procedures for fastening the coiled line and the float down pat, because once the anchor itself is back on board, your kayak will want to broach quickly, so be ready to power ahead with your paddle. I can see where the Driftstopper might facilitate a paddle float or roll and reentry in windy conditions, but haven't tried it. It certainly could be an aid during a self or assisted rescue to prevent drifting into a shoal, surf zone, or other danger area. -Andy Knapp Minneapolis Where the Mississippi is cresting again. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
I would like to second some of Andys comments. I think that having a sea anchor for long crossings or offshore paddling is a useful tool. However it does take time and effort to deploy and it can be a bit tricky. When I was part of a Lake Michigan crossing we experimented with using the driftstopper model to hold our group of four while rafting up for our rest breaks. We found that during all the time it took to deploy and retrieve the beast that we drifted farther than we would have drifted if we instead just kept our kayaks sideways to the direction of the drift. After a few tries we found that just staying beam to the wind was the most practical way to limit our drift during our five minute rest breaks. For a solo rescue getting back in your boat quickly is important, and I would encourage people to only deploy the sea anchor if they thought they would be unable to get back in their boat without the sea anchor holding the bow into the wind and waves. I suspect that if conditions were difficult enough to knock you down and make you miss your roll while minding your own business that trying to retrieve all that rope and nylon after the rescue would be just asking for another capsize. I am a strong believer in keeping the gear for rescue techniques simple and instead concentrating on technique and practice, practice, practice. Besides you give someone like me enough rope and I am going to hang myself with it. If I tried to use a sea anchor for a rescue in rough conditions they would find this big ball of string attached to my kayak with with me inside it drifting far from shore. Andy Knapp wrote: > This is just to echo the thoughts that Arthur, Ralph, and others have made. > I have used a Boulter Driftstopper off and on for seven years, both as a > potential safety backup on several long crossing projects, and as a means > of staying put on breezy days for rest and photo breaks. > > I have found that it works pretty slick most of the time, but like any > other equipment-related procedure, it does require some practice to become > familiar with what it will and won't do. For example, a bit of timing is > needed while retrieving the anchor in short steep chop to prevent it from > tangling in the bow toggle if the bow is pitching up and down in the waves. > In very breezy conditions, it is good to have your procedures for fastening > the coiled line and the float down pat, because once the anchor itself is > back on board, your kayak will want to broach quickly, so be ready to power > ahead with your paddle. > > I can see where the Driftstopper might facilitate a paddle float or roll > and reentry in windy conditions, but haven't tried it. It certainly could > be an aid during a self or assisted rescue to prevent drifting into a > shoal, surf zone, or other danger area. > > -Andy Knapp > Minneapolis > Where the Mississippi is cresting again. > *************************************************************************** > 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/ ***************************************************************************
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