Re: [Paddlewise] Death by Tether

That was an excellent report. And the fact that you contacted the
sheriff to get more detailed information is admirable. There were
some disturbing thoughts that came after reading your report, though.

Whether tethers are good or bad things to have is a matter of opinion. I
teach my students to exit their boats leaving one leg inside the cockpit
as being in contact with your boat should be voluntary, specially
in the surf.  We can debate on this on another thread.

The Inuit hunters carry a lot of rope in their forward cockpit, and
the risk of entanglement is high.  That is one of the reasons why
they have developed 30+ rolls that include rolling with more body
positions than most of us can think about.  They believe in increasing
safety by increasing their skill level, not by using gadgets.
In fact given a PFD, they would probably use it to roll up, like
  http://www.home.earthlink.net/~bonito/images/PFD_roll.jpg
It is possible that this kind of roll would have saved the victim.

Your post gives the impression that a knife is an all mighty gadget
that will save your life if you ever get entangled.  This can be tested
in controlled conditions in a pool--tie a string around your wrist,
capsize, and see if you can retrieve your knife and cut the line
in less than 20 seconds (that is more time than most people would
endure without breathing after capsizing by surprise).  Yes, a knife
increases your chances, but not dramatically, specially if you do 
not practice many possible scenarios regularly to keep your mind
clear when the situation becomes real.

Too much stuff for a single mail.  Food for thought folks!

- Julio

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