Re: [Paddlewise] Side drop launch

At 05:08 PM 1/7/00 -0600, Eric wrote:
<snip>>Depends on the pool manager's attitude.  
>We had someone do a seal launch off the 3 m board at one of our pool
>session locations without asking permission, and it almost terminated that
>pool program.  OTOH, at another pool, the pool manager was the one helping
>with the intitial push off the 3 m board (though he did require that
>helmets be worn)!

I did this 18 years ago at a local pool with my Nordkapp. I went nose
first, water up to my upper chest while leaning back, so as the kayak
reaserted bouyancy, it shot straight back up vertically, such that the
stern hit the underneath of the dive board. No, we were not asked back to
the pool, and yes, these manouvers can be dangerous. After that, I kept my
seal launches to rocks and docks. Most fun is finding a kelp covered rock
at low tide with a nice 3 to 4 foot breaking wave at the base (height of
wave face). If you time it right, and you must, you can launch such that
the bow will completely submerg under the breaking face, pulling the rest
of the kayak and yourself right through to the back of the wave and out
into daylight again. Yes it is dangerous, and no, don't do this with a
North American crappumed bagged kayak :-)

BC'in Ya
Doug Lloyd (who rebuilds his hull every two to three years) 
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