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From: Peter Treby <ptreby_at_ozemail.com.au>
subject: [Paddlewise] Side drop launch
Date: Fri, 08 Jan 1999 09:37:35 +1100
Dana writes:
"Did the book say if Derek landed on his head or his seat?"
The description on p.33 of Lord Hutchinson's "Expedition Kayaking" (4th
Ed.) is hilarious. I will not quote it in full, but here is the choicest
part:-
"This maneuver is best practiced in a swimming pool, first from the
side, then from a low springboard."
Sitting in your boat on a small springboard trying to bounce up and into
a pool would surely be worth an entry into Funniest Home Videos. This
aspect of sea kayaking could easily replace rolling as the most far
fetched trick to be learned. The outfits worn by gridiron footballers
could be employed, and points awarded for height above water, style and
technical difficulty. Perhaps an exhibition sport for the Athens
Olympics?
The paragraph headed "Last Ditch" on the same page seems more likely to
be of practical use. This describes throwing the boat in, jumping after
it, empty and enter.


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From: Shawn W. Baker <baker_at_montana.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Side drop launch
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2000 12:58:28 -0700
They're a lot of fun in a little whitewater boat while at pool practice!

Has anyone tried seal launching off a diving board--even 3' or 4' above
the water is a rush!  (Ask the lifeguard for permission first!!)

Shawn

Peter Treby <ptreby_at_ozemail.com.au> wrote:
>The side drop looks like a recipe for boat damage and paddler injury to
>me. Seal launching / landing looks best left to the seals too!
-- 
Shawn W. Baker          0                                    46°53'N
© 1999            ____©/______                              114°06'W
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^\  ,/      /~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^
baker_at_montana.com    0        http://www.missoulaconcrete.com/shawn/
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From: Steve Cramer <cramer_at_coe.uga.edu>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Side drop launch
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2000 15:18:00 -0500
"Shawn W. Baker" wrote:
> 
> They're a lot of fun in a little whitewater boat while at pool practice!
> 
> Has anyone tried seal launching off a diving board--even 3' or 4' above
> the water is a rush!  (Ask the lifeguard for permission first!!)

Some friends and relatives of mine have seal launched off the 3 m. board
in our indoor pool. It's better to ask forgiveness; the lifeguard is
unlikely to give permission. ;)

>From the bank, seal launches aren't much fun. Unless you start > 5'
above water level, of course. Don't forget to (1) lean downcurrent and
(2) keep your working elbow close in if you need to brace.

Steve
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From: Larry Koenig <paddlin_at_home.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Side drop launch
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 14:25:58 -0600
>Re: [Paddlewise] Side drop launch


> They're a lot of fun in a little whitewater boat while at pool practice!
> Has anyone tried seal launching off a diving board--even 3' or 4' above
> the water is a rush!  (Ask the lifeguard for permission first!!)
>
> Shawn
Yeah, it's a kick but the abrasive surface on dive boards leaves major
gouges on tupperware. Better to do it off  river side rocks.
Larry Koenig
Baton Rouge, LA

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From: Erik Sprenne <sprenne_at_netnitco.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Side drop launch
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2000 17:08:49 -0600
> Some friends and relatives of mine have seal launched off the 3 m. board
> in our indoor pool. It's better to ask forgiveness; the lifeguard is
> unlikely to give permission. ;)
> 
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)!

Erik Sprenne
(at the southern end of Lake Michigan)
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From: Doug Lloyd <dlloyd_at_bc.sympatico.ca>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Side drop launch
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2000 23:23:22 -0800
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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