Re: [Paddlewise] self rescue techniques

At 07:36 AM 3/8/00 PST, "Allison Corning" <acorning_at_hotmail.com> wrote:
 
>I was watching a video of rescue techniques the other day and saw mostly the 
>usual stuff, paddlefloats, t rescues etc. and then the hosts did a 
>modification on their paddle float rescue where they attached nylon webbing 
>to the paddle shaft and made a stirrup-the person then stepped into the 
>stirrup and was given a "boost" back into the kayak. I'm looking at this 
>tape and thinking to myself "you've got to be kidding me". I've been 
>religeously practicing my self rescues and am always looking for good 
>alternate ways, but even the hosts took quite a while to arrange the 
>stirrups just right-I get annoyed enough at the time it takes to inflate the 
>paddlefloat, I can't imagine that taking the time to attach stirrup would be 
>at all helpful. Has anyone ever actually done this?
>

I've tried this when when it was demonstrated while taking a class in an
indoor pool.  The advantage is that you can help someone with low upper
body strength.  Naturally, you would take the time, before-hand, to
construct a loop that is just right for you (or them).

I think that using this technique with a single kayak is very hard to do in
rough water.  With the boat pitching about, threading the loop around would
be hard.  In addition, when using your paddle to support the loop, you
don't get as much extention on the padddlefloat side, so there's less
support from the float.

I think this technique might have some merit for a two boat rescue.  With
the two boats parallel and paddles between them, a stirrup could be a help
to a paddler in the water and would not require a paddlefloat.

Some have, in the past, suggested that you could make a loop to go around
the cockpit coaming to also act like a stirrup thus eliminating the need to
thread paddles.

I also am considering carrying a solid paddlefloat in the winter to
minimize the "blow-up time".

Bill Leonhardt
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