RE: [Paddlewise] caught in a strainer

Michael R Noyes wrote:

> The conversation took a 
> down turn when one
> of the other customers told us that the previous day a new 
> kayaker had died less
> than 50 miles from us.  He was out alone on a river near 
> flood stage.  The
> reports I read indicate that he got caught in a strainer and 
> didn't know how to
> wet exit.

Not knowing any more of the details than what Michael wrote above I still
thought that the subject was worth opening up.  Doing a wet exit (ie
abandoning ship) when caught in a strainer (downed tree in the water) can be
akin to signing your own death certificate.  One of the things I learned as
a beginning whitewater paddler was that if caught on a rock, deadhead,
strainer, etc to LEAN INTO IT.  The rock is your friend - lean into it and
you won't capsize - lean away and it's tadpole time!  And that's a BAD
position to be in.  

Strainers can be deadly, but if you can lean into them (keeping your hull
upstream of your body) you at least stand a fighting chance of either being
able to work your way out of the predicament or possibly even being able to
climb up onto it (the strainer). 

If you ever have a chance to take a whitewater rescue course that includes
self-rescue techniques it would be well worth while for any river paddler.
During my first WW rescue class we were given the opportunity to learn how
to deal with a swimming encounter with a surface level deadhead (log at
surface level) in a class II rapid.  My first attempt (classic ww swim
position - feet first) ended with my helmeted cranium leaving bits of
plastic on the rocky bottom.  Subsequent tries showed that the best way to
deal with such an obstacle was to attack it with an agressive front-crawl
approach and to LAUNCH one's upper body onto (or over) the log.  Any other
tactic and the current would win the battle.

The best tactic is avoidance.  Always better to stay out of trouble than to
have to figure out how to get out of it.

Dave Seng
Juneau, Alaska
***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not
to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission
Submissions:     paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net
Subscriptions:   paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net
Website:         http://www.paddlewise.net/
***************************************************************************