RE: [Paddlewise] caught in a strainer

From: Seng, Dave <DSeng_at_health.state.ak.us>
Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 09:52:01 -0800
Allison Corning wrote:

> I've never whitewater kayaked, so here's a question... I've 
> heard of people 
> being crushed by their boats when they get wedged between the 
> boats and 
> immoveable objects-- I can understand why you wouldn't want 
> to be underwater 
> at this point, but what keeps you from being hurt by your own 
> boat in this 
> situation?
> 

  
  I don't paddle a whitewater kayak either.  It's an OC-1 (single person
whitewater open canoe) - a Dagger Encore.  Having the advantage of two
blades would be unfair <very big grin>.  Fortunately the laws of physics
apply to both hull types.
  If you lean _into_ the obstacle you turn your hull (boat and body leaned
together!) so that the water slides under it rather than catching the edge
and either dumping you or possibly pinning your boat.  The forces that even
a moderate current can generate on a broached canoe or kayak can be
incredible!  I think that most WW pins are actually cases where the paddler
is pinned _in_ the boat against an immoveable object rather than _between_
the boat and object.
  I've been in situations where I couldn't easily move my boat fore or aft
because of the force of the current pinning it against a rock, but I could
"edge" (or lean) enough to stay upright until a solution could be worked out
(usually a forceful change of center of gravity).  Leaning away from the
obstacle would have invariably resulted in a capsize and/or boat pin.  

Dave Seng
Juneau, Alaska

 
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Received on Wed Apr 05 2000 - 10:48:34 PDT

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