Re: [Paddlewise] caught in a strainer

"Seng, Dave" wrote:
> 
> 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.  

I do.
>   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.  

This is what is meant by leaning into/onto the rock. You are still in
your boat, and the boat is against the rock; your body is above it.
Leaning the boat is more important that leaning your body. As Dave says,
get the upstream edge up so the water flows under it rather than
catching it.

>  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.

Allison may be thinking of the situation where you are out of your boat.
In that case, GET UPSTREAM. Otherwise, you're between a rock and a hard
[boat]. Unless you're in a folder, in which case you're between a rock
and a hypalon bag full of 1000 pounds of water, which is not an
improvement.

Steve
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