Jan, I think you just made my point for me. What a struggle you describe below. Compare it to fastening the paddle to the boat in a way that is secure but easy to release so both hands are free. This one extra little step looks to me that it will save at least five minutes of desperate struggle trying to do too many things at once in awkward ways (because of the other considerations you have to attend to at the same time). Getting the spraydeck on as you describe can be done with a cockpit that is just right (pointed at the front and has a good sized and reasonably sharp edged flange--most likely of fiberglass). Try this technique on a plastic kayak with its slippery round edged coaming lip and/or a rounded rather than more pointed front to the cockpit (like many kayaks fibergalss and plastic have --that makes spraydeck attachment a two handed job even if you don't have your paddle in the way--held down to the cockpit that you are trying to get the spraydeck around). Now lets say you exited through small surf that morning and had to tighten the shock cord down so tight that you needed someone else's help to get it on that plastic kayak's coaming before you left the beach. And from recent experience you knew if you didn't have it on that tight it would pop off with the first wave that washed over the deck. Been there, done that, as they say (immortalized in the 1989 Sea kayaking calendar too). I would have been very lucky to be able to get that spraydeck back on at sea even in calm water and with a completely dry kayak without someone else's help. Heck, I need help on the beach. Absolutely impossible if I had to deal with a tippy boat and hold down a paddle at the same time. I was only playing in the surf that day so I didn't have to deal with that possibility for real. Sliding the pump between the coaming and the spraydeck only works with some cockpits. It will complete remove the spraydeck with many coaming/spraydeck combinations. I think putting the pump down the front of the body tube "kangaroo style" is much more secure and you will take on much less water if waves are washing over the deck. Matt Broze http://www.marinerkayaks.com Jan wrote: >>Hello again, this is Jan writing. Roger has been very busy on the email while I was away from this part of the computer. In very brief snips here are a couple of questions I would like to respond to: - ----- Original Message ----- From: Bhansen97_at_aol.com "Roger - or Jan - I noticed that after capsize you and your students use hand-held pumps. I need some good advice on how to make that work in rough conditions. " Matt Broze http://www.marinerkayaks.com "My experience is that it is difficult to reattach the spraydeck (usually a two hand job) while trying to hold the paddle down across the cockpit (and in your way fastening the deck too) with ones elbows or hunched over the paddle." I say: Sprayskirt attachment is a two handed job but the hands can be used one at a time. Hunch over your paddle, pin it onto the coaming with your right elbow and rib cage, then use your left hand to reach back and put the back left edge of your sprayskirt onto your coaming, get that corner down. After that pin the paddle shaft with your left elbow and rib cage against the coaming and reach around with the right to secure the right corner. Double check the left corner by switching hands, so that you know you are on in back, then pop the front with one hand. End with the side away from the paddlefloat, so only one side is attached at first. Slide the pump down the side that the paddlefloat is on so that you can lean toward that side and pump. Since one hand will be on the paddle shaft the lower part of the pump will need to be held down in some way so that the lonely other hand can use the pump handle. Depending on which side of your leg the pump shaft goes on, either pin it between your legs or pin it against the side of the coaming with the outside of your thigh. This will vary from person to person and sometimes for the same person, boat to boat. Don't worry about getting all of the water out in rough water, getting down to the last inch should get you enough stability to put your pump and paddlefloat away and get started paddling again. If you are not stable enough to paddle, just leave that support float out and get on your radio for help.<< <SNIP> *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************Received on Wed Apr 05 2000 - 23:56:36 PDT
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