> From: Peter Treby <ptreby_at_ozemail.com.au> > >>Around here, paddle floats are viewed as being a joke not > worth having. Despite that, I have made a couple, and carry them to help > fill up the cockpit volume beside my legs. I wonder if anyone on the list > has successfully used a paddle float / outrigger rescue after an unexpected > capsize in rough conditions. Real life experience in "combat" conditions is worth a lot of theory I was in somewhat of a combat situation and performed a successful paddle float reentry. The conditions, one half mile from a shipping lane (with four deep draft vessels in view) eight miles out of the mouth of the Mississippi River in the Gulf, over three knot currents pushing me toward the shipping channel, 30 plus knot winds, 10 foot seas, about the top three feet were breaking on the 10 foot waves. I had a electric bilge pump. Reentered on the first attempt, after the bilge pump pumped most of the water out of the boat. Not enough time to explain how I put myself in that situation, way to long of a story, sorry. I had practice the paddle float reentry many many times in rough conditions (with a electric bilge pump) before this occurrence. I won't say it would be impossible to do a paddle float reentry without a electric bilge pump in real serious conditions. But that is for someone else to prove. I am not looking to impress someone by not having a paddle float. I'd rather impress myself by having one. On all paddling trips I have the paddle float on my rear deck. Sure you can stand in your boat. Sure you can use the paddle without a paddlefloat held by hand in the outrigger position climbing back into the cockpit. You don't have to be a ACA or BCU instructor to accomplish those tasks. It's all about practice, practice, practice. After you practice, practice practice and have it down, than if you don't try it for a long period you have to practice, practice, practice all over again. Just a little reflection on my personal experience when I let things go to long without training. If someone out there decides to really get brave and try other tasks while standing in the boat remember, don't pee into the wind! Arthur *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
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