Matt Broze wrote: >>Unfortunately, this is also how the ACA teaches it. To all the people who don't fasten the paddle to the deck I ask: how did you get the water out of the kayak? Nobody ever seems to talk about what is often the most difficult part of this rescue, which is pumping the kayak out after getting back in with all the free water destabilizing you and increasing the odds of a recapsize. Do you have an electric pump? Can you empty the kayak before getting in? With a gear load? Or didn't you bother practicing that part in rough water? Many people never do finish the rescue because pumping out a lot of water is hard work even on calm water.<< To answer the question, "How do you get the water out of the kayak?" We use a hand held bilge pump. But I think you were really asking about paddle management. What do you do with the paddle while you are pumping? We advocate that people finish the paddlefloat rescue with their paddleshaft across their laps, pinning the paddleshaft against the cockpit coaming with your elbows or try using the bottom of your PFD or rib cage or stomach by hunching over a little. To get the paddle into this position, lift the side of the paddle without the paddlefloat on it over your head quickly. Using the paddlefloat for support while you do this, you will be a little like the hinge on a kickstand. Some people like having their paddle where they can pick it up and use it. We've tried it both ways. Even with specially designed quick release straps for the paddlefloat rescue, we find it more difficult to maintain the outrigger position of the paddlefloat while climbing back in and challenging to get the paddle out of the straps while seated, facing forward and away from the hardware, especially in rough water. Not using straps or bungies saves a step and so is more efficient it is also more universal for paddlers who might not have their own kayak and paddle yet. Not all kayaks, especially rentals, are equipped with rear deck bungies. Some of the bungie set ups have narrow configurations that won't work with paddles with wide blades. If the rigging does accommodate wide blades, it is often too loose on narrow touring paddles. We do have people practice this method of grasping their paddle shaft firmly against the cockpit coaming, in flatwater to start, in the tidal rips off Yellow Bluff in San Francisco Bay, and on the open coast of the Pacific, throughout our series of classes over the past 10 years. Hundreds have made it work. We use the Mariner paddlefloats and in the beginning classes, explain that they are the best on the market because they are sturdy and have plenty of floatation. With this gear and the technique we teach, we have found that using deck rigging is a superfluous extra step for the majority of our students. We empathize with anyone who has had a negative personal experience with any part of the ACA program or individuals involved. We have been very lucky that this has not been our experience over the past 7 years that we have been involved in California. Yesterday we had a great time running the first ACA Eskimo Rolling Endorsement Workshop in California. 7 experienced instructors got together to share their expertise about spotting techniques, progression, assessment, and other tools for teaching. It was very positive and productive. The next ACA Instructor Development Workshop will be April 21-23 followed by the Instructor Certification Exam April 28-30, both will be based in the Santa Cruz area with one day in San Francisco Bay. We have heard a lot of rumors and seen much misinformation posted about the program, but none of it has seemed to have been from recent reports of local trainers. We invite anyone who is interested in learning first hand about recent "West Coast" style ACA programs and refreshing their hard skills and teaching methods by spending 3 days sharing ideas with other experienced instructors to join us. Roger Schumann & Jan Shriner ESKAPE Sea Kayaking (831) 427-2297. Web Page: http://www.eskapekayak.com authors of Guide to Sea Kayaking Central and Northern California *************************************************************************** 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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