Long rambling post warning. A few more queries and comments on this thread... "Have you tried a reentry roll with the paddle float? " I must admit I haven't tried this, although I have been able to go from upright to head under water and back as bracing practice after a paddlefloat / outrigger rescue. It's very easy to come up with the paddlefloat on the end, and very stable to sit braced out on the float and recover composure. Also OK to paddle away with the float still inflated and on the blade, ready for another float brace. "I was able to do a scramble rescue, quickly balancing myself in some big surf between waves using only my paddle" Is this in a wide boat, with a long cockpit, and clean flat back deck? "My guess is that they haven't bothered to learn the technique required for a rough-water paddlefloat rescue because their rolls are so bomber (knock on wood). " Good guess. We are talking about paddlers who might break out in large surf rolling under the broken water and rolling up to continue outward progress. "the "homemade" gear you alluded to, probably chunks of foam with inadequate floatation to support you in big water." The present experimental models have a total of 8 litres of air volume, 4 on either side of the paddle. This is plenty of flotation, 4 litres is enough, and I have frequently only inflated on side fully, and the other side just enough to give a grab on the blade. I actively considering the expense of a Mariner paddlefloat, which quite a few have said is well made. "You might try sponsons, ..." The attraction of experimenting with sponsons is for the situation in which the paddler is incapacitated, and maybe has a long way still to go. Maybe a spare paddle with two paddlefloats would be OK at a pinch. Still getting around to trying this. Present thoughts on solo rescue priorities run:- 1. Roll 2. Re-enter and roll, without paddlefloat 3. Re-enter and roll, with paddlefloat 4. Paddlefloat outrigger 5. Sponsons, if available 6. Swim with boat 8. Swim with paddle 9. Swim without paddle 10. Die (what's left?) Regards, Peter T. *************************************************************************** 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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