[Paddlewise] BCU vs. ACA Style T-rescues

I went through both ACA instructor training and BCU coach II
training in Spring/Summer of 1998.

 The ACA T-rescue that we were taught involves having the
swimmer actively help by moving to the stern (hand over hand
down the deck lines is preferred over swimming) then with
the boat still upside down they lay on the stern to sink it
and swim toward the rescuer with a frog kick.  This does
several things it unweights the bow by sinking the stern,
allows the swimmer to help keep the boat at right angles to
the rescue boat, and by kicking with their legs they make it
easiar for the rescuer to pull the boat towards them onto
their deck.  Someone on the list commented on those nasty
rudder things that some people put on their boats , and how
they consist of metal knives and wicked cables the can do
damage to swimmers.  I agree, I am a skeg paddler, but I
don't want to start another skeg vs. rudder holy war on the
list.  In fairness to rudder paddlers with the boat upside
down ACA style the risk is minimal as long as the boat is
not allowed to roll right side up during the start of the
rescue.  A competant swimmer ensures that it does not.

Advantages of the above rescue include the boat draining
better as it is lifted, and there is much less work and wear
and tear on the rescue boats spray skirt.  The downside is
that your swimmer has to be calm rational and clued in on
how the rescue works.  I use this with friends in our club
and it goes very quickly.

The BCU style assumes the worst for swimmer incompetance,
and assumes they will passively hang on to the decklines in
front of the rescue boat where the rescuer can keep on eye
on them (in case they decide to do something annoying like
climb up the rescuers body to try to perch on their head).
The rescuer grabs the capsized boat and flips it right side
up.  This prevents the water from being drained as it is
pulled up onto the deck, but if you have one of those nifty
Brit-boats with the upturned bow the shape of boat allows
for a ramping slope that makes it easy to drag the boat up
onto the deck.  You don't try to lift the boat, just pull
and drag until either you have about 1/3 of it out of the
water or until there are big tears in your sprayskirt (I
really hate what this one does to my gear!).  Then it is
easy to roll the boat upside down to drain the water.

If I expect the worst from the swimmer and don't know how
experienced they are I would do the BCU style.  If it was
someone who knows the ACA style rescue I would use that one
since it is easier on me and my sprayskirt and it lets the
swimmer participate in the rescue.

***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************