Joe Brzoza wrote: > > Then Allan Singleton wrote: > > >So what was the problem with the boots? If you wind up in the water and > your > >boots fill up, then while you are still immersed, the water in your boots > >weighs......nothing! > > >Nobody should be put off by the warning that "your boots/waders will fill > >with water and drag you under!" Utter bovine excrement - I hope you were > not > >implying anything along that line Doug. > > Water filled boots may be weightless in the water but if you're trying to > get back into your kayak they are like having a lead weights tied to your > ankles. Recently during a local club rescue session there was a S.O.T. rep > present who was being rather arrogant regarding how superior his boat was to > the traditional kayak, especially when it comes to self-rescues. When he > went to give a demonstration he found that he could not lift himself back > onto his S.O.T.. It seems that he had inadvertently left his drysuit > unzipped which then quickly filled with water. While weightless (and cold!) > in the water, the water-filled legs of his suit were so heavy he required > assistance getting back onto his kayak. It isn't just water filled boots that will give you trouble getting back into your boat. If you are wearing paddling pants with a neoprene seals (or worse yet latet seals) at the ankles, you can get enough water in through the waistband to fill the pants legs. Not a problem as Joes says while in the water, but a disaster for re-entering your boat unless you release the neoprene seals (not much you can do if they are latex seals except to hack around with knife to open them---who want to do that!). It can also happen if your sleeves load with water that comes through the neck opening and you have well sealed wrists. I know individuals have reported that just a cup or two of water enters through their waistband and neckbands, but I have seen several situations personally where sleeves have loaded up or pants legs have loaded up. In one latter case I could not understand why the fairly agile individual could not lift himself out of the water but I managed to pull him in by yanking up on the seat of his pants. Only later when we got to shore and he opened up the neoprene at his ankles did I know--several quarts of water came pouring out of each pants leg!!! ralph diaz -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** 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 Mon May 29 2000 - 18:14:08 PDT
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