RE: [Paddlewise] whatsa Z-drag? (was: prusik?)

> From: Kevin Whilden [mailto:kevin_at_yourplanetearth.org]

snip
 
> Something else comes to mind, which is that plenty of sea 
> kayakers paddle their
> boats on larger, flatter rivers. Just because the river is 
> class I, it doesn't
> mean that there isn't significant potential to get wrapped 
> around a rock or a
> log. All it takes for that is a combination of current and
> ignorance/carelessnes. 

  OK, my .02 on Z-drags and other flowing water rescues involving rope work.
Don't just read about it, buy and carry the gear, and assume that you will
be able to use it in an emergency.  Take a WW rescue class from someone who
knows their stuff.  Practice this stuff occasionally.
  In many cases a Z-drag is a last-resort rescue method simply because of
the time necessary to set it up.  If you're dealing with a pinned boat & a
trapped paddler some other rescue method (tag-line, etc) may be needed to
stabilize their position so that they can breath, avoid further injury, etc.
  As WisePaddlers we all know that any type of rescue needs to be practiced
and kept honed so that it can be employed without hesitation in an emergency
- so perhaps this little "heads-up" on my part is entirely superfluous and
unnecessary.

Dave Seng (sounding much more pedantic than I really am - because this stuff
is _really_ important)
Juneau, Alaska
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