RE: [Paddlewise] How would you deal with the following situation

I had an interesting event last year while I was doing my instructors
training and although the situation was not real it certainly hightlighted
some points.

We were a long way off shore in bouncy conditions. The examiner, a very
experienced kayak and outdoor education teacher, went into panic mode. He
feel out of his kayak and throw the paddle away and started calling for
help. As I was the closest I went up and told him to grab my kayak while the
others  came in to help with the rescue. But he started climbing onboard
even though I told him not to.  I pretty well knew then, that no matter what
I did, John (the examiner) was going to make sure I ended up in the water. I
tried desperately to keep my kayak upright while trying to calm him and get
him just to hang on to the safety lines. In the end I tipped over and tried
to roll up but he was trying to climb on top of the upturned kayak and I had
to wet exit. Now in this situation John knew exactly what he was doing and
what he wanted to happen to me and made sure I could still wet exit. If it
was for real its possible that the panicy person could inhibit your ability
to wet exit and you are in deep trouble. John told me that the panic he was
simulating was not unreasonable for a novice kayaker and I suppose also a
motorboater in the situation Ralph describes.

As a result I would be hesitant to go near a panicky swimmer unless I felt
confident that I could get out of my kayak if they tipped me. And I would
think that it would be very likely that you would be tipped. I like the idea
of getting out first and edging your kayak towards them but I would want to
be confident I could survive without my kayak (ie near shore). I think
Jackies point, about being able to throw your PFD near a panicy swimmer
being difficult, is a valid one. It wouldn't take much wind to blow the PFD
along

Someone mentioned what if you are a long way off shore. I think this would
depend on the circumstances. If I am travelling solo and a long way off
shore then its likely that I would be carrying an EPRIB. It the water was
not too cold and its not too late in the day then I would still offer up my
kayak but trip off the EPRIB. I would attempt to get all of us to hang onto
the kayak and explain that I am tripping of a rescue beacon and help would
be on its way.

I wouldn't do this late in the afternoon because it takes some time for  the
authorities to organise a SAR once a beacon has been activated. If no planes
have picked up the signal then due to the Doppler effect the SAR team often
need to wait another hour (next satelite pass) as the beacon signal shows up
in two locations several hundred kilometres apart when it is first
activated.

Advice about the judgement call makes it difficult to come up with all the
likely scenarios.

I think this was a good thread for discussion and glad Ralph brought it up.

David
Australia



***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not
to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission
Submissions:     PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net
Subscriptions:   PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net
Website:         http://www.paddlewise.net/
***************************************************************************