Shawn W. Baker wrote: <many snips> >>>Something went wrong. Part of it was the unfamiliar boat. Part of it was having paddled with many layers under my drytop the night before and not re-tightening my PFD. I capsized, the PFD rode up, and I got completely disoriented. I was going for my offside roll, and couldn't feel at all where "up" was. I tried to relax, but my lungs were screaming "OXYGEN!" so I grabbed for the sprayskirt loop.<<< Possibly what went wrong was that the buoyancy of your high PFD and maybe a bubble in your dry suit (if you were wearing one and hadn't burped it well) floated your torso up to one side. This can make reaching for the surface to start a roll rather difficult and disorienting (because you couldn't find the surface) if you floated up on the opposite side you were set up to roll on. When this used to happen to me (sometimes in the surf once I started wearing a dry suit) that was the case anyhow. Switching the paddle over to roll on the other side would just move me into the opposite position, that is, still floated up opposite of the side I was set up to roll on. After trying to mimic this problem in a pool wearing two PFD's I stumbled around without success for awhile until I was in the shallow end of the pool. This limited what I could do with my paddle in a most fortunate way. I could no longer scull deeply (very awkward) with it to try to get both my body and paddle to the right side at the same time. Instead all I could do was take a power stroke across (just under my upside down deck). This simple stroke got my body back to the side I wanted to roll up on and by then simply feathering the paddle to slice it back under the deck (to the set up position for that sides roll) I could easily roll back upright again. It is a very quick fix. I don't think I have missed a roll since. Many snips later Shawn wrote: >>>Now, the camera is still rolling (I still haven't viewed it yet, but I will tonight), and I again tip over. Empty the boat and try the paddle outrigger rescue. This boat is so damn tippy, I just bury the paddle blade in the water. If I'd had my own boat, I would have grabbed the paddlefloat that I never leave shore without (in my own boat!) and I would have been done with it. I tried 2 more times and was getting tired.<<< Perhaps this may have been the time to take off that PFD (we all wear) and try to fasten it securely to your paddle blade to serve as an emergency paddle float. For me this is a last resort if no other flotation device is available (such as a water jug or small watertight gear bag that could be somehow fastened securely to the paddle blade or shaft near a blade). Actually back in 1981 my PFD was all I had handy when I said to myself "If I only had a way to keep the paddle on the surface" when it would sink too fast as I was trying to use it as an outrigger to stabilize the kayak while I lifted myself out of the water and on to it (as Shawn was apparently also trying to do). Once I got the PFD fastened to the blade it worked like a charm. Problem was, my head kept going under water as I tied what had been my flotation on to the blade. I looked around for a better float before naming it the "Mariner Self Rescue" and publicizing it widely. I settled on a 2.5 gallon "Reliance" folding jug with cords and hooks attached. They were cheap and widely available in outdoor stores. With a jug float, wrap the short cord (with the non hook end previously tied to the jug) a couple of times around the paddle shaft next to the blade and hook the cord to itself so it cinches around the shaft. The flotation of the jug pulls the cord tighter around the shaft when you push down on the paddle. This (or something else) is necessary to keep the float from sliding up the shaft towards the kayak. Dedicated paddlefloats that fit over the blade came along in a few years and were an improvement as they held the shaft more horizontal in use (even if much more expensive--you could buy the jugs for $4.95 to make your own). I still put cords and hooks on my water jugs so they can serve the dual purpose of backing up my dedicated paddlefloat. I think it is still well worth while trying to see if you can fasten your PFD firmly to your paddle somehow and do an outrigger paddlefloat rescue with it. Remember this might not work with your PFD/Paddle/Kayak combination so be sure to try this out now rather than waiting until it is your last resort and has to work. Matt Broze http://www.marinerkayaks.com *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************Received on Wed Sep 06 2000 - 23:19:13 PDT
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