Re: [Paddlewise] Safety--my bad rescue practice experience.

From: Shawn W. Baker <baker_at_montana.com>
Date: Thu, 07 Sep 2000 09:55:17 -0600
Thanks for the "how to deal with floating to the wrong side beta, Matt.

That is the kind of presence of mind I need to develop.  When I came up
on the wrong side, I panicked.  Period.  I have most of the skills, but
need to keep focusing on staying calm and assessing my whereabouts
underwater.

I saw Chris Cunningham do the PFD handroll during his Inuit rolling demo
at the Wood Kayak Rendezvous 3 weeks ago.  I guess that gives me
something to shoot for during pool practice this winter, and then drag
those skills onto the water this spring.  I'll hang out underwater until
my lungs are screaming, and then 'calmly' try the PFD option.

And PFD debaters: IMHO, it's a personal judgement call whether removing
the PFD and rolling up is more unsafe than exiting, but having the PFD
to float in.  I'm not going to debate PFD doffing in this thread.

Thanks,
Shawn

Matt Broze wrote:
>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

-- 
Shawn W. Baker          0                                    46°53'N
© 2000            ____©/______                              114°06'W
~~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^\  ,/      /~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^
baker_at_montana.com    0        http://www.geocities.com/shawnkayak/

***************************************************************************
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 Thu Sep 07 2000 - 09:33:38 PDT

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:30:31 PDT