At 09:07 PM 9/7/00 -0400, Michael Daly wrote: >From: "John Fereira" <jaf30_at_cornell.edu> > > >> >> I agree that's it's a fun and quick way to get back in when practicing under >> controlled conditions, but I would hesitate to characterize it as a self >> *rescue* technique. > >Here's my question then. How do you get into an ocean cockpit under normal >conditions? Do you always use your paddle held behind the cockpit, >braced on something solid? Usually. Typically, I don't need much support though, if any, to get in. > >I've been told that some BCU instructors will flunk you if you use your >paddle to enter a kayak. The instructor who told me that advised me >to learn to enter a floating kayak without any aid - to develop the >balance to do that. I've heard that a couple of times myself. However, I've never actually heard of someone failing the BCU assessment because they couldn't enter without the aid of a paddle and passing all of the other skills. As I mentioned earlier when I took the 3 Star assessment they only mentioned getting in and out and carrying the kayak but didn't bother testing on it. From all that I've heard, at least in the 3 Star assessment, most failures are the result of the support strokes failing to meet their standards. Considering I can get my head under water on both sides on a high brace and doing a sculling brace with both ears in the water with a *very* slow sculling motion I doubt that I would fail an assessment because I used my paddle to make it easier to get in and out of a British made boat with an ocean cockpit. >The easiest way is a cowboy entry from a >standing position (ie. stradle the kayak, sit and enter.) >Trying that with an ocean kayak means sitting on the rear deck >and getting your feet in first, then sliding in. Since I don't >own a kayak w/ ocean cockpit, I get to do this rarely and never >elegantly. So - how do you get in? If I don't want to get wet (even my feet) I'll use a method that is most likely going to get me in and out of the boat that has the least potential for a capsize. Usually, that involves the assistance of a paddle. I *do* own a kayak with an ocean cockpit so everytime I get in my boat it involves sitting on the back deck and going in feet first. Practice that enough and you can get fairly adept at it. *************************************************************************** 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 Fri Sep 08 2000 - 11:01:01 PDT
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