Scott wrote SNIP > 4. Swimming the boat out beyond the surf zone and then performing a > paddlefloat or assisted rescue. G'Day Scott, Is this really practical? - wouldn't surf that tipped you into the drink be too hard to swim against with a kayak - maybe even dangerous - I've been taught to stay seaward of a kayak in the surf? I'm speaking as a novice who has no way of self rescuing in the surf apart from swimming to shore! All the best, PeterO. *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
At 07:58 PM 9/11/00 +1100, you wrote: >Scott wrote >SNIP > > 4. Swimming the boat out beyond the surf zone and then performing a > > paddlefloat or assisted rescue. > >G'Day Scott, > >Is this really practical? - wouldn't surf that tipped you into the drink be >too hard to swim against with a kayak - maybe even dangerous - I've been >taught to stay seaward of a kayak in the surf? I don't think it's very practical advice, because the force of a broken wave on capsized kayak is going to be a LOT stronger than a person trying to swim/tow it out to sea. However, two instances come to mind where this might work... One, if the capsizing wave broke much further out than the majority of the breaking waves. In this case, you are already out of the surf zone, although an onshore wind may require you to tow the boat out for a few minutes to give you room to self-rescue. Two, some places have very calm water between big sets (Crescent Bay, WA is one example where there can 5 minutes between waves). In this case, you would have time to tow the boat out beyond the surf zone. But this seems silly, since it would be faster to just self rescue in the first place. Perhaps there's something I'm missing here... Kevin Kevin Whilden Your Planet Earth http://www.yourplanetearth.org (206) 788-0281 (ph) (206) 788-0284 (f) *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Kevin Whilden <kevin_at_yourplanetearth.org> writes: >> Scott wrote: >> SNIP >> 4. Swimming the boat out beyond the surf zone and >> then performing a paddlefloat or assisted rescue. SNIP > I don't think it's very practical advice, because the > force of a broken wave on capsized kayak ... [SNIP] > ... some places have very calm water between big sets > (Crescent Bay, WA is one example where there can 5 > minutes between waves). In this case, you would have > time to tow the boat out beyond the surf zone. But > this seems silly, since it would be faster to just > self rescue in the first place. > Perhaps there's something I'm missing here... > Kevin The speed with which you might be able to self-rescue can surely be greatly reduced in certain circumstances to the extent that swimming a while might make sense to give yourself a greater time margin. Do any of you ever carry swimming fins to improve the odds of an ill-adapted human body getting from A to B in the water in case of need? (I have at times carried mine strapped to the back of my PFD, where they do not appear to impair my actions in any way and are readily to hand -- I have never had to use them in earnest yet.) Ralph C. Hoehn Ralph_at_PouchBoats.com http://www.PouchBoats.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/ ***************************************************************************
<< Scott wrote SNIP > 4. Swimming the boat out beyond the surf zone and then performing a > paddlefloat or assisted rescue. G'Day Scott, Is this really practical? - wouldn't surf that tipped you into the drink be too hard to swim against with a kayak - maybe even dangerous - I've been taught to stay seaward of a kayak in the surf? >> I had already sent a back channel response to Peter before this showed up on the list. My response follows; Every situation is different and must be judged accordingly. This is one of the things that makes the arguments on Paddlewise so frustrating. Despite what some folks on the list want you to believe, everything in this sport is just not so cut and dried. Yes, you should always try to stay on the seaward side of the kayak when in the surf. Swimming the boat out into deeper water by pulling it along behind you will accomplish this. However, if the surf is really large and consistent then attempting this would probably be, as you say, pretty futile. Often what capsizes the paddler is a larger set of waves that catches them by surprise. Once the set has passed you could have a long period of calm water which would allow you to swim out beyond the surf zone. If the wave that capsized you happened far from shore, then this might be your best option. I was launching a class some time ago when just such a scenario took place. Half of the class had already launched and set up beyond the surf. The next person to launch almost made it beyond the surf when a larger then normal set came through and caught him, and he capsized. I launched the next person from the beach with instructions to tell the the person in the water to swim out to the group rather then into shore. It was a much shorter swim and I knew that it would be a while before another large set came through. Of course, had another large set come through unexpectedly then the swimmers boat would have probably ended up back on shore and the decision would have been made for us. As an addendum to the above post, one may not be adept at self rescues to the point that they are able to do them quickly on the first try. In which case swimming out beyond the surf zone will buy them more time. Or one may not be able to do self rescues at all! In which case swimming out to the group for assistance would certainly be the prudent thing to do. Not to mention that if the person in the water believes that they can get beyond the surf zone before the next set, then they will not have to undergo the inevitable pummeling to themselves and their equipment should they instead decide to head into shore. Of course, like I said above, every situation is different and should be judged accordingly. Scott So.Cal. *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Peter Osman wrote: --snip-- > > Is this really practical? - wouldn't surf that tipped you into the drink be > too hard to swim against with a kayak - maybe even dangerous - I've been > taught to stay seaward of a kayak in the surf? Depending on the distance from shore, one option is to clip in with a tow rope (rated to break if too much force is applied, and connected to you via a quick release), swim to shore, then reel in the boat. Cheers, Richard Culpeper *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
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