ralph diaz wrote: >There I was. No PFD, no sprayskirt, no pump, no bailer, no paddlefloat, >no cold water clothing (I had on borrowed raingear and some polypro plus >plastic beach slippers), no signaling device not even a whistle. Name >any safety device you can and I did _not_ have it! What did I do? >Didn't I say earlier that I can be pretty stupid? I paddled across like >an idiot! I had a somewhat similar experience on Sunday at the demo days. The day after my big fun surfing the big waves, I took out several boat models that I had not been in before. I only had the PFD, skirt, clothing, and whistle, but that wasn't enough. My mother-in-law loaned us her video camera so I could get a tape of myself paddling and rolling for some video critique; I had my buddy Ryan set up on a dock, film rolling. I took out the little CD Squall (condensed version of the Storm, which is the plastic version of the Solstice GT), got some film taken of me (trying) do do some good torso rotation, and then figured I'd do a few rolls. 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. Somewhere in this process, I ended up on my side, head out of water, inadvertently doing a balance brace. I caught a few quick breaths, and got ready to roll again, but in my panic (big mistake!) I dropped my paddle. Tried a handroll, but the boat didn't fit me closely enough to come up. If I'd have had my own boat, I probably wouldn't have had the no-rolling problem in the first place, since I know it so well. If I'd had my own boat, I would have had my spare on the aft deck to grab and roll up with one paddle half. I pulled the grab loop and swam up next to the boat. I re-tightened my PFD while floating (and realized how hard it would be to actually don it while swimming) and emptied and righted the boat. I tried a cowboy scramble re-entry. The cockpit was way too small to accommodate my 38" inseam legs, and I tipped over. Empty boat and try again. 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. I need to insert a comment here that at no time was I in actual danger. I was a mere 30 yards from shore, and I could have swam with the boat to shore. There were also 8 people on shore watching my struggles, and if I had shouted or whistled for help, I could have had assistance in less than a minute. I was in no risk of drowning--the PFD was keeping my head well out of water. I wasn't too cold either, as the lake has warmed to over 65*F and I was wearing neoprene. It was just so damned frustrating that I couldn't get back in the boat. It was the first rescue "practice" session I've ever had when I couldn't do anything right. I briefly considered doing a re-enter and roll, but I didn't have a pump either. It would have been a short paddle back to shore, but this was a new and borrowed boat, and I didn't want to scratch the flooded boat on the shallow bottom when I went in. A lady was paddling around in another demo boat, so I asked her if she wanted to learn how to do an assisted rescue. She said sure. I told her, from the water, how to pull my boat across hers and drain my cockpit, and then help me right it. I wiggled up across the decks of our boats and got in, with a big thanks to her. She said,"Thank you, I always wondered myself how you'd get back in the boat if you were out in the middle of the lake." Sobering to think that people cross lakes (and play in the ocean) without these skills. Still, a lot of good having those skills did me before she paddled up! I refastened my sprayskirt and paddled back to shore. While I was never in serious danger, my experience was sobering. I carry sufficient safety gear in my own boat, but what if I had decided to strike out a bit further? I would have been in pretty sorry shape. I'm glad that I have a bit better feeling for the "edge of my envelope" now, and I won't take a demo out without a paddlefloat!! I'd like to say I'd take a spare paddle, too, but you don't really want to scratch the deck of a new boat (that you don't intend to buy) with a spare paddle. Oh, and I think small cockpits suck when you have long legs! The Squall might be a great boat for a small paddler, but it struck me as having a very high deck for as little beam as it has. I had a hard time even lying prone on the deck without tipping over. Maybe I was feeling a bit cocky about the previous day's WW kayaker rescue, and karma put me back in my place--it was definitely good to see both sides of the rescue scenario. All my previous rescue experiences (except helping with a brief/easy assisted rescue of a classmate in my Deception Pass class 2 weeks ago) have been practice--actually doing the rescues when I wasn't as calm or prepared were a fantastic experience. Flame me if you like (I'm not afraid!) but I was in close enough proximity to shore that I wasn't sticking my neck out there. All comments are appreciated, though. Squall owners? Shawn -- 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/ ***************************************************************************
As a Squall owner with time on my hands, I'll respond: Yes the boat feels tippy due to the narrow and tall V shaped hull. I'm 6'1" with a 30" waist, so I went for a small narrow boat - the Storm was too big. I like the security of the small cockpit - this is one of the smallest on the market, but re-entry is a bit more difficult, going "feet first" rather than "butt first". The Squall requires a special "small" cockpit skirt to get a tight fit. The high deck does make a cowboy rescue difficult! The paddle float rescue works best, but you must keep yourself flush with the back deck by lying on it on your stomach and sliding your lower torso in feet first. In rough conditions, I'd go with re-entry and roll , although I hate taking the time while underwater to push the foot pedals back down - I need to fix a bungie to them like Dagger does. Too much hip snap and you'll go over again. My other boat, a Looksha IV, is the opposite - flat and wider, the cowboy jig and other rescues are easier. But the seat back extends above the coaming which is a nuisance. I'd say that the high deck, small cockpit, your long legs and lack of confidence in an unfamiliar boat contributed to your demise! PS Boat Demos typically cater to first time paddlers and I believe the sponsor's have a bit of responsibility for your safety, even if it is just telling you "Don't go beyond that buoy". Tim Boat'n in the Ozarks *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Hi Tim, Thanks for the reply. NEWTOT_at_mail.modot.state.mo.us wrote: > As a Squall owner with time on my hands, I'll respond: <<Squall experience snipped>> > I'd say that the high deck, small cockpit, your long legs and lack of > confidence in an unfamiliar boat contributed to your demise! I might have to give it another shot. It's probably not a boat I'll ever own (I'm a confirmed wood boat addict) but I love trying different designs. I almost got to paddle the CD Slipstream, but I didn't fit into it. I would have tried the Gulfstream, but they sold it 2 days before the demo. :( How does the Squall relate to the Solstice GTS? > PS Boat Demos typically cater to first time paddlers and I believe the > sponsor's have a bit of responsibility for your safety, even if it is just > telling you "Don't go beyond that buoy". They were keeping a very close eye on the first-time paddlers. I'm a quasi-employee, though (I do all their boat repairs) so they are familiar with my skills and knew I wasn't in danger. Even if they didn't know I was doing an unintentional rescue practice (they probably thought I was flailing intentionally!) if I had summoned them, they would have come right out. My buddy was 35 feet away on the dock, too, and he could have alerted them to assist me. I did tell him not to worry, and that I wasn't in immediate danger. While the whole experience wasn't exactly fun, it was eye-opening, and very valuable to have been through. Shawn -- 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/ ***************************************************************************
At 02:52 PM 9/6/00 -0600, Shawn W. Baker wrote: >Hi Tim, >Thanks for the reply. > >NEWTOT_at_mail.modot.state.mo.us wrote: >> As a Squall owner with time on my hands, I'll respond: > ><<Squall experience snipped>> > >> I'd say that the high deck, small cockpit, your long legs and lack of >> confidence in an unfamiliar boat contributed to your demise! > >I might have to give it another shot. It's probably not a boat I'll >ever own (I'm a confirmed wood boat addict) but I love trying different >designs. I almost got to paddle the CD Slipstream, but I didn't fit >into it. I would have tried the Gulfstream, but they sold it 2 days >before the demo. :( > >How does the Squall relate to the Solstice GTS? Since I've had the opportunity to paddle all three I would say that if you tried to do a reentry in a Slipstream without a paddlefloat, you probably would have had about the same sucess as in the Squall. As far as touring boats go, when comparing initial stability of all the different boats I've been in (around 100), it think the Squall has the lowest intial stability among plastic boats and the Slipstream among all the touring boats (I've only paddled one surf ski). I though the GTS was more stable than either of them. *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
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/ ***************************************************************************
At 10:21 PM 9/6/00 -0700, 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 (much snipped) This actually opens the door to a question that's come up around the campfire once or twice, and maybe it's worth asking: Why doesn't someone come up with a paddle float with a CO2 cartidge inflater, like on an inflatable PFD? It seems to me that in cold water the quicker that you can get rigged for the paddle float rescue, the better off you are, no matter what the immersion protection. If you could just bag the thing over the end of the paddle and yank the ripcord, it would be a savings of perhaps several minutes over inflating and rigging. -- Wes *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
----- Original Message ----- Wes Boyd" <boydwe_at_dmci.net> wrote: > > This actually opens the door to a question that's come up around the > campfire once or twice, and maybe it's worth asking: > > Why doesn't someone come up with a paddle float with a CO2 cartidge > inflater, like on an inflatable PFD? It seems to me that in cold water the > quicker that you can get rigged for the paddle float rescue, the better off > you are, no matter what the immersion protection. If you could just bag the > thing over the end of the paddle and yank the ripcord, it would be a > savings of perhaps several minutes over inflating and rigging. > Actually I did experiment with this and had a prototype made years ago. You would save less than a minute. The problems: 1) high cost initially, probably over $100 2) high cost to use and practice with, large CO2 cartridges are not cheap (the Back UP cartridge is $10 for each use). 3)Safety--imagine you have the paddle float device manually inflated and then accidentally release the CO2. Well, I tested this with a small CO2 cartridge and a full float. I pulled the rip cord and threw it to the other side of my car. It didn't burst as I feared it might but every time I touched it for the next week or so it rang like a bell it was so highly pressurized. A bigger cartridge might make it into a small bomb if it didn't have a pressure relief valve al$o installed. The BACK UP uses a CO2 cartridge and it is even a better device than you described. No need to exit the kayak or put it on the paddle, just pull the rip-cord and use it to right yourself. No pumping out required either. almost as good as a roll. I carried the BACK UP in my store and liked it, but the $129 (introductory price) and the $10 cartridge costs made it a very slow seller. A paddle float (inflated or foam) can be kept under some bungies on the back deck and used much like a BACK UP to right oneself, however it is bulkier to store that way and adds windage. It is far cheaper though. 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/ ***************************************************************************
Matt Broze wrote: > ...snip... > The BACK UP uses a CO2 cartridge and it is even a better device than you > described. No need to exit the kayak or put it on the paddle, just pull the > rip-cord and use it to right yourself. No pumping out required either. > almost as good as a roll. I carried the BACK UP in my store and liked it, > but the $129 (introductory price) and the $10 cartridge costs made it a very > slow seller. The BackUP also has the rigging to use as a paddle float, should you want to use it that way (although it is unlikely that this would be necessary). As for the price, I am a bit surprised that this disuades people given how superior it is to any reentry technique. I have practiced with the BackUP extensively, and it is VERY easy to use. Most of the people I paddle with carry one on their deck, including those with good rolls. Unless you are 100% certain that your roll will never fail you, I would recommend carrying a BackUP. There is one minor modification I recommend--tying off the cord that holds the clip so that the clip is closer to the bag. This makes it easier to carry the inflated bag on the back deck. (Otherwise the cord is too long, and the bag drags in the water.) I have a D-ring just behind my cockpit to which I clip the bag when it is fully inflated. As for Matt's concern about pulling the inflation cord after inflating the device manually, I believe that all such devices are designed to be able to tolerate the maximum pressure that can be delivered by the cartridge (even when inflated). I have tested this with my inflatable PFD and BackUP, and both of them handled it without any apparent problem, although as Matt notes, they do become quite "firm". Dan Hagen *************************************************************************** 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 10:21 PM 9/6/00 -0700, Matt Broze wrote: ><snip> > >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. This kind of thing happens a lot on the river, especially when someone capsizes to the downstream side when ferrying or peeling out of an eddy. It also sometimes happens after a mean nasty hole spits you out into aerated water after putting you through a couple of wash cycles -- as I found out last weekend. It is indeed very disorienting to not be able to find the surface. I have always found that a switch to the other side roll is the perfect remedy. I have never encountered the problem that Matt describes with the same problem being reversed. I wonder if this has something to do with extreme flotation of two life vests or an unburped drysuit, and is therefore not likely to happen in nature (so to speak). Another remedy to the problem that I sometimes use is the remain in the set-up position while performing several strong hipsnaps. This often results in a completion of the capsize so that you can start the roll. If even that fails, just go for a roll even though you disoriented. If you fail, then go for it again, because by this time, your boat almost certainly is back to normal upside down. 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> wrote: > At 10:21 PM 9/6/00 -0700, Matt Broze wrote: > ><snip> > > > >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. > > This kind of thing happens a lot on the river, especially when someone > capsizes to the downstream side when ferrying or peeling out of an eddy. It > also sometimes happens after a mean nasty hole spits you out into aerated > water after putting you through a couple of wash cycles -- as I found out > last weekend. It is indeed very disorienting to not be able to find the > surface. I have always found that a switch to the other side roll is the > perfect remedy. I have never encountered the problem that Matt describes > with the same problem being reversed. I wonder if this has something to do > with extreme flotation of two life vests or an unburped drysuit, and is > therefore not likely to happen in nature (so to speak). Yes I didn't have the problem until I started to wear a drysuit and then I soon learned to squeeze out all the air I could. Invariably switching to an offside roll would switch me to floating up on the opposite side as well when I was in this floated up to one side (and my paddle was sometimes--about 50%--on the other). Maybe I didn't have good technique for getting my paddle cleanly over to the other side but it seemed the motion of moving the paddle had an equal and opposite reaction and moved my body to the other side. Obviously, if I didn't have too much flotation on my upper body I could just wait until I hung straight down and then roll. > Another remedy to the problem that I sometimes use is the remain in the > set-up position while performing several strong hipsnaps. This often > results in a completion of the capsize so that you can start the roll. If > even that fails, just go for a roll even though you disoriented. If you > fail, then go for it again, because by this time, your boat almost > certainly is back to normal upside down. I could spend the waiting time mentioned above doing hip flicks (without using the paddle) but I don't think that would necessarily speed up the process of getting me to completely upside down. What I am describing only takes one hip flick (and the paddle blade to block the motion and move the body over to the other side). Slice the paddle back under the kayak and you can continue the paddle return motion smoothly into the roll. This is much quicker than doing any of the techniques Kevin describes above. 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/ ***************************************************************************
Matt wrote, in part: "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." Matt, can I ask you to clarify this. I'm not sure the reason you aren't attempting to roll on the side you happen to have floated up on. Is it important to roll on the other side, for example you are in surf and want wave assistance to come up, or wind will prevent a roll on one side? Or is your paddle stuck on the opposite side? Is this the quick way, before running out of breath, to get to your strong side roll? Where is your paddle when you start this power stroke under the deck, on the opposite side of the boat to the side you have floated up on? Your body changes sides, does the paddle? Regards, Peter Treby (lost in subspace again) 37°42'S 145°08'E *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
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/ ***************************************************************************
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