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From: Vince Dalrymple <vincedalrymple_at_home.com> subject: Re: [Paddlewise] are you using sea socks??? Date: Mon, 09 Oct 2000 10:50:45 -0200 · This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:33:18 PDT

Mornin' Joan,

Sorry about getting back to this so late.  Just came across it while catching up
on old e-mail.

JSpinner_at_aol.com wrote:

> Not an argument because I have very little experience with sea socks but I
> was not impressed. I blew a roll in a boat with one and thought a reenter and
> roll would be the key. Well, have you ever tried to find the pegs in a wet,
> floating sea sock? I had to swim the boat to shore because I was just not
> able to get the thing straightened out enough to get back in the boat.

Having paddled an F-Craft Khatsalano for the past several years (all of it with a
sea sock - no exceptions), I haven't had any major problems getting my feet back
into the cockpit and onto the footpegs *after* coming out of the boat.  Granted,
the Khats is a smaller by volume, narrower cockpit boat than almost all the other
folders out there, but...  Even though the sea sock would twist with the footwear
(esp. gummy 5.10s), it wasn't enough to keep me from finding the pegs in any of
the numerous rescue drills (self & assisted) performed - in any of the conditions
performed in.  Just my experience, though.  A big help may have been *patience*
getting the feet into the cockpit, wriggling the shoes around, toes pointed
forwards, and using a free hand to pull the sock up and around (when necessary)
until just touching the footpegs, then drop the butt into place while pressuring
firmly on the pegs.

Someone on the list talked about the sock ballooning out of the boat upon wet
exiting.  A couple things;  First, that a) that shouldn't happen if boat isn't
filling up with water through the hatches, etc. and that b) they have burped the
sea sock just before sealing the sprayskirt down (in the boat, on-water) -
something I personally did not do very often and didn't have a problem with.
Second, the sea sock can be Velcro-ed to the hull and foot pegs, or (as I
recently caught on PW traffic), a foam foot block can be added behind the pegs to
hold the sock in place and untwisted (with the added benefit of giving solid,
comfortable foot support).

>     My other experience was similar but more frightening. I got my legs
> tangled as I tried a wet exit from an upside down boat. Maybe I'm just the
> wrong shape for them. Neither of the boats were mine and one was a bit small
> for me but still...

I've had a bit more problem wet exiting the Khats (than getting back in) and have
had to trail the sock out of the cockpit still tangled around my feet until
freeing up in the water.  Again, *patience* along with gently wriggling free.  If
it happened in the surf zone, I think I might try bear hugging the boat, paddle
still in hand, and letting Ma Nature's hydraulics do the undressing.  Speaking of
the surf zone, my most embarrassing moment coming out of a boat occurred upon
landing in storm surf during my BCU 4 Star class.  Hit the beach, popped the
skirt, pushed off the coaming to all but jump out of the boat . . . and wound up
rolling off the rear deck (followed by wallowing around on the sand for a moment
or two) trying to free up my sticky soled 5.10s from the sock while a wave or two
washed over / around the boat and paddle!

Vince

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