A couple of recent incidents have made up for some of the many hours spent sweating profusely in my wetsuit and paddling jacket in 70+ degree weather. The first occurred when I went to see a friends new waterfront lot and 35 ft boat. I got a tour of the boat and since it was almost sundown we decided to take a short paddle around the housing development and out to the intracoastal canal that passes nearby. I dutifully put on the wet suit and paddlling jacket despite his somewhat disparaging remarks about "overkill". His lot has a high dock for access to the large boat, but he added a small ramp that floated on the water end to adjust with the tide. I got in and he pushed me down the ramp and into the water. He decided to try a new entry (he had only launched from the dock a couple of times before) He got into the kayak fairly high up on the ramp and tried to slide down the ramp and into the water. The ramp was at a much steeper angle than normal due to a low tide and when the front of the kayak hit the water it just lifted the middle of the kayak off the ramp. Being suspended only from the narrow ends, the kayak quickly flipped on its side as it continued sliding down the ramp. He never even got a chance to brace before he was upside down in the water. He exited ok and got back up on the ramp, but the cell phone did not survive. I told him the kayaking god's were getting even with him for making fun of all my clothing. He was not amused at my comments. Yesterday I "rescued" a motor-boat that had run aground. There were two women and a small child in the boat. The were wearing shorts and T-shirts and were not really prepared for much work in the 56 deg water. They were just sitting in a "funny" spot just off the channel so I paddled over and asked if they needed help. The driver told me she was stuck and would appreciate a hand. I got out of the kayak and after a little trial and error managed to lift up the rear of the boat and push them into deeper water. The muck on the edge of the channel almost ate my booties, but I managed to get back into kayak with all my gear and without going for a complete swim. I was glad tha I had on enough gear to feel comfortable getting out of the kayak. I'll still get laughed at for "overdressing" down here and most of the time I probably do have on more than I need. But ever now and then that cold water (yes I know 56 is summer water for most of you up north) clothing comes in handy despite the air temp. Anyway it gives me more incentive to practice my rolls in order to cool off. Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday and that the New Year will bring many hours of fun and safe paddling. Mark J. Arnold *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
on 12/25/00 8:17 PM, MJAkayaker_at_aol.com at MJAkayaker_at_aol.com wrote: Snip > I'll still get laughed at for "overdressing" down here and most of the time I > probably do have on more than I need. But ever now and then that cold water > (yes I know 56 is summer water for most of you up north) clothing comes in > handy despite the air temp. Anyway it gives me more incentive to practice my > rolls in order to cool off. snip Mark, Let them laugh. Up here in Washington State I "over dress" with my Gortex dry suit in the summer even if the temperature is in the 80s. Like you, I'll use the water to cool off. I've learned to stay very comfortable in my dry suit any time of the year. I teach a tidal rapids class and we require that the students wear dry suits (provided by us if they don't have one). It's not unusual for for students to ask if they really need to wear a dry suit. I can recall a couple different students from southern California who tried to talk me into letting them use their wet suit shorty. After the class, which can result in a few capsizes and rescues :), I only hear nice things about dry suits. Rex Over dressed and proud of it. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
For the first time ever, I flipped over unintentionally last week due to a swirly current, a gusty wind, and me daydreaming all at the same time. It took what seemed like a few seconds to figure out what had happened as I dangled under my kayak, but I relaxed and rolled up again safely. Fortunately I was wearing my drysuit and didn't feel any shock from the cold water and I was able to continue my paddle for a couple more hours. Being prepared with the right clothing and a reliable roll saved me from what could have been a very serious situation, and brought home the importance to me of staying alert! Tom York, ME *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Tom wrote: "For the first time ever, I flipped over unintentionally last week due to a swirly current, a gusty wind, and me daydreaming all at the same time. It took what seemed like a few seconds to figure out what had happened as I dangled under my kayak, but I relaxed and rolled up again safely." Now, how do you rationally decide which side to roll up on, in this situation. You want to come up on the side the weather is coming from, so as to get any wind assistance coming up, and to brace into waves... Rules of thumb for rolling up: 1. When surfing to the left on a wave, set up on the right and roll up on the left. Conversely, 2. When surfing to the right on a wave, set up on the left and roll up on the right. 3. When dumped unexpectedly, look up hanging upside down. Waves from the left, set up on the right. Waves from the right, set up on the left. Or, set up on the side away from the wave direction. 4. Aaaah, I'm running out of air fast, roll up desperately on the strong side as quickly as possible! Upside down, down under, Peter Treby 37°42'S 145°08'E *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
can you say this again in kindergarten language for beginners? AS I come up out of the water... do I want to be moving the same direction as the waves? or against them? I get the part about just doing whichever side you're good at!! :) Tori >From: "Peter Treby" <ptreby_at_ozemail.com.au> > >Tom wrote: >"For the first time ever, I flipped over unintentionally last week due to a >swirly current, a gusty wind, and me daydreaming all at the same time. It >took what seemed like a few seconds to figure out what had happened as I >dangled under my kayak, but I relaxed and rolled up again safely." > >Now, how do you rationally decide which side to roll up on, in this >situation. You want to come up on the side the weather is coming from, so >as >to get any wind assistance coming up, and to brace into waves... >Rules of thumb for rolling up: >1. When surfing to the left on a wave, set up on the right and roll up on >the left. Conversely, >2. When surfing to the right on a wave, set up on the left and roll up on >the right. >3. When dumped unexpectedly, look up hanging upside down. Waves from the >left, set up on the right. Waves from the right, set up on the left. Or, >set >up on the side away from the wave direction. >4. Aaaah, I'm running out of air fast, roll up desperately on the strong >side as quickly as possible! >Upside down, down under, >Peter Treby >37°42'S 145°08'E *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Victoria writes: "can you say this again in kindergarten language for beginners? AS I come up out of the water... do I want to be moving the same direction as the waves? or against them?" I'll try, but first, a warning. I'm an intermediate learner with a long way to go before I should be telling others how to do things. I posted this little theory in order to draw comment from those better able to give advice. Come on in you storm rollers, where are you when I need you? The idea is to come to the surface on the side you need to brace on. In surf, or other waves, you need to brace INTO the wave. So you want to roll up on the side the wave is coming from, in order to come up bracing. The same can be true in rolling up in wind. Roll up so as to come up bracing on the side the wind is coming from. This is the same side waves will be coming from. If you come up on the other side, it is easier for the next wave to knock you over again. And/or, the wind will be working against you as you come up. If your boat is pointing into the waves, or away from them, either side is equally OK. Again, take my advice as being from a learner. I am at a point where I am beginning to have a choice of which side to roll up on, rather than just muscling up on the strong side, asap. Mostly, if you're capsized in surf, you are very disoriented when under the turbulent froth. If you are held down for any length of time, you may feel that your best chance of breathing again, without leaving the cockpit, is to try the strong side, and your best roll, first. Good practice for bracing into waves, and rolling up, is close to shore, deep enough to roll, on a gently shelving beach, with surf under a metre. Play around surfing and broaching, and deliberately capsizing down wave, setting up on the down wave side, and rolling up. The wave gives some assistance in coming up. I hope to do a bit of this next week, clearing a five metre wide path through the surfing crowds! Still upside down, down under, Peter Treby 37°42'S 145°08'E *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> Victoria writes: > "can you say this again in kindergarten language for beginners? AS I come > up > out of the water... do I want to be moving the same direction as the waves? > or against them?" Some things are not worth worrying about. This is one of them. Just develop a very solid roll in calm water, and then start practising it under supervision in waves. (And remember to wear a helmet.) I think you'll find that setting up to begin a roll can be challenging when you are upside-down and being tossed about. Try to get to the point where you require minimal setting-up. A soon as the bobbing the boat feels right, go with it and roll up. If you spend too much time when you are upside down and being tossed about worrying about which way your boat is pointed and which side you wish to set up to roll on, you probably won't succeed in rolling even if you can make a decision. If you are being seriously trashed, you will be lucky to know which direction is up, let alone which way you are pointing, so don't worry about it. Don't worry about what you cannot control, and instead work with that which you can control. This means just go with what you've got. Get your boat up, and once it is up then start worrying about bracing. If you are having trouble rolling up, then work on your roll rather than worrying about boat position. Once you are up, just stuff your paddle into the first nasty thing you see. If you are having trouble with the delay between finishing your roll and starting your brace, try practising combinations of braces and rolls, and get to the point where you can hold a brace while slowly overturning and then rightng your boat. Once you are up and bracing, only then start worrying about which way you are pointing. Cheers, Richard Culpeper *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Peter Treby wrote: > Victoria writes: > "can you say this again in kindergarten language for beginners? AS I come > up > out of the water... do I want to be moving the same direction as the waves? > or against them?" Not that you have the choice of maneuvering the bow into the oncoming waves (unless you're using a cockpit breathing tube, rebreather, or other like device and paddle better than Maligiaq inverted), and that more often than not your boat boat will be washed beam to the waves if they pack enough energy in their break, it is still more pleasant in my view, anyway, to see and dig in on what's bearin' down on your hide (holding position through the next wave - upright or reinverted) than to roll up facing down wave and suddenly be picked up surfed, pearled, and looped - or broached, bounced, and maytagged for a cycle or two. But like I said, if it's an accident, what choice do you have whether you face toward or away from the wave?? As for which side (oh, that's what you wanted to know, wasn't it), always roll up up wave (unless you're caught up in your own loose tow line during a rescue and have to rotate the opposite way to unwrap, but that's another story ;-). Learn to have enough patience with your roll that you can "hang out" and enjoy the scenery (inverted) while a wave passes over (just for practice - nice regular wave sets). Feel its energy and get a sense of its movement over you. If you can time your roll to the "punch" of the wave, even a lousy (or maybe formerly non existent) off side roll will bring you right around, rolling up wave. As far as getting a nasty green water slap in the face (from rolling up wave), I have not had it happen to me during the last few years of progressing in the surf zone - probably due to timing the roll to the passing of the wave (thus using its energy to help rotate) and by slowing the roll to match the speed at which the wave passes over. This brings me up on the back of the wave unless, of course, my broached boat has been grabbed and dragged halfway back to the beach in the soup - still broached (where's that cockpit breathing tube when you need it, anyway??). And as far as rolling back up facing into high winds or irregular breaking waves (such as in clapotis zones), you can stall your roll near the surface, keeping a low, tight tuck recovery position to "feel out" the surface conditions. This isn't nearly as difficult when using the wave energy to roll with as on flat water, so don't be disappointed if you sink back down to soon when trying it in the pool or on calm water. If you want to take a look at what's "next on the menu" (comin' at you), invest now in a pair of clear plastic wrap around glasses (biking or safety glasses) and a tight fitting floating keeper strap. They work wonders in preventing the sting of wind driven rain / spray as you take that first glance. I'll try, but first, a warning. I'm an intermediate learner with a long way > to go before I should be telling others how to do things. I posted this > little theory in order to draw comment from those better able to give > advice. Come on in you storm rollers, where are you when I need you? Wish I could say "Out paddling" like our storm paddling chairman on this list serve, but in reality I've been busy doing weird and un-natural things (besides Holiday time spent with family). Spent last Saturday knuckling my way across a couple hundred yards of sea ice against 25~30 mph. (locally higher??) head winds. Ice of every variety: slick "floes" (on which the Anas would spin like a weather vane as it would be slid backwards by the winds - only purchase to be had being the ice ridges between the "floes"), slick to crusty textured ice (still ~ 4" thick and impossible to break through with my "basher" spare paddle), softening crusty ice on which the Anas would slowly sink into place if stopped for a break (had to mix knuckling with separate paddle halves as makeshift ice axes to achieve forward progress), and rind ice (?) where the wave action could be clearly seen throughout (fun stuff - always felt safe and stable, even rotated backwards trying to put the spare halves away or moving through to achieve the open water beyond). As working my way out to open water cost me about an hour to hour and a half, considerable skin off my knuckles under a new pair of NRS Reactor Gloves (worked flawlessly - no connection to the co., yada, yada), and about 50 % of my strength reserves, my much anticipated lee shore paddling in the short, fast, piled up 3' chop was cut very short, about 20~30 minutes and another 10 % or so of my strength. Slid back across the ice to the put in in another 20~30 minutes with 40 % of my strength still intact. Oh, and none of my regular end of paddle rolling this trip - being solo, I didn't want my ear sticking to the ice with nobody around to ask if I was "listening for fish". Still though, it was a strangely satisfying "paddle" - or should I call it alternative exercise? #;-> Vince knuckle paddler or is that knuckle headed? *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Peter Treby wrote: > Victoria writes: > "can you say this again in kindergarten language for beginners? AS I come > up > out of the water... do I want to be moving the same direction as the waves? > or against them?" Not that you have the choice of maneuvering the bow into the oncoming waves (unless you're using a cockpit breathing tube, rebreather, or other like device and paddle better than Maligiaq inverted), and that more often than not your boat boat will be washed beam to the waves if they pack enough energy in their break, it is still more pleasant in my view, anyway, to see and dig in on what's bearin' down on your hide (holding position through the next wave - upright or reinverted) than to roll up facing down wave and suddenly be picked up surfed, pearled, and looped - or broached, bounced, and maytagged for a cycle or two. But like I said, if it's an accident, what choice do you have whether you face toward or away from the wave?? As for which side (oh, that's what you wanted to know, wasn't it), always roll up up wave (unless you're caught up in your own loose tow line during a rescue and have to rotate the opposite way to unwrap, but that's another story ;-). Learn to have enough patience with your roll that you can "hang out" and enjoy the scenery (inverted) while a wave passes over (just for practice - nice regular wave sets). Feel its energy and get a sense of its movement over you. If you can time your roll to the "punch" of the wave, even a lousy (or maybe formerly non existent) off side roll will bring you right around, rolling up wave. As far as getting a nasty green water slap in the face (from rolling up wave), I have not had it happen to me during the last few years of progressing in the surf zone - probably due to timing the roll to the passing of the wave (thus using its energy to help rotate) and by slowing the roll to match the speed at which the wave passes over. This brings me up on the back of the wave unless, of course, my broached boat has been grabbed and dragged halfway back to the beach in the soup - still broached (where's that cockpit breathing tube when you need it, anyway??). And as far as rolling back up facing into high winds or irregular breaking waves (such as in clapotis zones), you can stall your roll near the surface, keeping a low, tight tuck recovery position to "feel out" the surface conditions. This isn't nearly as difficult when using the wave energy to roll with as on flat water, so don't be disappointed if you sink back down to soon when trying it in the pool or on calm water. If you want to take a look at what's "next on the menu" (comin' at you), invest now in a pair of clear plastic wrap around glasses (biking or safety glasses) and a tight fitting floating keeper strap. They work wonders in preventing the sting of wind driven rain / spray as you take that first glance. I'll try, but first, a warning. I'm an intermediate learner with a long way > to go before I should be telling others how to do things. I posted this > little theory in order to draw comment from those better able to give > advice. Come on in you storm rollers, where are you when I need you? Wish I could say "Out paddling" like our storm paddling chairman on this list serve, but in reality I've been busy doing weird and un-natural things (besides Holiday time spent with family). Spent last Saturday knuckling my way across a couple hundred yards of sea ice against 25~30 mph. (locally higher??) head winds. Ice of every variety: slick "floes" (on which the Anas would spin like a weather vane as it would be slid backwards by the winds - only purchase to be had being the ice ridges between the "floes"), slick to crusty textured ice (still ~ 4" thick and impossible to break through with my "basher" spare paddle), softening crusty ice on which the Anas would slowly sink into place if stopped for a break (had to mix knuckling with separate paddle halves as makeshift ice axes to achieve forward progress), and rind ice (?) where the wave action could be clearly seen throughout (fun stuff - always felt safe and stable, even rotated backwards trying to put the spare halves away or moving through to achieve the open water beyond). As working my way out to open water cost me about an hour to hour and a half, considerable skin off my knuckles under a new pair of NRS Reactor Gloves (worked flawlessly - no connection to the co., yada, yada), and about 50 % of my strength reserves, my much anticipated lee shore paddling in the short, fast, piled up 3' chop was cut very short, about 20~30 minutes and another 10 % or so of my strength. Slid back across the ice to the put in in another 20~30 minutes with 40 % of my strength still intact. Oh, and none of my regular end of paddle rolling this trip - being solo, I didn't want my ear sticking to the ice with nobody around to ask if I was "listening for fish". Still though, it was a strangely satisfying "paddle" - or should I call it alternative exercise? #;-> Vince knuckle paddler or is that knuckle headed? Doug, I still haven't gotten around to your stuff, yet. Will respond when I can. Enjoy the storm season and Happy New Millennium to you & yours! *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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