Re: [Paddlewise] Cockpit Size

Doug wrote:
>>>>I also like my smaller spray skirt as it has less potential to leak, and
pools
less water. I could go on about these points, but don't want to incur the
wrath
of the "grumpy guru" :-)<<<<

I just saw Chris Duff's slide show about his solo expedition around New
Zealand's South Island. Incredible trip, incredibly rough weather,
incredibly big surf landings at times. Among other things after the show I
asked him if his spray deck ever came off his Romany Explorer which has a
32.25" long by 15.5" wide keyhole cockpit with a fairly rounded front(rather
than pointed--even more spray deck area in front of him to implode). He said
his spraydeck never did come off and that he had never been sucked out of
the cockpit either. He also always succeeded at rolling and sometimes would
have to roll repeatedly to get in through some long areas of surf. Before
the trip, Chris was told by Paul Caffyn that he would never make the
circumnavigation unless he used an "ocean" cockpitted Nordkapp and a rudder.
Chris not only made it during a very bad weather year, he used neither an
"ocean" cockpit or a rudder (or even a skeg). He used an all neoprene
Snapdragon spraydeck with an optional implosion bar. Like me, he said he
could not tolerate a cockpit where you can't bend your knees up to stretch
out your hamstrings for long periods on the water.

During the slide show I was reminded of my kayak surfing days while Chris
was describing his technique for recovering from a tumble in big breakers.
His technique was the same one I had settled on as well. Lock your legs in
place under the thigh grips and use them to hold yourself down into the seat
as hard as you can. While your lower body is tense like this you relax your
upper body so it can be flopped around like a limp dishrag. Let go of the
paddle with one hand but keep a firm grip on it with the other (so it is
free to pivot around wildly without being pulled from your grip). This way
you are not trying to fight the force of the breaker any more than necessary
to stay in the cockpit and hang onto the paddle. Lastly you hold your breath
until things quiet down and then find your paddle shaft with the other hand,
set up, and roll back up.
I forgot to ask Chris if he paddled feathered, but I assume he does because
otherwise the breakers could still yank the paddle away by grabbing both
blades at once (or break it or him if held an unfeathered paddle tightly in
both hands.
If you get a chance to see this slide show don't miss it. Chris's narration
and descriptions are worth it alone, but he also had some great slides.
Matt Broze
http://www.marinerkayaks.com


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