Steve wrote: > Another quick way to release the sprayskirt is from the side. If you just > grab the side of the skirt just above your hip or 1/2 back, and give a big > tug, it'll pop off. It's a sure fire release if you happen to bury the > loop. <SNIP> I haven't found this to work very well for me. It's very hard for me to get a secure grip on the wet spraydeck outside of the coaming and my big fingers can't seem to get under the shock cord anywhere either. I certainly wouldn't find this reliable. I've talked to one guy who was trapped in his cockpit at the symposium a few years ago and he tried this as a second resort and it failed (before inventing the reach inside the skirt through the waist hole technique on the spot to rescue himself). Necessity may be the mother of invention, but I have to admire his calmness in the face of impending doom to come up with this technique at the spur of the moment without ever having heard of it before. Adding the wiffle ball was the victim's (in the original story I told) solution to the problem. I worry that the wiffle ball might break so prefer a T-stop sewn into the grabloop that will keep my hand from slipping off the end of the loop as I pull (push) it forward before lifting it up to release it. The T works even if I can't get the loop open to get my fingers inside it. Steve also wrote: > Another exit that *usually* works is put a knee up thru the > cockpit opening > and push out. I've seen the combing part from the boat using this > technique. I wouldn't want to have my life depend on poor construction of the kayak (that lets the cockpit rim break out so easily). The technique certainly is worth practicing though. Can anyone suggest a field repair to replace a break away cockpit so I can get back out through the surf to continue my solo trip in the wilderness. Matt Broze http://www.marinerkayaks.com *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************Received on Tue Mar 06 2001 - 18:33:15 PST
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