Re: [Paddlewise] Bow Lift Rescue

Peter said....
|This was described in a Sea Kayaker not too long back, I think.
|Has anyone been able to accomplish this after being capsized unexpectedly?
|Forgive my scepticism, but this seems like a flat water trick unlikely to
be
|of much use in a real life rescue and recovery situation.

I have only tried it in choppy water.  The one time I have been suddenly
knocked over I swam the yak into shore since I don't have a roll.  In the
conditions I was in I think this would have worked.  2-3 foot steep waves
generated by an outgoing tide in a very confined channel with a small craft
advisory/thunder storm cell winds blowing against the tide.  I think I
could have dumped the water real easy.  I don't see why the technique would
be any harder than trying to lift a yak out of the water onto another boat.
That seems to be a much more difficult technique in nasty stuff.  But I
very seldom paddle with someone so thats not going to work for me anyway...

The real question was/is could I get back into the boat with a paddle float
re-entry in those conditions.  That I'm NOT so sure about.  Thus I swam to
shore ASAP, emptied the boat and got my chicken butt out of there.  The
winds did not bother me.  The tide was not a problem.  That thunderstorm
with lightning was The Problem.  There were still people staying on the
beach as I paddled at my fastest rate possible to get home.  This was one
of the worst lightning storms I have ever been in.  The roofers next to us
took a LONG time to get off the house they were fix'n.  I really expected
them to get zapped.  I really don't see how they lived.  I was scared as it
was it that little thinly built beach house on stilts.

The ONLY reason I was out in those conditions was I was safe until the
lightning showed up.  This was at the end of August so the water was very
warm and I could easily swim out of the conditions I was in if I got into
trouble.  Which was the whole reason for me to be out playing.  I wanted to
see what I could do.  What knocked me over was a very powerful bow sweep at
the same time I was hit by a gust of wind AND a steeper wave.  Over I went.
If I had waited another 30 seconds or so I would have been out of the main
channel and in smoother water and most likely would not have gone over.  I
told myself at the time to try just one more bow stroke......  8-)

But I ain't practicing technique in lightning storms if I have ANY say in
the matter!  8-)

Later...
Dan McCarty

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