RE: [Paddlewise] kayaker death, equipment, safety

I find Matt's comments on the recent fatal incident thought provoking:

>I have a slightly different take on this. I think it wouldn't have made
much
>difference what he was wearing. The paddlefloat being still folded and with
>the kayak points to the conclusion that he lost his kayak as soon as he
>bailed out but before he got started with that rescue. Once that kayak is
>gone if he didn't have a way to summon outside help (or other boaters or
>paddling partners in the area) and if he was far from shore (and that could
>be a few yards if the wind or current was taking him the other way) no
>amount of thermal protective clothing up to a full survival suit would have
>been likely to save him (other than by extending his life for a few more
>hours when someone just might happen to come upon him accidentally).

Matt's above observation basically is that a dry suit here would have made
no difference.
No one can be sure of exactly what happened in a terrible incident like
this, but one of the great benefits of a medium like paddlewise is that it
introduces a diversity of philosophies and ideas, which hopefully make
kayaking safer and more enjoyable.  When reflecting on the analysis of this
incident I was reminded of some of the general differences of safety
philosophy the list has and which I am used to in the culture in which I
paddle, and my thoughts drifted to more general equipment and safety
dilemmas. What to carry? why? and particularly whether equipment which makes
you feel safer may have exactly the opposite effect.

For example, the sea water temperature here typically varies between
something like 41 in Winter and 55 degrees F in summer. My impression is
that many on this list would consider for this water use of a dry suit
pretty much mandatory. However, in the culture of the sport I paddle in dry
suits are almost never chosen, and amongst experienced sea kayakers wetsuits
are not a common choice either, clothing  being selected as a rule to be
appropriate to paddling performance, not protection for a long swim.
Typically fleece with a waterproof/windproof semi-dry/dry-cag shell might be
worn.  Madness? If you swim in this clothing you get wet. The water is cold,
if you swim sooner or later you get wet and cold. Becoming dysfunctional
because of cold is extremely dangerous.  The lesson I take from this is not
that I need more sophisticated clothing, but rather I am reminded that
taking a long swim in cold water is so dangerous that it isn't an option. As
Matt observes above, the above swim was unlikely to have a good outcome no
matter the clothing.

Similarly if I lose my boat, I am in serious trouble. To be in the
unfortunate position of having to wet exit only to surface watching your
boat blowing away faster than you can swim would indeed be terrible. Do I
rush out and invest in a leash to make sure the boat is never going to be
separated from me? , or am I reminded that should a wet exit be necessary it
is imperative not to let go of the boat?

Do Leashes, tethers, epirbs, strobes, paddlefloats etc make a safer paddler?
Or quite the opposite, does making the informed choice NOT to carry these
items make a safer paddler? I have been reflecting on this for pretty much
the life of this list, and I believe the latter case.  I wear a foam pfd and
helmet on the river but choose neither of them at sea. I  might decide to
take only paddle, clothing and boat or I may have a boat full of kit down to
a vhf and gps. When am I safer? Does the excess equipment make me an un-safe
paddler?

They used to burn Heretics. Flame away.

Colin
57º19'N  2º10'W






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