Joan wrote: >How do you avoid <breaking your paddle during a paddlefloat rescue> >if you aren't real agile? I have to clamber back into the >boat with a stirrup. I often find, with boats other than mine, that I >still tip the boats to the point of taking on water as I step up. I try >to do it quickly but that isn't always possible. Bringing the end of >the paddle closer to the boat limits the tipping BUT puts more pressure >on the paddle. Well, the first thing I'd recommend if you weren't real agile would be to practice with a sturdy paddle, and not your favorite lightweight $400 carbon fiber/unobtanium 20 oz. paddle! I try to use a combination swim-kicking motion with my feet, and pullup with my upper body onto the aft deck. Pushups might be good cross-training for this sort of thing, if you're so inclined. Definitely the kicking helps more than anything. Rather than making your upper body do all the work (which gets to be more and more work as more of your body gets into the air and loses the buoyancy of the water) make sure you have your lower body help out as much as possible. I think a lot of folks try to use a combination of brute force and awkwardness to pull themselves up onto their kayak in a rescue. It seems to me this should be more of a "finesse" thing, just like rolling, where you need to use agility, technique, and momentum. (So with a lack of agility, you can always fall back on technique and momentum!!) Shawn Yahoo! Auctions - buy the things you want at great prices http://auctions.yahoo.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/ ***************************************************************************
Yes Shawn, it is a finesse thing. I always encourage beginners to 'pull the boat under them' instead of climbing onto the boat. Seems that they tend to apply a lateral force rather than a vault where which the downward pressure tends to make the boat tippier and need more force. They also stay low. A good reach over the deck helps. > I think a lot of folks try to use a combination of brute force and > awkwardness to pull themselves up onto their kayak in a rescue. It > seems to me this should be more of a "finesse" thing, just like > rolling, where you need to use agility, technique, and momentum. (So > with a lack of agility, you can always fall back on technique and > momentum!!) > > Shawn -- ¤ Gabriel L Romeu ¤ http://studiofurniture.com + /diary or + /paint *************************************************************************** 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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