Joan wrote: >How do you avoid <breaking your paddle during a paddlefloat rescue> > One advantages of practicing paddle float rescues is finding out if your paddle is suitable for sea kayaking. If the paddle breaks during a practice paddle float rescue it is unsuited for Sea kayaking. If you paddle with some fancy super doper light paddle then keep in mind that it is a survivability negative; like paddling solo, not wearing a PFD, not having flotation, etc. If you don't wet exit your boat must of these survival items do not come into play, but a weak paddle can fail any time. Like in the surf or pushing off a rock. P.S. The old type wood paddles with the metal joint in the middle are only paddles I personal have seen fail during a paddle float rescue. Each had rotten wood inside the metal joint tube. >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. Don't empty the boat before reentry. Being lower in the water, it's also easier to get into. *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
----- Original Message ----- From: "Thomas Cromwell" <cthomas28_at_qwest.net> > Joan wrote: > >How do you avoid <breaking your paddle during a paddlefloat > rescue> > > > > One advantages of practicing paddle float rescues is finding > out if your paddle is suitable for sea kayaking. If the > paddle breaks during a practice paddle float rescue it is > unsuited for Sea kayaking. > If you paddle with some fancy super doper light paddle then > keep in mind that it is a survivability negative; like > paddling solo, not wearing a PFD, not having flotation, etc. > > If you don't wet exit your boat must of these survival items > do not come into play, but a weak paddle can fail any time. > Like in the surf or pushing off a rock. There have been some quite good descriptions of the mindset one has to have in doing a paddlefloat rescue. Both Doug and Gabriel mentioned variations of thinking in terms of pulling the boat toward you rather than think in terms of climbing on to the boat; Doug's description (pulling it toward you in a series of push pull motions) is a particularly good one. Another mindset that can avoid putting too much pressure on the paddlefloat and paddle is to think of the outrigger as an outrigger keeping the _boat_ from tipping over rather than think of it as something you are using to support _you_ or something to climb on to. I have seen people throw a leg and lots of weight on to the outrigged paddle and this seemed to be inviting problems. ralph diaz-- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** 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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