Rick - Poquoson, VA wrote: >>>>>>I can see that with an electric, or foot operated pump. How about with a hand held pump? With my current set-up, the only way I can pump water out is by not fully attaching the spray-skirt. Do I have a bad set-up, or am I missing a trick or something?<<<<<<< You should be able to get the pump down the front of your spraydeck where it goes around your waist and pump out from between your legs. >>>>>>While I'm at it, I've had a problem with getting my legs tangled in my paddle-leash. I was told it's because I'm coming out backwards???? When upside down, I reach forward to release the skirt, then hold the sides of the coming, and do somewhat of a sumersault forward until my legs have cleared the cockpit. From that point, I just sort of move to the side of the boat and pop up to the surface. Is that incorrect? <<<<<<< Seems good to me, I don't see how that would automatically tangle you with your paddle leash. Perhaps your paddle leash is too long. I like to use 3/16" shock cord for a paddle leash because it can be only a few feet long and still stretch enough during those few times I might need it to be longer. When high bracing or rolling I never notice it but, the shock cord must have stretched to accommodate those moves. I also like that the shock cord and clip are inexpensive and lightweight so it doesn't clack on my deck with every stroke like the phone cord ones and those with metal fittings tend to do. Phone cord type leashes also seem to have that annoying phone cord habit of entangling with itself and suddenly shortening the stretch range or be excessively heavy surfboard leash style. Regular non-stretchy cord needs to be nearly 5 feet long to accommodate rolls and high braces and often seems to get untucked from the storage place needed for its excess length and dragging in the water if not getting tangled with paddle park cleats and such. Rex Roberton wrote: >>>>>>If you are talking about a wind on open water then I'm not following you unless you are talking about a huge storm. If I'm swimming with my kayak, no matter how I'm holding onto it, the wind is not going to roll me and my boat. I've paddled in winds 40 knots with gusts to over 50 knots and the wind did not roll me so how do you figure my boat would get rolled, and roll me while I'm swimming next to it? You must be talking about large breaking waves which is bringing us to the question of the limits of when a outrigger self rescue is possible. Maybe we could get Matt Broze to address this. Are you out there Matt?<<<<<<< Yes contrary to what Doug Lloyd would have everyone believing I've been here all along. I see no need to comment as Rex is doing such an admirable job of saying just what I would have said (in his whole post not just the part I quoted). I agree with Doug on this as well. PeterO wrote: >>>>>>>G' Day Self Rescue Enthusiasts, I've practised the paddlefloat reentry fairly regularly and sometimes find myself letting go of the boat and relying on the paddle being tethered to the boat. This worries me - it doesn't seem a good enough tether. Is there a case here for using a personal tether? After all one is unlikely to do a paddlefloat reentry in the surf where a tether might be dangerous?<<<<<<<< There are several ways to hold the paddle firmly to the kayak but it is so critical that you don't loose the kayak in the wind I would employ several of them and then still try to keep hold of the kayak at all times as well. Ways to increase the security of the paddle kayak connection: 1) push the blade under the lines beyond the deck and turn it 90 degrees to key it so it can't pull out, 2) employ a system that fastens the paddle firmly to the deck (several ways are possible--we have small hooks on the spare paddle holding shock cord that can be lifted over the paddle and hooked to itself making a small loop around the shaft), 3) lift the shock cord or line up and put it outside of the drip ring of the paddle so the drip ring stops it from easily being pulling back out until you again lift the cord to the other side of the drip ring when you are ready to disengage, 4) hook the paddle leash to a rear deck line so even if the paddle is pulled out it will still be leashed, 5) hook the shock cord leash on your paddlefloat to the boat before blowing up the float or fitting it to the paddle (it should be long enough to stretch so the paddle can still be fastened to the back deck or slipped under the deck lines once the float is on the paddle (note: some systems don't work well if you put the float on first--experiment in waves with your paddle fastening system) PeterO finished up with: >>>>>Several skilled sea kayakers advised that if one exits a boat due to a blown roll not to repeat it but use the paddlefloat assisted reentry and roll instead. And I found this much simpler and faster than learning the conventional paddlefloat rescue. I wonder if it might be easier even for people who don't know how to roll. Please note my opinions are those of a novice kayaker - so I'm really asking for comment not intending to give advice!<<<<<<<< Rick asked about how to pump out through the spraydeck. One of the main problems of the reentry and roll is that not only do you need to know how to roll but you are not stabilized once in the kayak and back upright (so that you can put the spraydeck back on and pump out as you can under most conditions as you can with the fixed outrigger paddlefloat rescue). Of course, if your kayak is equipped with an electric pump you only have to get the spraydeck reattached (usually a two handed job) and then brace a lot waiting for the electric pump to finish its job (unless you have also packed the inside of the cockpit sides all with foam so the water can't slosh so far over to the side to help your kayaks flooded stability). 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 Thu Jun 14 2001 - 23:07:03 PDT
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