The web site for Outdoorplay has a page on self rescue using a paddle float. There is a serious flaw in the technique that is illustrated. The victim/swimmer has let go of the kayak, with one paddle blade under the bungie, she is out at the other blade putting the paddle float on. Rule #1 when you capsize and wet exit it to NEVER let go of the kayak. Slip one arm under a deck line (this is what perimeter lines are for) so you can have both hands free and still have a hold on the kayak. The wind can easily blow a kayak away faster than a person can swim to catch it. The source for these illustrations is a book "Kayaking: Whitewater and Touring Basics." Outdoorplay claims this is the "ultimate illustrated how-to guide to touring and whitewater." I don't think so. I would hope no one is using this book as a source. I've sent a e-mail message to Outdoorplay explaining my concerns about the flaw in this technique. If anyone else wants to do the same, here is the address for the page I am referring to: http://www.outdoorplay.com/headlines/report_paddle_float.html Rex Roberton *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Rex Roberton wrote: > > The web site for Outdoorplay has a page on self rescue using a paddle float. > There is a serious flaw in the technique that is illustrated. The > victim/swimmer has let go of the kayak, with one paddle blade under the > bungie, she is out at the other blade putting the paddle float on. > > Rule #1 when you capsize and wet exit it to NEVER let go of the kayak. I guess the idea is that the bungies hold the paddle tightly enough that the kayak is still secure, but it's an iffy thing. I'd prefer to leave it upside down and stick my leg in the cockpit while I mess with the float. Matt may have an opinion Speaking of which, the righting technique illustrated is guaranteed to put the maximun amount of water into the cockpit. The reach-across-underwater-heave-flip technique is drier, although more difficult with a loaded boat. > The source for these illustrations is a book "Kayaking: Whitewater and > Touring Basics." Outdoorplay claims this is the "ultimate illustrated > how-to guide to touring and whitewater." I don't think so. Nor do I. I've read this book (may even have a copy; if so, it was a garage sale purchase, not retail), and several times found myself saying "Don't tell people that!" The book is too superficial for people who want to learn techniques, and too complex for total newbies. Its companion volume on Canoeing, written by the estimable Gordon Grant, is much better. -- Steve *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
At 10:48 PM 6/12/01 -0700, Rex Roberton wrote: >The web site for Outdoorplay has a page on self rescue using a paddle float. >There is a serious flaw in the technique that is illustrated. The >victim/swimmer has let go of the kayak, with one paddle blade under the >bungie, she is out at the other blade putting the paddle float on. > >Rule #1 when you capsize and wet exit it to NEVER let go of the kayak. Slip >one arm under a deck line (this is what perimeter lines are for) so you can >have both hands free and still have a hold on the kayak. The wind can >easily blow a kayak away faster than a person can swim to catch it. Audrey Sutherland has a good tag line to this bit of advice. She adds, "all a PFD is going to do at this point is keep you afloat while you slowly die of hypothermia". >The source for these illustrations is a book "Kayaking: Whitewater and >Touring Basics." Outdoorplay claims this is the "ultimate illustrated >how-to guide to touring and whitewater." I don't think so. I've got a copy of this book at home. The key word there is illustrated. It does have good illustrations. The question you raise is whether or not those illustrations depict best practices. I noticed a couple of other things in those illustrations. In picture #5 of the sequence, just before she is about to slide into the cockpit, she is in a very vulnerable position with her knee on the seat. The pictures shows her center of gravity to be real high. She should have her body much closer to the deck, rather than kneeling up as she is. Whenever I've seen someone capsize during a paddlefloat reentry it has almost always been from one of two reasons; too little weight toward the paddle float, or they raised their center of gravity too high. Picture #6 looks suspect too. She's about to remove the paddle float and her spray skirt is not attached yet. In conditions sufficiently rough enough to capsize someone, leaving the cockpit open is likely going to result in a lot more water entering the boat in an already flooded boat. Generally, I've always seen it suggested that you leave the paddlefloat on until you've attached your spray skirt and pumped out the water. A flooded boat is usually going to be more unstable than when you first capsized, and keeping the paddlefloat on until you're stable might be the only thing that'll keep you from going over again. *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
The way I have practiced wet reentries is I grab a hold of the combing and rotate my body so that my legs are in the cockpit holding the kayak while I am laying on my back getting my paddle and paddle float ready. Then I grab a hold of the combing again and rotate my body so I can either crawl upon the kayak while holding onto the paddle and combing or I can hold on to the combing and slide my paddle under the bungies so I can climb back into the kayak. <Bill> Brought to you from beautiful Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, Alaska. N 53°51.140' W 166°30.228' (WGS 84) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rex Roberton" <rexrob_at_mac.com> To: <paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net> Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2001 9:48 PM Subject: [Paddlewise] Bad advice on paddle float rescue > The web site for Outdoorplay has a page on self rescue using a paddle float. > There is a serious flaw in the technique that is illustrated. The > victim/swimmer has let go of the kayak, with one paddle blade under the > bungie, she is out at the other blade putting the paddle float on. *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
At 03:29 PM 6/13/01 -0400, Rick Sylvia wrote: > Generally, I've always seen it suggested that you leave the > > paddlefloat on until you've attached your spray skirt and > > pumped out the > > water. > >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? The "trick" is to slide the pump in the tunnel of the skirt between your body and the skirt. The biggest problem with that sequence of pictures is that it's too simplistic. It's shown in calm water conditions, not typically the kind of conditions that would likely cause a capsize and require a wet exit/reentry in the first place. Attempting a reentry and then pumping your boat in those same conditions that knocked you over is going to be difficult and leaving the paddle with paddlefloat attached might provide the stability required. The important thing is to get back in the boat, and stay upright, the first time. It's only going to get more difficult, especially if the water is real cold, as it requires some physical effort and the potential for hypothermia increases the longer you spend time in the water. >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? That sounds like you're doing it right to me. How do you have your paddle tether attached? One of the biggest advocates of paddle (and boat) tethers is Audrey Sutherland. Inevitably, when she does a slide show talk, the question arises about getting tangled. Her answer is simple. She practices (a *lot*) doing wet exits and reentries with the tethers. Through repetition she is able to avoid the entanglement problems during practice, making is less likely that she'll have a problem under "real" conditions. *************************************************************************** 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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