There are cases where any leash can be dangerous. However, in some cases the risk of not leashing is greater. I wouldn't use a leash in surf, where the paddle can become a danger by trashing you while the wave trashes you, you kayak and the paddle. I like the kind of leash tethered to my wrist via velcro straps. It easily slips off if I want it to, does not tangle me up with the boat, yet holds my paddle if I dump and forget to hang on. I have never surfed tho so don't know the consequences of a leash in that situation. Wayne F *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
> I like the kind of leash tethered to my wrist via velcro straps. I have never understood the need for this kind of leash. I play in the surf on a pretty regular basis, as well as thrash around in various other kinds of ocean kayaking activities, and I have never, ever, not even once, let go of my paddle and lost it. I don't even remember ever losing my paddle when I was new to the sport and actually used to capsize and wet exit. It just was never all that difficult for me to hang onto my paddle. I do occasionally use a paddle leash where my paddle is tethered to my boat. I mostly use this setup for fishing, so when I get a bite I can just drop my paddle and grab my rod, and not have to worry about my paddle drifting away. I can see the use for a leash from the boat to the paddle in rough water so if you capsize and wet exit and hang onto your paddle you will still be connected to the boat. But I just don't get the leash to the wrist bit. Scott So.Cal. *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
I use a paddle leash attached to my kayak. Besides having it for the obvious reason of not losing my paddle in the event of a capsize, when I want to photograph a bird it is easier and quieter to just lay my paddle in the water and then pick up my camera. Setting my paddle on the boat invariable causes a noise that spooks the birds. I only paddle in flatwater conditions. This reminds me my old paddle leash is broke. I need to fix it or buy a new one before the northern paddling season starts. -Bob Matter Hammond, Indiana *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
I too wonder about the necessity of a paddle leash. I come from a whitewater background and in that arena the leash would be considered a major hazard by many. Is a paddle leash a widely used thing for seakayakers? One of the previous posters on another thread implied that it was some kind of safety breach that someone wasn't using one. Any thoughts on when and where to use/not use a leash? Pete Yahoo! Sports - Coverage of the 2002 Olympic Games http://sports.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/ ***************************************************************************
At 05:58 AM 2/21/02 -0800, Peter Staehling wrote: >I too wonder about the necessity of a paddle leash. I >come from a whitewater background and in that arena >the leash would be considered a major hazard by many. The risks are different in whitewater paddling. When paddling on a river you're also relatively close to shore. Even if you lost both your paddle and boat downriver after a capsize the side of the river is likely only 10-100' away. Losing a paddle on the open ocean can have much more serious consequences. Even if you're only a 1/2 mile off shore, the currents and winds might make it virtually impossible to get back to shore. Whitewater paddlers generally don't practice self/assisted rescues either because if you come out of your boat, getting out of the water is relatively easy. Coming out of your boat a 1/2 mile from shore on the ocean in water temps below 50 degrees, and being unable to get back into it, can be fatal. One of the most staunch advocates of both paddle and boat leashes is a woman named Audrey Sutherland. She's been paddling up and down the coast of Alaska for the past 20 years. In her slide show presentations she talks about the consequences of exiting your kayak in those frigid waters and failing to stay in contact with your boat and paddle. If the wind is blowing (which probably had something to do with the capsize in the first place), it can easily blow your boat across the water faster than any human can swim. All a PFD is going to do at that point is keep you afloat as you slowly die of hypothermia and make it easier for the coast guard to recover your body. >Is a paddle leash a widely used thing for seakayakers? > One of the previous posters on another thread implied >that it was some kind of safety breach that someone >wasn't using one. Any thoughts on when and where to >use/not use a leash? There are two risks that I can think of using a paddle leash in a sea kayak. The first in the surf zone where a windmilling paddle could inflict some serious injuries as you're tumbling in the surf. Removing the paddle leash when doing surf landings pretty much solves that problem and letting go of your paddle or boat isn't likely going to cause a big problem because both will likely end up on the beach before you do (although fiberglass boats and cobble stone beaches don't get along well). The other risk is entanglement, which could happen just about anywhere after a capsize. It's not enough to just attach a paddle leash and paddle way and assume that you're mitigating all risks. One should practice (a lot) self rescue skills using the paddle leash, working out the best method of attachment, under controlled conditions. It's not going to completely mitigate the risk of entanglement but at least you'll have some experience in what might happen during a real capsize under real conditions. I can certainly understand why a paddle leash would not be a good idea under almost any circumstances on whitewater. Strainers, sieves, pinning locations, and recirculating holes would all become far more dangerous with a paddle attached to your body. *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Peter said: I too wonder about the necessity of a paddle leash <snip>. One of the previous posters on another thread implied that it was some kind of safety breach that someone wasn't using one. <snip> ------- Peter, It isn't a matter of breaching safety, it is a matter of personal choice and options. Whitewater guys generally are a conforming bunch with respect to gear, but sea kayakers vary widely in comparison. Like Scott said, learn to hold onto your paddle (and boat after a wet-exit). Leashes and such are a back-up and/or convenience item only. Paddle-to-boat or paddle-to-wrist, both have advantages and disadvantages. Some folks find the wrist-to-paddle best, as it prevents complications with various paddle play maneuvers. Boat-to-paddle tethers do slap the deck a bit. Also, if you use a Paddlefloat as part of your rescue strategy, think through how a leash/tether can be used to retain the float/paddle combination. Work through your system Matt has some great ideas on his web site. Remember, this is all backup stuff. Think about Steve Holtzman's incident for a minute. Don't let Scott dissuade you, but do consider what he and others have to say. What bugs me are people who say "don't do this" or "do only that" on items that are well understood as personal preference. Normally, paddlers should be giving strong opinion as to what works for them and why. That's al - IMHO. Doug Lloyd *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
I found a good use for my paddle leash on a six day paddle. On day 3 I was up and on my way before day light. As it turned out well before day light, I couldn't find the mouth of the river that I was going into in the dark, so I pulled up beside a tree that was laying in the water, hooked the paddle over it, tucked my arms inside my paddling jacket and had a couple of hours kip. Cheers Wilky *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
John Fereira <jaf30_at_cornell.edu> wrote: <SNIP>>>>>There are two risks that I can think of using a paddle leash in a sea kayak. The first in the surf zone where a windmilling paddle could inflict some serious injuries as you're tumbling in the surf.<<<<<<SNIP> The paddle is a small risk in surf especially if using a helmet. The kayak itself is a far bigger risk especially if the surf is big enough to tumble or take the kayak out of your grasp. Never let your self get down wave of a swamped kayak in surf. The risk with a leash (in both surf and whitewater) is that the kayak will tumble in the soup or a sousehole and the leash will be wrapped tightly around the kayak possibly pinning you in the cockpit or tying you to the kayak as you are trying to exit. The later happened to Joanne Turner years ago. When she tried to exit her kayak upon capsizing during a surf exit the leash strapped her thigh tightly to the kayak and she and her kayak washed into shore tied together. This was a nylon parachute cord leash if I remember correctly. My favorite leash is a 3' to 4' long length of 3/16" shock cord tied to the paddle with a bowline and with a nylon hook on the free end to easily clip it into some deck lines in front of the cockpit. The shock coed is rolled up around the paddle shaft when I'm not using it (and clipped to itself to hold it in place in the middle of my paddle shaft). That way it is always available and easy to attach to the boat in a few seconds. I also don't see much utility in a wrist leash since the paddle and the kayak are used together and I think they should stay together (so you don't have to choose one or the other if you let go of one of them). If you can manage to hang on to one of them you should still have the other as well. One of the reasons I've settled on shock cord is that the leash can be much shorter so it doesn't drag in the water, tangle with deck fittings, or tangle with itself (as the phone cord style often seem to do) and stretch easily if a little more length is needed say for rolling a bracing (I never notice I stretch it so like my shock cord leash on the short side (about 2' of unstretched leash when the knots are tied to the shaft and clip. It might make it easier to get yourself freed if you ended up like Joanne (or Ahab). Of course it could still stretch out fully and be just like a cord in that situation so always remove it for any conditions that could "windowshade" your kayak (such as surf or hydraulics in current). Another nice feature is that it can be easily made with about $1.50 in materials. It is very lightweight compared to coiled types and doesn't go clack, clack, clack on your deck with each stroke as most of the coiled leashes I've tried do. I tie it tight enough to the paddle so that it doesn't slide around on the shaft (without me pushing it to a new position) and I can also even direct the angle of the cord as it leaves the paddle shaft to help keep the leash from slapping or snagging on the deck. Use a figure 8 knot for a stopper knot on the shock cord clip. A simple knot in shock cord will pull through itself when the cord is strongly stretched. 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/ ***************************************************************************
From: "Wilky" <carrot_at_vision.net.au> > I found a good use for my paddle leash on a six day paddle. [...] Another odd use for a paddle leash: I once went on a day paddle only to discover the tightening widget on my Lendal variable-feather-angle paddle was missing (it slipped off and was on the floor at home). I took the paddle leash, my homemade bungie one) and tied a whipping around the paddle shaft. The tension in the bungie was more than enough to hold the paddle together with my favorite feather angle. Mike *************************************************************************** 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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