> Doug wrote: > In the end, you might need to modify some of the basic phases, but > do give it a try. I don't think Doug A. tried it with a ocean cockpit, cause it ain't as easy as it looks. I modified my Ellesmere last year to add a knee tube. Then I discovered I can't do the regular paddlefloat entry, since my feet are too big to roll over with the knee tube there*. So I tried the face up version this weekend at a pool session. The first two times didn't work - once I got my feet into the cockpit, the kayak rolled onto the float side so much that the coaming was submerged! I reconsidered and discovered that I had to do a Fosbury Flop over the paddle shaft (like a high jumper) in order to keep my body in the water and get my legs inside. With the paddle shaft at my lower back, instead of the shoulder area as Doug A. demos in the Adventure Kayak article (latest issue not online yet), I could manage it ok. It's not as easy as the face down approach, but it's doable. I was wondering about the practicality of this entry in rough conditions, since the technique really reduces your freeboard on one side. I better keep my reenter and roll up to speed for my Ellesmere and save the face up paddlefloat reentry for my Solstice. YMMV Moral of the story: practice! Mike PS - I will try it some more to see if I can refine it and gain confidence in the technique for this kayak. *I tried the cross-feet entry like I do with my WW kayak (center foam pillar prevents rotation from face down to face up), but couldn't get that to work - less stability in the Ellesemere. I should practice that some more too. *************************************************************************** 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 Mon Mar 04 2002 - 09:26:23 PST
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