G'Day, Having been an advocate for the reentry and roll with float self rescue, thought I'ld report a deficiency discovered last weekend. While trying the rescue and using a Pawlatta style roll but with paddlefloat attached, the blade in my hand snapped halfway through the roll. Analysis: - The paddle was home made for cruising and had approximately 45 degrees feather. It's been used about six times a week for a year for Pawlatta rolls without a float with no problems. It has fairly narrow and long asymmetric spoon blades with a hollow rib/spine on the back of the blades (non power face). While setting up the float I didn't bother which way round the blade was in my hand reasoning that because there was a float on the other blade it didn't matter that the power face was not facing down onto the surface of the water. The break didn't completely snap the blade and it was still possible to delicately paddle because the break folded towards the power face. Lessons i) Set up with the blades the right way round when using a paddlefloat for reentry and roll. The paddle designer agrees this probably caused the problem. ii) A Pawlatta may be too stressful for this rescue to be used with lightweight paddles. All the best, PeterO (Who is having no luck with gear this week) *************************************************************************** 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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