Re: [Paddlewise] Fw: Kayak fatality in FL

From: Kirk Olsen <kolsen_at_imaginelan.com>
Date: Fri, 05 Apr 2002 13:24:26 -0500
At 10:05 AM 4/5/2002 -0800, Jolie wrote:

> >  http://www.news-press.com/news/today/020405drowning.html
> >
>Once you fall out of one of those SOT's, can you get back into it?

Nearly all SOTs are easy to get back on.  The challenges are the same as 
getting up onto the deck of a sea kayak.  But once on the deck all you need to
do is straddle the hull and drop into the seat.   I timed my brother at 7 
seconds from upright, to swimming, to back in the boat and starting his first
stroke on a SOT (surf ski).  Not a whole lot slower than some folks doing a 
roll.

>Bet he died of hypothermia.

That would be my second guess, since the incident was in Florida, I would 
start guessing with heart attack.  Either way the coroner will know soon.

>Pity to see remarks, like those of the 70 year old man, published in the
>newspaper.  I wish those with severe water-phobias would keep it to
>themselves, so as not to influence other, responsible people who might be
>thinking of taking up kayaking, and get scared off.

I didn't take his comments as water phobic.   If what he normally sees for 
kayakers are newcomers to the sport, in sprayskirt free recreational kayaks 
I can understand his concern for kayakers with on changes in weather 
conditions.

Some "good" kayakers need to go play on a rough day for him to watch, to 
adjust his thought that kayaks are dangerous than a regular boat if the 
weather gets ugly/entertaining.

Kirk
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Received on Fri Apr 05 2002 - 10:24:30 PST

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