Kayakers: We need your Help!! The 2003 Potomac River Swim on May 31, 2003 needs support kayakers for the 7.5 mile swim from Hull Neck, VA to Point Lookout State Park, MD. Pledges raised by the swimmers equally benefit the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, the Southern Maryland Sierra Club, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Point Lookout State Park, and the Potomac River Association. Free camping at Point Lookout State Park, a pre-swim supper, breakfast, lunch, and t-shirt are all included. For more information, contact Cheryl Wagner at (202) 387-2361 cherylw_at_crosslink.net or visit our webpage: http://www.crosslink.net/~cherylw/pr2003i.htm *************************************************************************** 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'm asking this in all seriousness.... I seen calls for support kayakers to help with various swims - triathalons and the sort - like this one. Are there skills needed by the kayaker in this situation? I've not seen instructions or specifics about assisting swimmers from a kayak in any books. I assume that if they get in trouble they hang on? tow to shore? or ? K *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
----- Original Message ----- From: "Keith Wrage" <keith.wrage_at_charter.net> > I'm asking this in all seriousness.... > > I seen calls for support kayakers to help with various swims - triathalons > and the sort - like this one. Are there skills needed by the kayaker in > this situation? I've not seen instructions or specifics about assisting > swimmers from a kayak in any books. I assume that if they get in trouble > they hang on? tow to shore? or ? Greg Welker had a very good article on some of this in Sea Kayaker in the early 1990s. And I have organized kayakers for swims on the Hudson for the last half dozen years for a total of some 25-30 swims. Each swim is different in how the kayakers are organized. In some situations the kayakers have a zone defense, i.e. position in one spot they cover. In others they go along with the pack of swimmers stretched out sometime over a mile or two and keeping an eye on numerous swimmers. In other situations, the kayakers go one on one with the swimmers. Whatever the format, the basic duties are to: --Help keep the swimmers on course. Many of them can't see that well through their goggles and do swim astray. Calling to them may not work since their caps cover their ears. So, the kayaker has to act somewhat like a cattle driver. Come along side the swimmer and yell, tap them very gently on the back with the flat side of your paddle; or if they are headed into the danger of say a jagged pier, cut them off with your kayak so that they hit the boat somewhere alongside the bow compartment. In the swims around here, one big problem is that they are moving with a fast current and need to turn into finish lines between piers. We need to turn the swimmers in early enough so that they don't overshoot and then have to fight their way back against the current. But each situation differs. --Encourage them by letting them know how far they have come. With the one on one situations, the kayaker may also be involved in the feeding and handing over drinks. --If a swimmer runs into trouble such as a bad cramp they can't shake off, then you do provide a platform for them. If they hang on to your boat they are out of the race. You then paddle them a short distance to a support motorboat. The best way is to have them hang on to the very bow of your boat and have them wrap their legs around your boat. This way they don't cause much drag and you can paddle them with not too much difficulty. Anyway, those are the basics. Check with the kayak organizer of the race for any particular needs and local conditions. BTW, that swim across the Potomac is an extremely challenging one for swimmer and kayaker alike. It is, in effect, quite open water at the mouth of the river. Conditions there, from what I hear, can be formidable. ralph diaz -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- -- *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Keith wrote: >Are there skills needed by the kayaker in >this situation? A good series of articles exist at the link below. Make sure you check out "Uneventful Bay Swim?" and "swim support skills". http://www.cpakayaker.com/swim-supports/ Woody *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Keith, Generally, at organized swim events, there are a number of motorized support boats available to which paddlers ferry the exhausted swimmer. These boats stay off to the side, and paddlers ferry the swimmers to them. As to how best to ferry ANY CONSCIOUS swimmer about, there are several ways. All ways start with communicating to the swimmer the basics of what you need them to do and what you will do. You must be in control of the situation. If they are panicky, calm them BEFORE you approach or you will be a swimmer too! 1) The bow carry is performed with the swimmer's hands on the bow, body in water, head to side of bow and legs either in water or up on the front deck, straddling boat from underneath. This is good for a short ferry; you can see the "victim", but there is much drag due to their body in the water. 2) The stern carry requires the victim to hold on to the stern and their body trails in the water. This also is good for a short ride only and of course you really can't see the victim. 3) The better option for a longer ferry is the stern deck carry. The swimmer lays face down on the back deck out of the water. This requires considerable skill on the part of the paddler; you need good bracing skills both as they climb on board and, to a lesser degree, as you are underway. They keep as low as possible and if you can handle the balance, they may take their feet out of the water for a faster ride. For an UNCONSCIOUS swimmer (apart from events with support boats), two kayakers can raft up to drag the swimmer across the decks. Additional kayakers utilize tow ropes to tow the assemblage. Can anyone think of a fourth alternative for a conscious swimmer? Mike. Mike Hamilton, Biologist 1205 Leonardtown Service Bldg University of Maryland College Park, MD 20742 301-314-3486 On Wed, 12 Mar 2003, Keith Wrage wrote: > I'm asking this in all seriousness.... > > I seen calls for support kayakers to help with various swims - triathalons > and the sort - like this one. Are there skills needed by the kayaker in > this situation? I've not seen instructions or specifics about assisting > swimmers from a kayak in any books. I assume that if they get in trouble > they hang on? tow to shore? or ? *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
> For an UNCONSCIOUS swimmer (apart from events with support boats), two > kayakers can raft up to drag the swimmer across the decks. Additional > kayakers utilize tow ropes to tow the assemblage. > > Can anyone think of a fourth alternative for a conscious swimmer? Maybe my idea sounds like a joke, but itīs an idea, I would "park" the unconscious swimmer somewhere on the kayak, or beside, take out my Sevylor hf 160 (very small inflatable raft), pump it up (about 55 breaths for high pressure inflation) and place the swimmer inside the Sevylor. then you hang it behind the boat or leave it alone and get help. Another suggestion, I might give the swimmer my inflatable PFD, so it swims right side up. At all, those are quick ideas, I never got such a problem, yet. the way I might react, depends on the nearer circumstances, also. *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:33:33 PDT