[Paddlewise] Pumping Out/Paddlefloat rescues

Look out, many words...
"A minimum volume cockpit is nice in theory and for those who get their
kayaks custom made for them"
You can reduce the volume of a boat that isn't custom made.If you have had a
real world, cold, troublesome rescue, perhaps you do this, so as to have
everything going for you.
"Most who don't have a day hatch want to be able to carry water, extra
clothing, rain hat and other items they want handy
somewhere in the cockpit and are frustrated by cockpit pods and minimum
volume cockpits."
A minimum volume cockpit doesn't prevent a reasonable amount of cockpit
storage. Doesn't a sea sock make access to things stored in the cockpit a
little difficult? (My inexperience with sea socks is showing).
"I'm for doing what ever works best for the situation."
OK, why wouldn't a fixed outrigger rescue be improved by a hands free pump?
You have your hands available to refit the spray skirt, get ready for
recovering the paddle, composing yourself. You could use a foot and hand
pump together, and get the bail out done quicker.
"tell me where I can buy "good" foot pumps that don't have these problems
and can that empty the cockpit as fast as a stout hand pump."
My foot pump is set up like the description at
http://www.nswseakayaker.asn.au/ (search for newsletter #35, at "The Old Sea
Dog's Locker) It empties the boat in around 10 minutes, from a full flood.
That's a long time to pump, and sure you can cramp or get sore feet. You can
also probably suffer similar difficulties hand pumping. With the usual
amount of water in the cockpit after a re-enter and roll, the pump out takes
about 6 minutes
"and do this easily while I also concentrate on paddling and bracing with
water sloshing side to side in the cockpit."
You're setting the barrier too high if we are comparing hand pumping and
foot pumping. Hand pumping cannot be done easily while paddling and bracing.
Foot pumping can at least be done while paddling, hand pumping practically
cannot.
"Sea socks minimize the cockpit volume more than most bulkheads."
Have you ever had a sea sock come off with the spray skirt? How secure are
they? How do you access the cockpit storage?
"With them I don't need no stinking leaky hatches filling up the kayak with
water where I can't get to it behind the bulkhead."
Well, build the bulkheads properly and use VCP hatches. Airtight.
"I don't have a bow hatch spraying water into my glasses with every wave
when beating into steep head sea either."
I have never noticed this to be a problem. Spray comes from all directions,
not usually avoidable, and not just from a hatch cover.
"Please read the Flotation manual on our website..."
Your website articles are great. Together they are one of the best guides to
paddling and rescues. Why don't you put them in a book? I am prepared to
write an addendum about hands free pumps.
"I find it a lot more convenient to load a few big buoyant dry bags"
Do you restrain these in any way? If not, could they cause problems by
moving, either with the paddler in the boat, or coming free and even
escaping the boat if the paddler is elsewhere?  Reaching forward to clip in
restraints for the forward bag could be awkward.
"The outrigger stabilizes you at a time when you have been shaken by a
capsize.."
Good point. Paddling away while pumping away at the foot pump gets you warm
and in control.
"I wonder if you have ever tried using a fixed outrigger paddle float in
rough conditions?"
Not as rough as Steve's example, but I have played with a fixed outrigger in
15+ knots, and 1-1,5 metre breaking chop, rough enough to be plenty unstable
for a boat full of water. I am not going to argue that it's not good to have
the paddlefloat outrigger as a possible recovery, but why not incorporate a
hands free pump with it?
"tried hand pumping in rough conditions without a fixed outrigger[?]"
Yes, without much success at all. Try one handed sculling with the paddle
behind the neck, and pump with the other. Really silly. Sliding the hand
pump down the tube of the skirt is troublesome to sensitive body parts.
Shoving it down the front of the cockpit and grabbing it with your knees is
a circus act.
"A standard assisted T was almost impossible, until we incorporated the
paddlefloat re-entry with it."
Re-reading this, I am unsure how the paddlefloat re-entry was incorporated
with a T rescue. Did one paddler self rescue with a paddlefloat fixed
outrigger, and another stand by to raft up and help stabilise on the other
side from the paddlefloat?
Actually, Matt, reading your response here, I would like to try a sea sock
at some stage. But the main disadvantage of a sea sock seems, to me, to be
that you can't use a foot pump with it! How about a design for a super sea
sock, with built in electric pump?
Cheers, PT.


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