Re: [Paddlewise] Entrapment

It would be nice to hear from anyone else who has had to perform the Hand of
God Rescue. 
   I personally do not consider the Eskimo rescues to be viable options. I 
simply do not believe that in a typical sea kayaking scenario a paddler would be 
able to keep their composure while hanging underwater long enough to wait for 
the rescue, or that the average sea kayaker would be in tune enough with the 
situation to perform such a rescue quickly enough. I have posted challenges on 
other lists to those folks who seem to believe that the Eskimo rescues are 
real and asked them to capsize, without warning, during a group paddle and see 
if they can wait long enough hanging in their boat until someone comes along 
and rescues them with an Eskimo rescue. So far I have had no takers.
   Certainly a group of good friends who practice them on a regular basis and 
is warned of the possibility of having to perform one, such as a "team" of 
paddlers looking out for each other while paddling through some challenging rock 
gardens, would be a different story. But this is a far cry from someone who 
accidentally capsizes and waits, hanging in their boat underwater, hoping for a 
rescue. By the same reasoning I have always felt that the practice of banging 
on one's hull while capsized, to attract attention, is likewise a frivolous 
pursuit. This may work in whitewater, but not in the typical sea kayaking 
scenario.
   As for the Hand of God Rescue, I have had several occasions to perform 
this. Most of the time it is not a matter of entrapment, but one panic. One time 
I did have a girl in my surf class who could not release her neoprene 
sprayskirt. Once I reached her I simply reached over and grabbed the coaming of her 
boat and pulled it over so that she was on the surface and could breath, and I 
could then release the sprayskirt for her. There was never any question or 
problem with her clinging onto to me. 
   Of course, as I have stated before on this list, I do not really consider 
kayak entrapment in a sea kayaking scenario to be much of a real threat 
either. I suppose it could happen. But even in Mr. Lloyds article in Sea Kayaker 
Magazine there were a lot of "what i'f's" with very little actual substance. The 
most basic common sense would seem to be all that is really required here.

Scott
So.Cal.
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