Re: [Paddlewise] Entrapment

On 4 Jan 2004 at 11:16, Erik Sprenne wrote:

> IMO, the reason eskimo rescues are not stressed in the sea kayaking
> community lies mostly in the fact that it's hard - especially for
> beginners - to maneuver the boat to set up for an eskimo rescue before
> the rescuee runs out of air. 

I think that this is partly due to the over-emphasis of the T setup 
position in the bow rescue.  In one of the most "aggressive" rescue 
courses I've taken (at a symposium, though which escapes me) 
emphasized just getting your kayak in contact with the rescuee.  They 
then grab anything (not necessarily the bow, e.g. any lifeline) and 
pull themselves up.  If the kayaks were very close to parallel, the 
rescuer was to switch to the paddle bridge rescue.  The rescuee was 
expected to respond to either, based on clues from the rescuer 
(notably, grabbing their hand and placing it on the paddle shaft to 
indicate a bridge rescue).  I don't know how many beginners would 
have this level of training and expect this kind of flexibility.

In SK, I've never seen any such rescue in real conditions (though 
common in WW as others noted - esp. w/ yers truly as the rescuee :-). 
Most paddlers bail out almost as soon as they hit the water.  This 
could be helped if more paddlers learned to condition themselves to 
relax and hang on for 20 or so seconds - they have the time and 
ability to hold their breath, just not the nerve.

I know that Amie and I have a standard for paddling in iffy 
conditions.  I tell her in advance I expect her to hang on and I make 
a point of paddling just aft and to one side of her so that I can 
make contact in a couple of paddle strokes.  I remember rounding a 
point in Newfoundland where the land to starboard was a hull smashing 
landing and the land to port was Greenland or the British Isles.  
This is "iceberg alley", the route that Greenland icebergs take down 
the Labrador coast and past northern Newfoundland out to the open 
Atlantic.  Cold water and no safe landing - if one of us went over, 
there would not be time to swim without either freezing in a tow or 
being smashed on the rocks.  We rounded safely, but with the 
understanding that Amie would wait for my rescue.   We've practiced 
this often, but never needed it.

Mike
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