Re: [Paddlewise] Entrapment

At 11:19 AM 1/6/2004 -0800, Shawn Baker wrote:


>Another hypothesis:  most whitewater paddlers know how to roll, or have
>some beginnings of a roll.  They then have the concurrent "hang time"
>to await a rescue.  The average sea kayaker has an average maximum hang
>time of 1.6 seconds*.  ;)

One thing that I have noticed regarding being a "victim" in a bow/paddle 
rescue is that it while waiting for a rescue it might feel like you're 
about to reach your maximum hang time fairly quickly.  Once you've grabbed 
a bow or paddle though, it feels like you've got plenty of time before 
coming up.

I agree with someone else that posted on the thread about learning how to 
do a bow/paddle rescue early on in the development of ones paddlings 
skills.  I have been involved in quite a few lessons (as an 
instructor).  After the complete beginners class, many of the things taught 
are more conducive to an unexpected capsize.  In the "intermediate" class I 
help teach, after a bit of review the next thing we cover is a bow rescue, 
although we don't introduce it as a rescue technique at first.  We start by 
showing the students how to hip snap off the bow of a partners boat using 
both hands.  One the hip snap looks reasonable, we'll have them let go with 
the onside (if the bow is to the right of them, let go with the right 
hand). That forces them to go completely upside down and also provides a 
good way for them to work on increasing their maximum hang time.  Next 
we'll have them hold onto their partners bow, go upside down, then let go, 
regrab, and come up.  Finally, we'll have them capsize with their partner 
fairly close to them and go through the motions.  Since they're paired up 
with another student, they can both work on being a rescuer and victim, and 
try capsizing in both directions.

It can be disorienting for many begin upside down and a common mistake is 
for the "victim" to only reach for a bow on one side.  One of the tricks I 
have learned is to make sure you're sticking both hands out of the water 
(with your hands perpendicular to the hull) and wave back and forth until 
you feel the bow.  Then reach across your body with the other hand and 
place it on top of the hand that made contact.

During the classes most of the skills are done in a fairly close group and 
we try to keep them together so that should a capsize occur, usually 
someone will be nearby to perform a rescue.  A couple of summers ago I saw 
someone go over that was probably 100' away and started waving his 
hands.  I sprinted toward him, then put on the breaks so I didn't run right 
over his hull, he grabbed onto my bow and came right up.  In "real" 
conditions, a bow rescue from that distance would likely be much more 
difficult.

I also had the chance to perform a couple of bow rescues during a BCU 
assessment last year.  There were a couple of people with marginal bracing 
skills and I as parallel to one of them about 20' away when she went over. 
I quickly edged over and grabbed a forward sweep.  In my haste, I edged 
over a bit further than I wanted and started to go over myself. I save it 
though, with the best offside high brace I've ever done. Someone else got 
into the rescue before I did, but I turned to the assesor (Shawna Franklin) 
and said, "I hope that you'll count that one for my high brace".  
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