[Paddlewise] Entrapment

I. Experience with "hands of god" and "eskimo" rescues
II. Difference between white water and sea kayaking
III. The illusion of safety
IV. Promoting safe practice in the sea kayaking community


I. Experience with "hands of god" and "eskimo" rescues

Congratulations to Dave for his interest in learning safe paddling skills. I
wish there were more paddlers like him around here!   ;-)

I have performed and seen used both "hands of god" and various "eskimo"
rescues in both whitewater and "in conditions" sea kayaking contexts. I'm
sure there are many other paddlers who can claim similar experience.

In my experience, panic has invariably been the main cause of entrapment,
although I have seen several gut-wrenching instances of calm people getting
temporarily tangled up in loose lines or gear stuffed between their legs. In
one case the river knife holster of a swimmer captured a sea kayak deck line
of a capsizing boat during a botched rescue (yikes!), and in another a strap
loop on a pfd snagged a deck-mounted bilge pump handle.  Sometimes panicking
paddlers arch their back so strongly that it locks them into the cockpit,
making it hard to pull them out of the boat. Yes, I found "hands of god"
challenging to learn, but, Lord, where would I have been without it.

I would consider swimming out of the boat to rescue someone only as a last
resort. In each of the lifeguard training courses I have taken, there was
emphasis on a variant of the following mantra: "Talk. Throw. Reach. Row (or
Paddle). Go (ie - swim)." Don't put yourself in danger. Switching roles from
rescuer to victim helps no one.

>From what I've seen, the "eskimo" (bow, paddle, etc) rescues have limited
utility with paddlers who have panicked after capsizing, but work better
when there's a lot of motivation for a calm paddler to stay in the boat, for
example a teaching situation, cold water, or the potential for an exciting
swim over rocks or through big waves. These rescues also have pedagogical
benefits, which several on this list have already discussed.

Do I practice these rescues with my buddies? You bet! Do I sometimes capsize
without warning and ask for a bow rescue (by waving my arms around), and
encourage my buddies to do the same? Yes. Are all rescues timely? No, of
course not. But things generally go better the second time. And the third,
and fourth, ...


II. Difference between white water and sea kayaking

There has been some discussion of white water rescues being inherently
different than sea kayak rescues because of constraints in the physical
environment and boat design. No doubt. However, I would like to suggest that
the greatest differences in rescue practice are due to such human factors as
attitude and perception.

Is there any reason that sea kayakers are inherently less able to keep in
tune with their group, paddle close together, assign spotters at hazards, or
practice rescues. Of course not! And any whitewater paddler can attest to
the fact that safe practice is not universally observed on rivers ... not by
a long shot.


III. The illusion of safety

I believe that one of the main differences between average whitewater and
sea kayakers is the perception of risk. A whitewater paddler gets constant
reinforcement of the reality of hazards in the environment: eddy lines to
capsize over, rocks to bump into or get pinned on, waves to toss you, and
cold water to chill you. Even the youngest, most rebellious,
anti-authoritarian, risk-seeking whitewater boaters I have seen always where
a helmet, pfd, and spray skirt on a river, and wouldn't dream of paddling
without flotation in their boats. I would go so far as to say that I have
perceived an ethos in the whitewater community of supporting, even
pressuring, others to learn to roll, perform "eskimo" rescues, surf, swim in
whitewater, and develop group consciousness.

On the other hand, for many sea kayakers kayaking may be secondary to
enjoying nature, socializing, or getting away from it all. More power to
them! However, they might not be as focussed on identifying and avoiding
environmental hazards, or gaining paddling skills. Such people might choose
to paddle in warm, calm conditions most of the time, and may pick a very
stable boat with a rudder so they can get by without learning to control it
with their paddle or body. After several times out many come to believe that
capsizing is very unlikely, and so don't seriously consider the
consequences. There is often no immediate feedback that the environment
contains significant hazards, some deadly.

Five years ago I was a whitewater kayaker intent on taking up sea kayaking,
and had an arrogant lack of respect for 'flatwater' paddlers and paddling.
While planning a November kayak tour of Acadia National Park, I had the good
fortune to be brought up short by a Maine outfitter who, not being
particularly careful to promote my self esteem, rather bluntly informed me
that he wasn't going to rent me the boats, and that perhaps I should learn
something about the ocean and sea kayaking before I got myself and my
friends killed.

This rude fellow started a transformation of my paddling life. Since then
I've taken dozens of sea kayak courses which have allowed me to: meet
skillful, safety-conscious instructors and students; confidently paddle in a
variety of conditions; see remote places; climb out of my plateau as a
wobbly class II white water 'yaker; enjoy the total thrill of getting
maytagged (wash, rinse, and spin cycle) by 8 foot "flatwater" waves in 16
foot boats; and become a contract kayak instructor at a university.

I owe a huge debt to those instructors and fellow students who have shared
their wisdom and experience so that I could learn at least some of my
lessons without foolishness and peril. They allowed me to work through some
of those "what-if's" without my life being on the line.


IV. Promoting safe practice in the sea kayaking community

So, what to do? Like many (most?) of the folks posting to this list, I'm
frustrated by the lack of safe sea kayaking practice I observe in  many
(most?) of sea kayakers I have met on the water. In the past year, I have
had too many opportunities to reflect on the fact that I would probably feel
safer running a class IV rapids or playing in 8 foot surf in a snowstorm
than I do right now, paddling with "experienced paddlers" who rarely
practice rescues, and whose dress, gear, and behavior announce louder than
words that they, despite a lack of competent bracing skills, will never
capsize.

So, what should I do? Only paddle with people with similar skills and safety
consciousness? That would be pretty limiting, and would be avoiding what I
feel is my moral obligation to promote a safe paddling ethos in the sea
kayak community.

I've made a New Years Resolution. This summer I'll paddle at least once with
friends who are willing to get wet long enough to do a wet exit and perform
a self rescue, be it only swimming their boat to shore. That will at least
screen people who are inappropriately dressed, and hopefully will help set a
tone of safety consciousness. If they want to paddle with me again, they can
progress to a paddle float rescue, or some type of assisted rescue, a bow
rescue, a scoop rescue, a roll, even a "hands of god" rescue. Ten to fifteen
minutes of something new each time out.

Maybe they'll become the kind of paddler who without fail only paddles near
shore in warm, protected water in calm conditions. More power to them! Maybe
they'll buy a wetsuit. Maybe they'll start thinking that practicing multiple
self rescue techniques is worth their while. Maybe they'll learn to hold
their breath for 20 seconds underwater. Maybe they'll gain a group
consciousness and paddling skills that allow them to present their bow to
someone who capsizes within 20 seconds. Best of all, maybe they'll become
the kind of paddler that exercises good judgement by competently matching
their own and their group's paddling skills and equipment to the hazards
they are likely to encounter each time they go out.

A trip of one thousand nautical miles begins with the first stroke.

-Mike Pitzrick
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