At 11:43 AM 5/19/2004 -0700, James wrote: >On Tue, 18 May 2004 13:23:50 -0700, "Mitchell McKinnon" ><coyote_at_pacifier.com> said: That kind of thinking is just crazy! A roll >is the best self rescue technique one can employ. It's faster than a >reentry, keeps you dryer >and warmer, conserves energy, and is a hell of a lot more fun. > > >For what it is worth, I agree. Thousands of whitewater paddlers have >very good rolls, there is no reason thousands of sea kayakers can't as >well. No reason beyond the silly idea that self-rescue is somehow more >reliable, safer and all that. Yes, self-rescues are one bunch of arrows >to have in the safety quiver, but a reliable roll is better than all the >rest put together. I think it's a bit misleading to compare rolling a whitewater kayak to rolling a sea kayak (even though the technique involved is essentially identical). Whitewater kayaker have rescue option that might not be available to sea kayakers and sea kayakers have self rescue options that are typically not appropriate in whitewater conditions. Those differences are generally dictated by the conditions in which each in paddling. Assuming someone capsizes while paddling class II-III whitewater, doesn't roll, and comes out of their boat. In that case, the swimmer basically floats/swims until they reach a spot on the river where it is safe to stand up and can pull their boat out (and collect the rest of their gear). The paddler then and reenters while on land. That's an option that may not be available to sea kayakers especially from a capsize far from shore in cold water. That whitewater paddler is also not going to employ self or assisted rescues that are typically available to the sea kayaker. A paddlefloat rescue and even an assisted t-rescue just takes too long and would be very difficult in pretty much anything class II and above. It's also worth noting that the majority of sea kayakers are not going to be paddling in conditions as potentially dangerous as soon as whitewater paddlers might. Even in class II conditions, strainers, pins, and other obstacles which come into play in moving water mandate learning how to roll quickly. Many sea kayaker might never paddle in breaking surf, strong currents, or in rock gardens, and the primary danger is more likely hypothermia due paddling in cold water. Whitewater paddler and sea kayakers deal with different conditions with different risks so it's not surprising that learning to roll takes a different precedent. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Wed May 19 2004 - 12:53:15 PDT
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