I'm having a little trouble imagining the use of the Mexican outrigger. If the outrigger is in place, it will be hard to enter the cockpit, as the paddle blade and shaft will obstruct entry? If you are in the cockpit with the outrigger in place, skirt attached, and lean over to pump, don't you let water flood the cockpit via the skirt opening where the paddle crosses the coaming? Curious, PT. *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
You only place the paddle under the thigh brace after you enter the cockpit. Then you tighten the string. If you lean on the paddlefloat it will hold you there with very little inclination. Then you don't have to worry about balancing with the hip. Just use both hands to place the sprayskirt, and then pump. The string is important since when you lean the paddle would float and the boat would turn but it stays in place held to the floating shaft. It really works.\ Best Regards, Rafael Mensaje citado por Peter Treby <ptreby_at_ozemail.com.au>: > I'm having a little trouble imagining the use of the Mexican outrigger. > If the outrigger is in place, it will be hard to enter the cockpit, as the > paddle blade and shaft will obstruct entry? *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Peter Treby said: > I'm having a little trouble imagining the use of the Mexican > outrigger. > If the outrigger is in place, it will be hard to enter the > cockpit, as the paddle blade and shaft will obstruct entry? Peter, Rafael's technique is not for a paddlefloat re-entry. It could be used after a re-enter and paddlefloat roll, or you could use it after a standard re-enter and roll. Last week, several of my local club members and I took a guiding class from Wayne Horodowich. At the end of the day, after we were tired (try exhausted) and cold from all of the swimming and towing we did, we went to breakwater to practice solo re-entries in the reflected waves from the breakwater. The reflected waves coupled with the wind waves and swell from the afternoon winds, made for very challenging conditions. Rafael's technique could have been one method used to stabilize your boat while pumping. Steve Holtzman Southern CA *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
> Rafael's technique is not for a paddlefloat re-entry. It could be used after > a re-enter and paddlefloat roll, or you could use it after a standard > re-enter and roll. Thanks, it's clearer now. My boat doesn't have thigh brace flaps, so I'll have to have another try at this just jamming the blade end of the paddle under the deck. The post about putting a foam paddlefloat on underwater and rolling was also interesting, although the address cited should be www.paddlefloats.com. I find rolling with an inflatable paddlefloat without a paddle to be reasonably straightforward, so I'll now try with this sewn together flat foam float. It should be possible to yank the thing off the deck and roll just with it, by-passing putting it on the paddle. In a pool practice situation, I sometimes roll using a 2 litre plastic bottle, which is perhaps the modern equivalent of an inflated seal stomach. Certainly plastic ends up inside seal stomachs, killing them. I think attaching paddlefloat outriggers to a boat and pumping out with a hand pump is less useful than a hands-free pump in anything but flat water. Hand pumps get water out quicker than foot and electric pumps, but unfortunately, you need both hands to use them. I like my hands on the paddle. What proportion of active sea kayakers in North America would use hands-free pumps, as against hand pumps? > ...guiding class from Wayne Horodowich. ... practice solo re-entries ... very challenging conditions... Rafael's technique could have been used to stabilize ...while pumping. What do you actually use to stabilise, if you hand pump? Cheers, PT *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
> What proportion of active sea kayakers in North America would > use hands-free pumps, as against hand pumps? I can't speak for all of North America, but of all of the paddlers I know, only one has a foot pump in one of his boats. Nobody has an electric one. . > What do you actually use to stabilize, if you hand pump? > Cheers, PT If paddling with others, we usually raft up and get at least 2 hand pumps going if we have to pump. Since our air temps are usually warm, and the ocean temps vary between the mid 50's - mid 60's depending on the season, we can usually stay in the water long enough to empty the boat prior to getting back in. If you do need to stabilize yourself to hand pump, some use a paddlefloat on the paddle and just put it under their forearms while pumping. Others will brace the pump against or between their legs, pump with one hand, and use the other hand to skull. As we found out during that class, it also pays to practice paddling your boat while it is full of water. Steve Holtzman *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
[Moderator's Note: Content unaltered. Excessive quoting (including headers/footers/sig lines/extraneous text from previous posts, etc.) have been removed. Please edit quoted material in addition to removing header/trailers when replying to posts.] Hello Rafael: Thanks again for sending the photo of you performing the Mexican outrigger with strings attached. I went down to the nearest flatwater and tried the Mexican outrigger again, though I don't have the string fitting. My boat does not have thigh brace flaps. I just jammed the inboard paddle blade under the coaming and deck, and leaned gently on the paddleshaft on the outboard side. This gives terrific stability. I want to try it in bouncy conditions, although I must admit to being lazy about this. Any rescue practice when the water and weather get colder tends to be a quick roll and shiver. The outrigger set up works very well, and does not leave the boat at an angle which brings water aboard. I used both an inflatable and a flat foam paddlefloat, both OK. I am reluctant to drill holes in my boat for the string arrangement, and would be a little worried that a cleat at the side of the coaming could be a knuckle scraper. You have no idea how wild my paddle strokes can get ;-) Cheers, PT *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
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