Re: [Paddlewise] Paddlefloat Placement, was Sea Seat

In a message dated 9/27/2006 9:23:39 AM Pacific Standard Time,  
douglloyd_at_shaw.ca writes:

I remind  paddlers that paddlefoats can contribute to shaft breakage if you 
are not  careful using them in heavy seas.

I carry a SeaSeat in a custom pouch  on my inflatable Mustang; a 
single-chamber paddlefloat for rapid  deployment on my foredeck; and a 
dual-chamber paddlefloat on my rear deck.  Both the latter have cord 
attatchmnets. I have a heavy duty  paddleshaft.




>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
 
Not to pick on dear ol' Doug but I have given up the paddlefloat on deck,  
opting to store it between my seat hanger and gunnels inside the cockpit. I like 
 clean decks, but I also have witnessed the floats washing off, extending to 
the  limit of their tether, filling with water and pinning the paddler to the 
waves.  One capsized but rolled back up, hauled his 25 pound paddlefloat up 
and emptied  out, slid it under deck bungies and got out of the rock garden 
before he got  stuffed by a set. Another was broached and couldn't reach the rear 
deck tethered  float and had to brace while the now beam seas rocked her.
 
Wayne Horodowich, in his DVD Fundamentals of the Surf Zone, describes how  to 
surf proof his paddlefloat by wrapping it carefully around bungies on the  
front deck. If it works for him, fine, but there is no advantage to it being  
there as opposed to between the seat hanger, strapped behind the back band, etc. 
 The disadvantage is that surf will eventually work anything loose and 
sometimes  when you don't want it to happen. Seen it happen quite a few times when 
it  didn't have to. No harm done to the individuals, but the possibilities were 
 endless.
 
Having said all that, you may have a kayak with a seasock and wisely not  put 
it in the cockpit as you will have to pull the sock partially off to get at  
it. Mine goes in my PFD under those circumstances. I used to roll it  up 
around a single back deck bungie and tension the fastex buckle/tether  arrangement 
hard to surf proof it. It never failed there for me, but if it does  I will 
not like having to reach around in bumpy water to get at it. Just my 2  centavos!
 
Cheers,
 
Rob G
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