Tord, we had a similar incident here in Victoria a few years ago. Top outrigger paddlers from our club, most of the team being very experienced paddlers at what they did with crossover experience in other craft were dressed in light athletic clothing; having no radio, no flares, no PFD's - nada gear. They deviated from the inlet and inner harbour route with an instant group decision and headed out past the breakwater to do a little ad-hoc, rough-water training. There was a relatively fast outflowing tide against inbound, shifting westerly wind - increasingly getting stronger even after building for some time if I remember correctly. Then they capsized. They couldn't right the boat. They drifted away, the tide winning over the wind direction, out from sight into worsening conditions over a rough-shod, shoaling area; cascading hypothermia was setting in. Only the outrigger just at water level gave them a bit of support to help keep their heads from bobbing to much in the water. Remember, it was very boisterous out there, with a cold wind and even colder water, with the colder current churning up from below. Dexterity dissipated quickly. Turned out a harbour pilot returning from the shipping channel got a glimpse of a white speck bobbing differently than the surrounding whitecaps, all from a momentary look from out of the captain's corner eye. He decided to check it out. All the paddlers were saved; lived to race another day. An embarrassing news cast was the only ordeal that remained. A happy, if red-faced ending. Lessons learned. What was more important? The need to carry and wear individual immersion apparel/PFD's with perhaps some backup gear? Or having a VHF radio handy or some means to perhaps communicate emergently? Was it the need to train for self-rescue? Or was it the need for better group/ team-leader judgment? Obviously better judgment was in order. Chalk up one for Scott 's kind of emphasis as usual and lately. Obviously proper attire should have been at least available once they headed for unprotected water and been worn, along with other gear to give them "a fighting chance". Chalk up one for Chuck's kind of emphasis as usual and lately. And knowledge of sea conditions, seamanship, water-respect, common sense, as well as all of the above where necessary? Probably Scott, Chuck, and the rest of us I imagine after each perspective is given due balance and consideration. At least I hope. BTW, Tord, a PFD does, as you say from the snipped part, give additional thermal protection. My experience with typical paddler's PFD's, having spent time swimming in cold water unexpectedly, suggests the value is minimal, yet helpful. That's just my experience though. A PFD's value for me is the ability to keep one's oral cavities at a more elevated level, head back. That's one of the reasons I went with an inflatable vest's superior buoyancy, though compensation must be given to an extra layer of insulation, perhaps. Yes, swimming toward a goal is more difficult with all that buoyancy, but considerably easier prior to inflation if I need to get back to my boat quikly. YMMV. Doug Lloyd Victoria BC Tord said (snip): > The other day I saw a program on TV (Discovery, I think), that had all > to do with death at sea, and among those interviewed was a young guy who > belonged to a Hawai'ian outrigger team; all eight guys being in very, very > good trim. Out training one day they accidentally rolled and ended up in > the water (that it could be that easy to roll such a big canoe must have > come as a shock to everyone). As nobody had a PFD on, nor much of > anything else (t-shirt, shorts, possibly a scarf around the head) they, > soon cooled down, even in that near-body-temperature water (32 C). > They tried rolling the boat back, right-side up, but failed, and as there > were no hand-holds on the bottom of the vaka they couldn't stay on, so > they were forced to stay in the water, till rescue arrived, eventually. *************************************************************************** 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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