Re: [Paddlewise] Elite racers

Ken Fink has long maintained that self-rescue from a double with two able 
bodied paddlers (post wet exit of both paddlers) is one of the easiest kayak 
rescues on the books. I tend to agree, though I'd hate to have to contend 
with all that water sloshing around, as has been pointed out, or worse, a 
blown out foam bulkhead post capsize that can sometimes occur. The seasock 
idea Craig mentioned might work well for ordinary paddlers, but multi-race 
athletes might not appreciate the sock's utilitarian merits versus the 
alleged encumbrance of using one while racing. I don't know what kind of sea 
kayaking self-rescue skills these paddlers possessed, but my experience with 
multisport racers, though limited, suggests they inevitably dress poorly. 
Additionally, they maintain very little body fat, which often potentiates 
poor outcomes after a long immersion in cold water.

The weather has been a few degrees cooler this past weekend than normal, and 
the storm was more like the intensity one might expect next month for these 
parts. I still don't understand the mentality behind the lack of weather and 
rescue preparedness that elite athletes seem so moribund about, often not 
even conceptualizing, let alone including what many ocean kayakers take for 
granted as part of the deal, in their training planning. I'll try 
interviewing some of the participants in the weeks to come. I'd like to find 
some answers that will help other paddlers who race kayaks rather than view 
kayaks as a touring vessel with a preponderance of navigational/seamanship 
responsibilities required of themselves. I don't like hunting folks down so 
soon after the loss of friends, though the story may grow its own legs with 
a different publication in the mean time, rather than the one I'm prepared 
to work with. (I spent a lot of time working on a multirace Bay of Fundy 
incident that was displaced by a leading Canadian magazine's reporting on 
the same incident).

I see a surgeon tomorrow, so we will see how my health pans out the next 
little while too. I miss writing.

Doug Lloyd (down to 159 pounds)

http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=fdfc908c-d15f-4078-903c-69fc8a3b4a2b&k=73849

> My contention is that the difference is implicit in the words "for
> giggles" and "inevitable" capsize.
>
> These are very different circumstances than an "unexpected" capsize
> in extremely rough cold water. Surf is one thing but for open water
> to be rough enough to capsize a double and then think that the
> occupants would be able to roll up is to me so unlikely as to be
> uninteresting. If the occupants were such superb kayakers in the
> first place they would not have rolled unless the conditions were
> horrendous. Under such conditions people are tired and scared. They
> cannot hold their breath for long. This is not a situation where it
> is likely that they will have enough discipline for two people to
> coordinate such a thing. For one person in a single is a lot easier.
>
> It takes a good deal of discipline for a single kayaker to roll. Many
> people who know how to roll or even know how to roll in rough water
> fail when such an event happens for real. WW paddlers roll as a
> matter of course. It is common to tip over in WW. Oceans surfers --
> the same thing.
>
> However, sea kayaks rarely tip over unless the roll is deliberate. So
> the sea kayaker who tips over unexpectedly is facing a new experience
> (even if he is a good roller) which decreases the success rate.
>
> A double magnifies all these issues. Double REALLY rarely flip. Some
> coordination between paddlers is required. (Even if one is assigned
> the task of getting out)
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