Re: [Paddlewise] swim for it?

Having seen a fair number of very good rollers swim, what I have  
observed is: Good rollers swim in conditions where rolling did them  
no good. They were generally able to roll, but the conditions were  
such that even after a roll they were not yet out of trouble. They  
either were still buried in the pile of a breaking wave or jammed up  
against an obstacle that made being upright as or more dangerous than  
being in the water. Whatever the source of the problem, they ran out  
of air before they were in a position where it was safe to breath, or  
they accurately determined that they were not going to get free  
before it was safe to breath. They didn't swim because they were  
unable to roll, but because rolling didn't resolve the problem.

Once you have a reliable roll, it is time to consider contingencies  
for when that reliable roll fails. What kind of conditions would  
cause it to fail? The belief that a reliable roll is 100% reliable is  
just ignoring how powerful water really is. No matter how strong you  
think you are, the ocean is much, much, much stronger.

If you have a reliable roll you probably have a really good brace,  
conditions that force you to the point where you are relying on your  
roll are probably quite severe.  In fact they are probably so severe  
that you are approaching the point where your roll may not be enough.

If the conditions are severe enough that your roll is not enough,  
then chances are quite good that they are also severe enough that you  
may not be able to maintain contact with your boat. Remember, if you  
have a really good roll, you are probably getting your butt kicked if  
you even need to use it. If conditions are mild enough that you can  
keep a hand on the boat, they are probably mild enough to roll back  
up. So, it is not a bad assumption that a reliable roller, forced to  
exit the boat, will probably no longer have contact with the boat.  
The forces that forced them over in the first place are enough that  
they are unable to maintain contact with the boat once they exit it.  
This matches my experience. When I have seen good rollers wet exit,  
they have often also lost touch with their boat.

Based on my experience seeing good rollers swim I feel that the next  
logical safety step for good rollers is to prepare for some form of  
extended swim, because that will be the next logical line of self- 
defense should their roll fail. It may involve swimming to retrieve  
the boat or swimming to shore. Personally, I would at least want to  
start with a PFD on should the situation get that bad.

Nick

On Nov 9, 2007, at 8:12 AM, Scott Hilliard wrote:

>>> If you werent wearing a PFD you wouldn't have a choice about  
>>> swimming.
>
> Jim et al
>
>   Not true! IF I came out of the boat, which is a pretty good  
> stretch in itself, I would climb back into the boat from the water  
> which is a technique I not only frequently practice, but teach  
> classes in - and although I do wear a pfd in the classes and  
> encourage the others in the classes to wear theirs as well, the  
> fact is that the techniques are far easier to perform without a pfd  
> on.
>
> Scott
> So.Cal.
>

Nick Schade

Guillemot Kayaks
824 Thompson St
Glastonbury, CT 06033
USA
Ph/Fx: (860) 659-8847
http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/
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