Re: [Paddlewise] Losing contact with the boat

I would be worried about entanglement with any tether. Again,  
assuming you are a reliable roller, the conditions that would lead  
your roll to be insufficient, further leading to a swim, are likely  
to be rather turbulent. Now you are attached to a water filled boat  
weighing several hundred pounds that is being thrown about in white  
water, while you are also being thrown around. I think chances are  
very good that you would end up with at least one wrap around your  
body. And of course there is the pummeling you may take from the boat  
itself.

The other scenario where good rollers exit the boat is while playing  
in rock gardens. There can be situations where overhead rocks make  
upright an untenable situation or where there just isn't the ability  
to navigate the boat out and the only recourse is to exit and swim  
out. Swimming in these conditions may be relatively safe depending on  
the size of the seas. It may make sense to swim out to a rescuer,  
then swim back in with a rope so the rescuer can pull the boat out  
from a safe distance. Or you just swim out and hope the boat gets  
puked out on its own.
Nick


On Nov 12, 2007, at 4:24 AM, rebyl_kayak_at_energysustained.com wrote:
>
> If judgement fails and a kayaker is likely to be caught in the  
> conditions you describe in a location where they can't be blown or  
> pushed to the shore by waves, then surely there's going to be some  
> advance preparation possible to avoid losing contact with the boat.  
> In such a situation this might be a personal tether, or at least  
> the training to hang on to a paddle that is securely tethered to  
> the boat.
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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