Re: [Paddlewise] entrapment (?)

From: Craig Jungers <crjungers_at_gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2008 15:56:46 -0700
On Sun, Jun 29, 2008 at 4:19 PM, skimmer <skimmer_at_enter.net> wrote:

>
> Speculation was that she had accidently folded the skirt release
> strap inside the boat and was subsequently unable to get the skirt
> loose to bail out. Medical problems are not known at this time.
>
> I've done this myself. And I bet I'm not the only one. Worse yet, I wear
tight white water spray decks even on my sea kayaks having decided some time
back that the ingenue-look of a strap hanging down over my shoulder didn't
fit my style. Of course, it wasn't a problem since I discovered it at a time
when I didn't actually need it. But it could just as easily been a problem.

A "whiffle ball" fastened to the spray decks loop might be a solution to
this problem. I've had decks I've done this to but have backslid lately.
I'll have to fix that. The large ball is easier to grab than the loop and
you're more likely to notice if you've mistakenly fastened the spray skirt
with the ball inside.

A good, tight fitting, spray skirt can actually create a vacuum inside the
boat and make it impossible to get the skirt off unless you poke your hand
down the tunnel and let air in. Once you do that then it's relatively easy
to get out. But if you wear a drysuit that has a skirt that comes over the
tunnel to your spray deck then you could have some real problems getting
out.

Craig Jungers
Moses Lake, WA
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Received on Sun Jun 29 2008 - 15:56:53 PDT

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