Re: [Paddlewise] Leaky spray skirts and the virtuous beer gut

rebyl_kayak wrote:
> G'Day,
> 

<snip>

> Thats when I realised the value of a hands free pump and hydration system, and
> the virtue of a well developed beer gut. Every wave that hit me emptied what
> felt like a teacup full of water over the top of my spray skirt, which
> although not loose was not a particularly tight fit and was the smallest size
> available. This rudderless boat with a cockpit half full of water moved from
> being a delight to a pain in the butt. It became more and more unstable in the
> rebound and I completed the trip just focussing on staying upright and
> paddling in a straight line. Consequently I couldn't open the day hatch for a
> water bottle or use the hand pump fitted just behind me without risking a
> capsize. What should have been a comfortable trip became something of an
> endurance test.
> 
> I'm told hands free pumps are not that common in the US. Is that right? Has
> anyone else experienced the same problem? (Apparently Freya did on that same
> stretch of coast but in worse conditions). Tips on making a cockpit/spray
> skirt combination more watertight in conditions where waves are breaking on
> you would be most welcome. But please don't suggest I develop a beer gut /
> paunch / pot belly - I've tried but to no avail. :~)
> 
> All the best, PeterO

My Kokatat paddling jacket has an inner "tunnel" and an outer skirt 
that pulls down over the tunnel (and sprayskirt top). I've found this 
to be pretty good at keeping water from coming down between my body 
and the top edge of the sprayskirt, since the water would have to go 
up between the sprayskirt and the outer "skirt" of the jacket.

Granted this particular top would be too warm for summer air 
conditions, but I suspect one could make something reasonably 
waterproof that would fit over the area where sprayskirt and body 
meet, in order to keep more water out of that join. It might *look* 
odd, but if you're paddling solo, who cares?

Seems to be that keeping the water out would solve most of the other 
problems. In all my time paddling, I've only had to pump out once when 
the waves were too big for a solo effort. Fortunately, I had friends 
who rafted up and helped to keep me pointing skyward while I pumped. I 
suspect you spend more time on bigger water than I do, and probably 
more time solo, so I can certainly see where an electric pump would be 
very nice to have.

Not to mention that I wasn't designed properly. The effort of 
*pulling* up on the pump handle to get water out of the boat is 
*extremely* tiring. There is no muscle right where it's needed to work 
the pump for more than a few strokes. But I think it's too late to 
send me in for a retrofit.

For hydration, I break my general rule of nothing on the decks, and I 
strap a hydration bag on the deck right behind the cockpit. The 
drinking tube runs alongside the cockpit and the free end goes under a 
  bit of deck line in front of me. I do have to move my hand from the 
paddle for a second or two to get the line up to my mouth, but I can 
put it back on the paddle again once the tube is in my mouth.

I've seen people tuck the tube in their pfd so they need only turn 
their head to drink, but I don't like the fact that one is then, in 
effect, tethered to the boat.

I used to use a drinks bottle tucked up the deck rigging in front of 
me. I found two problems with this. The first being that it was prone 
to being washed away in bigger waves, or coming lose when the boat 
"fell over". The second being that I wasn't using it enough and 
running out of steam on longer paddles as a result of the slight 
dehydration. (My advancing age has nothing to do with the "running out 
of steam" syndrome: that's my story and I'm sticking to it!)

-- 
   Darryl
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