Re: [Paddlewise] Australian state (even more) severely restricts kayaking

On Mon, Oct 12, 2009 at 6:40 PM, Paul Hayward <pdh_at_mmcl.co.nz> wrote:

>
> A 50' throw line seems optimistic - I've practiced with a standard
> white-water one that is much shorter and it's tough to throw (from a seated
> position) even with practice. My tow line is only 10m (33') plus cowtail.
>
> Throw lines are important in white water paddling where a paddler - either
in his kayak or already exited - can be trapped in hydraulics and unable to
swim out. But in sea kayaking the only place this might happen would be in a
sea cave or in a rock garden; and even then there is every likelihood that a
throw line thrown from another sea kayak could be drawn into trouble rather
than drawing the boat that's in trouble out of trouble. Maybe in a whirlpool
but most of those (and I know there are some nasty ones elsewhere) on the
west coast are little more than circular eddies.

And a 50' throw line is practically useless for actually throwing.
Professional mariners can throw one that long but probably no one else;
especially not from the cockpit of a sea kayak. In fact, most throw lines
are actually thrown from the dry land surrounding the hydraulic feature.
Trying to throw a 50' line from the cockpit of a sea kayak in rough
conditions is quite likely to result in line floating everywhere and perhaps
become a hazard in-and-of itself.

Whoever wrote that B.C. law had perhaps read about kayaking... but didn't
understand it very well. Maybe he just misspelled "tow line". At any rate,
it's pretty much a useless piece of gear for a sea kayak.


Craig Jungers
Moses Lake, WA
www.nwkayaking.net
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