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

Craig Jungers wrote:
> 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

  I quite agree about the throw line. The only time I've actually used 
mine was to help someone out of the water after a swim, where the 
algae-covered rocks were too slippery to be able to crawl up unaided.

Nope, that's a lie. I also used it once when I forgot my regular 
camping ropes, to tie my kayak up to a tree above the high-water mark 
in the St. Lawrence. But I didn't *throw* the rope in this case, 
whereas when helping my friend up the rocks, I did sort of toss it out 
to her -- all three feet.

-- 
   Darryl
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