Re: [Paddlewise] Surf-Ski Death

Nick had some excellant points in the comments on surfskiracing.com.

I really don't like the decision to leave a swimmer in the middle of the
lake.

Some here may recall my story last fall of chasing a windblown surf ski.
 We were only 2 or 3 hundred meters off shore, the paddler involved that
day didn't have a leash.  A passing motorboat grabbed the tumbling boat.
 The tumbling surf ski was moving at a fair clip, it was getting
airborne as it went off the wave peaks.

Figuring out how to stop a tumbling surf ski is difficult.  The
lightweight surf ski's are vacuum bagged carbon fiber, 
to successfully get a tumbling boat you would need to paddle downwind of
it, while leashed to your own boat jump into the water and stop the boat
with your hands,
then straddle/raft the two boats while the swimmer swam downwind to you.
 You might be able to turn broadside to the tumbling boat and get it,
but that seems like a really tough maneuver.  Any collision between
hulls is likely to hole one or both boats.

I've practiced paddling with a swimmer on the back deck with legs
splayed it works pretty well.  It's important to get to the centerline
of the boat.  Otherwise you risk having both paddlers in the water.

Another option could be to push the swimmer with the bow.   That doesn't
seem great to me, with large waves and a sharp entry bow I see this as
an injury waiting to happen - better than death, but definitely a second
choice to me.

Virtually everybody I paddle with would be considered a minimalist
paddler.  The only gear attached to the boat is the leash, waterbag, and
maybe camera or gps.
I like the idea of adding a waist belt tow line to my own version of
minimalist gear...

We've got a mixed group headed out for a downwind this weekend - I think
we'll have 9 surf skis and 1 outrigger canoe.  3/4 of the group is of
the watch out for each other ilk.  1/4 is prone to wandering off without
notification.  Amongst the crew are a couple new epic V8s that have
integrated bow and stern handles.  This is a great improvement for
getting a wayward surf ski.   With one minor exception none of the other
surf skis have any bow or stern grab points, the only deck lines are in
the cockpit or just behind it.

On more than one occasion have I chosen to paddle back out to find a
straggling compatriot.  We usually raft up every mile or so.

None the less the tragedy in Minnesota has me doing more than the usual
thinking.  I'm quite sure it will be a topic on the beach saturday, as
we head out.

Kirk

On Thursday, October 13, 2011 9:01 PM, "Doug Lloyd" <douglloyd_at_shaw.ca>
wrote:
> Tragic. Leg-leash failure. Left behind. Death.
> 
> http://surfskiracing.org/2011/10/todd-ellison-dies-in-tragic-surfski-acciden
> t-by-zach-handler/?utm_source=rss
> <http://surfskiracing.org/2011/10/todd-ellison-dies-in-tragic-surfski-accide
> nt-by-zach-handler/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=todd-ellison-
> dies-in-tragic-surfski-accident-by-zach-handler>
> &utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=todd-ellison-dies-in-tragic-surfski-accident-by
> -zach-handler
>  
> http://blogs.twincities.com/outdoors/2011/10/11/detailed-account-of-kayakers
> -death-on-mille-lacs/

-- 
  Kirk Olsen
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