Self-Rescue and TV Shots on July 19th-20th!

I agree that for surf launches you don't want your paddle leashed. I was thinking flatwater. The technique of using the paddle on the opposite of the boat works great for flat water.

-Brian G

Michelle,
Thanks you are doing such a good job its funny the reporter had to pick the pink one , bruise or no bruise your legs still looking SEXY specially the red pedicure, heal fast and sorry we will miss you at Albion, but its ok Brian will be there anyway... again you are doing a great job!!!

  Don't be embarrased, a lot of men are victims of domestic abuse, but let's go ahead and stick with them being caused by the kayak!

nice job!

Great job! Way to go bringing light to the safety aspect of our sport. We all want to go out there and have fun, but be safe doing it. I always told my wife while playing in the canyons riding my sport bike, that it was a good day when I came back home in one piece. Safety should always be foremost in everyones mind.

wow, that looked professional. i have never seen anyone leash their paddle to their lifevest before. i always leash it to my boat. i'd hate to get tossed into some nasty water and have that thing get wrapped around my neck.  i am a big fan of safety awareness.

This struck me odd as well. I figured the paddle should always be tethered to the boat rather than the person due to the concern of being tangled in the leash and not being able to swim or maneuver. Besides, the paddle creates drag for the kayak while in the water making it easier to get back to your kayak.

NC....Fine Job...!!.... You'll be Famous ...!!!

Gue

So how did the limelight feel? Nice report, I'm sure this vital info will be helpful to others

So how did the limelight feel? Nice report, I'm sure this vital info will be helpful to others

Well, this is my third time doing the long live shots (5 hours), and every month I do in-studio live shots - like this friday i'll go into heat stroke, heat exhaustion, etc.  I like to think of it as job security 

BCU* and ACA** Basic Kayak Safety: Leash the paddle to the boat and never ever let go of the paddle so in a capsize and wet exit the boat is still with you--that is standard basic sea kayaking safety. Kayak fishing makes that problematic because we have better things to do with our hands sometimes.

We kayak fishers put our paddles down even securing them to the boat though I often set it in my lap while fly fishing to make position adjustments as the wind blows me around. But leashing the paddle to us and not the boat serves no good purpose I can imagine--a paddle without a boat does you no good and a moderate wind can push your boat away from you faster than you can swim--even aided by a paddle which is a tough skill to learn and not that effective. There have been serious accidents where kayaks just blew away from paddlers in open water. Of course, maybe we should leash the paddle to the boat and then have a leash from the paddle to us while fishing so if we capsize while fishing, we have paddle which gives us the boat--sort of a wind drift kill switch. I'll think about that a bit but that's a lot of cord to tangle up in in a capsize. And, of course, leashes come off for surf launches and landings--then they should go right back on. Your life might depend on keeping your boat with you one day. And you do carry a spare paddle on board in the ocean...Right? just checking.


*   British Canoe Union
** American Canoe Association

Thanks for the input, I know you have a good amount of kayaking experience. Michelle was just doing what I showed her. Any corrections on safety should be directed to me. I do pack a spare paddle.

Here is how I paddle:

Lakes:
Paddle is leashed is my vest, through the lowest waist strap. This can be easily unsnapped and released if needed by one buckle snap. Yes the yak could potentially get away from me in high winds. I keep the paddle with me verses with the kayak in case this happens because it becomes my signal device to increase my visibility to boat traffic. A paddle in the air is much easier to see than a floater.

Rivers:
Nothing is leashed.

Ocean Surf launching:
Paddle not leashed to vest or boat. You don't want anything that can snag or wrap you up.

Solo Ocean/offshore or remote:
Paddle is leashed to vest. Paddle leashed to boat. Don't want to get seperated from either out there.

-Brian G

Self rescues, I forgot all about those.  I have done a few while ab diving but not recently and always on a Scupper Pro or Scrambler.  Both of those boats  are light, easy to right,  and easy to get into.  I had never thought about self rescue in my current boat, a Hobie Outback.  The recent posts were a wakeup call—my Outback is not light or as easy to enter as the old boats.

I tossed the Outback into the pool and went to the deep end.  I capsized the yak without much effort.  I tried righting it, from below .  It required a lot more effort than either of my other boats but I made it on the second try.  I then tried it from the opposite side, also from below, and could not right the yak.  The difference was using the fixed center handle.  I could not get enough leverage (pulling down on the far side while pushing up on the near side)  using the fixed handle.  I went back to the flexible handle on the far side and had no problems.

Next, I tried righting the yak from the top, by reaching under the far side, and pulling up while forcing my weight down below my hips.  It required more effort than righting from below.  For a heavier person, I am 160#, I think rescue from the top might be easier.

I also learned that the Outback takes on water while capsized, especially when the drain plug is not screwed in.

Thanks for the wakeup call.

Doug

Self rescues, I forgot all about those.  I have done a few while ab diving but not recently and always on a Scupper Pro or Scrambler.  Both of those boats  are light, easy to right,  and easy to get into.  I had never thought about self rescue in my current boat, a Hobie Outback.  The recent posts were a wakeup call—my Outback is not light or as easy to enter as the old boats.

I tossed the Outback into the pool and went to the deep end.  I capsized the yak without much effort.  I tried righting it, from below .  It required a lot more effort than either of my other boats but I made it on the second try.  I then tried it from the opposite side, also from below, and could not right the yak.  The difference was using the fixed center handle.  I could not get enough leverage (pulling down on the far side while pushing up on the near side)  using the fixed handle.  I went back to the flexible handle on the far side and had no problems.

Next, I tried righting the yak from the top, by reaching under the far side, and pulling up while forcing my weight down below my hips.  It required more effort than righting from below.  For a heavier person, I am 160#, I think rescue from the top might be easier.

I also learned that the Outback takes on water while capsized, especially when the drain plug is not screwed in.

Thanks for the wakeup call.

Doug

Glad I could "help".  I actually figured my Cobra Escape (small, wide boat), would be easier to self-rescue than the Tarpon 140.  I automatically assumed, bigger, heavier boat = harder to right.  I was wrong.  Less place to go on the escape.  (hence the bruising).  But yeah, every boat is completely different.  As you can see, Clayton did pretty well with the big boats, but the Venus he could never get right-side-up on! 

  As you can see, Clayton did pretty well with the big boats, but the Venus he could never get right-side-up on! 

I had the same type of trouble with the escape. I concluded I would not be able to self rescue on that boat in heavy chop.

-Brian G

Lakes:
Paddle is leashed is my vest, through the lowest waist strap. This can be easily unsnapped and released if needed by one buckle snap. Yes the yak could potentially get away from me in high winds. I keep the paddle with me verses with the kayak in case this happens because it becomes my signal device to increase my visibility to boat traffic. A paddle in the air is much easier to see than a floater.

Rivers:
Nothing is leashed.

Ocean Surf launching:
Paddle not leashed to vest or boat. You don't want anything that can snag or wrap you up.

Solo Ocean/offshore or remote:
Paddle is leashed to vest. Paddle leashed to boat. Don't want to get seperated from either out there.

Sounds like a good solid no-nonsense blend of practicality and safety to me.

Self-rescue: one thing that people tend to forget when trying to right their boat is their buoyancy especially with a PFD on. If you kick up out of the water and submerge heading downward after, and then kick up (scissors/frog/flutter/etc), that buoyancy adds a lot more lifting power behind you to flip that boat over (thanks to BCU rough water rescue training in 25-knot winds off Bodega Bay to teach me to have confidence in that--but that is another story). It is easy to see why people don't think of that--the last thing people want to do is submerge during an "event". Stay calm and in control. i recommend every single kayak fisher get sea kayak training: self-rescue, assisted rescues, bracing, etc. and carry at minimum: 1) a paddle leash and use it except in surf, 2) a spare paddle--even if yours is not lost someone else may need one, 3) signaling in devices (flare gun, smoke flares, mirror, whistle, etc.) and 4) a VHF water-resistant or water-proof radio with fully charged batteries. An almost-essential piece (at least to me) is a GPS since we get a lot of fog out there and your landing and bearings might disappear in a minute--I've seen it happen personally and I am always glad to have marked my launch waypoints. If nothing else, it helps keep my piece of mind so I can enjoy the fishing. A tow rope/bow line/etc/ is useful--a few incidents lately have required towing someone out of trouble and it could get someone and their boat out of danger.

Lakes:
Paddle is leashed is my vest, through the lowest waist strap. This can be easily unsnapped and released if needed by one buckle snap. Yes the yak could potentially get away from me in high winds. I keep the paddle with me verses with the kayak in case this happens because it becomes my signal device to increase my visibility to boat traffic. A paddle in the air is much easier to see than a floater.

Rivers:
Nothing is leashed.

Ocean Surf launching:
Paddle not leashed to vest or boat. You don't want anything that can snag or wrap you up.

Solo Ocean/offshore or remote:
Paddle is leashed to vest. Paddle leashed to boat. Don't want to get seperated from either out there.

Sounds like a good solid no-nonsense blend of practicality and safety to me.

Self-rescue: one thing that people tend to forget when trying to right their boat is their buoyancy especially with a PFD on. If you kick up out of the water and submerge heading downward after, and then kick up (scissors/frog/flutter/etc), that buoyancy adds a lot more lifting power behind you to flip that boat over (thanks to BCU rough water rescue training in 25-knot winds off Bodega Bay to teach me to have confidence in that--but that is another story). It is easy to see why people don't think of that--the last thing people want to do is submerge during an "event". Stay calm and in control. i recommend every single kayak fisher get sea kayak training: self-rescue, assisted rescues, bracing, etc. and carry at minimum: 1) a paddle leash and use it except in surf, 2) a spare paddle--even if yours is not lost someone else may need one, 3) signaling in devices (flare gun, smoke flares, mirror, whistle, etc.) and 4) a VHF water-resistant or water-proof radio with fully charged batteries. An almost-essential piece (at least to me) is a GPS since we get a lot of fog out there and your landing and bearings might disappear in a minute--I've seen it happen personally and I am always glad to have marked my launch waypoints. If nothing else, it helps keep my piece of mind so I can enjoy the fishing. A tow rope/bow line/etc/ is useful--a few incidents lately have required towing someone out of trouble and it could get someone and their boat out of danger.

Agreed on all fronts!  Glad this has got people talking about safety.  Another key element is to self-rescue in full gear.  It's one thing to self rescue in a bathing suit and your pfd, but on a cold day in full gear.... it's a lot harder.