How to use a Safety Throw rope

The line MUST float.  What good is a safety line if it sinks?  Even more dangerous on a river.  If I recall correctly, all the throwbags I've even owned/used do not do anything particular to make them float.  The floating rope was enough to float them.

-Allen

mine has a 1/2" thick foam disc inside the bag to presumably help it float as well as help keep the bag open during stuffing.

 I'll confess I've only ever used it for practice, never on a swimmer yet.

The line MUST float.  What good is a safety line if it sinks?  Even more dangerous on a river.  If I recall correctly, all the throwbags I've even owned/used do not do anything particular to make them float.  The floating rope was enough to float them.

-Allen

mine has a 1/2" thick foam disc inside the bag to presumably help it float as well as help keep the bag open during stuffing.

 I'll confess I've only ever used it for practice, never on a swimmer yet.

Now that you mention it, at least one of my bags has a "stiffener" in it.  I've never really thought about whether if floats or what that was for.  Hmmm ... now I'm going to have to double check.

-Allen

Good Post Allen, and have to say, I really don't have answers to these questions on the Big Blue, even though I am trained in swift water....

 I was shocked (and scared to death!!!) at a number of things with my swift water rescue training, how easy things can look and actually how hard it is to do right...

 and when your in a desperate situation...  that's no time to be learning....   

I will say, with practice, it's does not take too long to re-stuff the bag.... and one could get another shot fairly quickly....

I usually don't tell people to have a throw rope for the one fact that they aren't as simple to use as many may think.  People can and have drowned by not knowing how to use a throw rope properly.  If you carry one, please learn how to use it properly.  I hate having to rescue people that are trying to rescue others.

The line MUST float.  What good is a safety line if it sinks?  Even more dangerous on a river.  If I recall correctly, all the throwbags I've even owned/used do not do anything particular to make them float.  The floating rope was enough to float them.

-Allen

mine has a 1/2" thick foam disc inside the bag to presumably help it float as well as help keep the bag open during stuffing.

 I'll confess I've only ever used it for practice, never on a swimmer yet.

Now that you mention it, at least one of my bags has a "stiffener" in it.  I've never really thought about whether if floats or what that was for.  Hmmm ... now I'm going to have to double check.

-Allen

Well, I'll be damned.  I checked 2 different throwback and both have floatant in the bag.  One has it sewn in the side of the bag.  The other (Scotty) has a floating disk thingy at the bottom of the bag.

-Allen

People can and have drowned by not knowing how to use a throw rope properly

So they were trying to save someone and they ended up drowning by using a throw bag wrong. How did that happen? Tangled up or just not watching where they were going?

I treat mine like a rope that I can quickly access and have the option of throwing.  The fact that I've thrown it dozens of times helps me know how it feels.

I am aware of the fact that there are many different situations that could arise around the need for or choice about using this bag.  I will bear in mind potential pitfalls as I go...

Time for some practice, yes, but not time to condemn this excellent tool as a real threat to safety, IMO.

I treat mine like a rope that I can quickly access and have the option of throwing.  The fact that I've thrown it dozens of times helps me know how it feels.

I am aware of the fact that there are many different situations that could arise around the need for or choice about using this bag.  I will bear in mind potential pitfalls as I go...

Time for some practice, yes, but not time to condemn this excellent tool as a real threat to safety, IMO.

Yeah, I think of the throw bag as just a holder for rope.  I don't think I'll be throwing it at anyone.  Why should I when I can just paddle up to them?  And if they are in a hairy situation (boiler rocks, etc.), I'm going to be yelling at them to swim their asses out of there, or if the situation is ok, I'm going to paddle in and have them hold onto the tail of my kayak as I paddle them out.  I really don't think a rope is useful in this situation, at least not from a kayak (unstable, uncontrollable platform), except as a last resort.  So why do I carry a rope?  I dunno, I've never had to use it.  I suppose "just in case".  You know, someone has a leg cramp, or breaks a paddle, or gets too sea sick to paddle in on their own and I have to paddle them out.  But in that situation I'd rather have a tow harness.

-Allen

I don't really know if the origin of a throw rope came from paddle sports or power/sail sports but I can see it's effectiveness from a boat as opposed to a kayak.  I can honestly say that I cannot think of a time I have seen, or heard, of anyone using one from kayak to kayak, or kayak to person.  I have, however seen it used quite a bit in the world of whitewater river kayaking; person on short to person in the water.  As far as effectiveness in ocean, boat to person it has proven to be quite useful.  It's not ideal to navigate a boat to a person, due to safety reasons (should you encouter a swell/wave & run into the person.  Much safer to pull the person to you rather than go to the person.  Again, talking boat ... not kayak.

Let's say...

- I'm on or next to my yak in a bad situation in  the ocean - like among breaking waves with no paddle;
- I toss the throwbag to someone on a PB, on shore, or even on a yak;
- I now have the means of being towed or pulled away from danger.

I also carry the rope bag as a means of towing or being towed while NOT in danger.

There may be very few occasions to use it, but that's also true of many safety items I carry:  flares, whistle, reflective device, extra VHF, extra paddle, bilge pump...etc. - never used any of it.

Let's say...

- I'm on or next to my yak in a bad situation in  the ocean - like among breaking waves with no paddle;
- I toss the throwbag to someone on a PB, on shore, or even on a yak;
- I now have the means of being towed or pulled away from danger.

Hmmm ... no wrong or right answers here, so let's discuss for the sake of discussion.  If you're in that bad of a situation without a paddle, it's highly unlikely that you'll still be on your kayak.  Where's your throwbag now and if it's in your hands, how far do you think you can throw it while being in the water?

If you're in the water, why aren't you swimming out?

I also carry the rope bag as a means of towing or being towed while NOT in danger.

There may be very few occasions to use it, but that's also true of many safety items I carry:  flares, whistle, reflective device, extra VHF, extra paddle, bilge pump...etc. - never used any of it.

Completely understand these points!

-Allen

Unless my yak gets sucked into a bad situation where I choose to swim away from it, I will stay with my X-Factor.  With flotation, a very stable platform would be a bad thing to go away from, as one should be able to use it for at least assisting the upper body or arms and head.  That said, if I was separated from my yak but had my bag I'm confident I could still huck it a ways - great thing to test in the water.  This is making me want to get a wetsuit on and go try these things.   

Unless my yak gets sucked into a bad situation where I choose to swim away from it, I will stay with my X-Factor.  With flotation, a very stable platform would be a bad thing to go away from, as one should be able to use it for at least assisting the upper body or arms and head.  That said, if I was separated from my yak but had my bag I'm confident I could still huck it a ways - great thing to test in the water.  This is making me want to get a wetsuit on and go try these things.   

I bet you can't huck it more than 30 feet from a seated position in a kayak and 20 feet from an in-the-water position.      Somewhat serious about that, so would like to know the results of your trias.

And if you're in the water, swim the heck over to me if you need help.  Why do I got to pull you 20 feet to me?   

-Allen

I bet you can't huck it more than 30 feet from a seated position in a kayak and 20 feet from an in-the-water position.      Somewhat serious about that, so would like to know the results of your trias.

And if you're in the water, swim the heck over to me if you need help.  Why do I got to pull you 20 feet to me?   

-Allen

Game On!   

I think 50' from seated and 30 to 40 from in the water are doable, so let's see.

I always thought of my throw rope as a means to assist other kayakers.
I hadn't even considered that I might need to use it to help myself! So perhaps I should reconsider where I store it on/in my kayak. I normally stash it inside the hull...twist-tied to my bilge pump and dry box. Maybe it w/b better to stash it topside for now on. Because it would be easier for me to reach it if I was in the water.

I have a carabiner attached to the terminal end of the rope. If someone falls off their yak near boilers, I would snap the carabiner to my yak, then throw the bag at them. They hold onto the bag/rope while I paddle my ass off to pull them from the danger zone. Screw their kayak. Unless it is only a medium-dangerous zone...then maybe they can attach the bag/rope to the bow of their yak and hold on while I paddle my ass off to pull them from the danger zone. (But that means they'd need a easy way to attach the rope to their kayak...like a small carabiner on the bag-end of the rope too).