Kayak Self-Rescue

Kayak Self-Rescue
4/16/19
After procrastinating for 6 years, I finally decided that after turning 70 and chomping at the bit to head out for another salmon season that it would be a good idea to take a Sit-On-Top Kayak Self Rescue Class at CCK in the Oakland Estuary this past Saturday. Since My first kayak was a Hobie, I never really learned the right technique for paddling with the kayak paddle. During the class, I noticed that the Hobies’ are a lot heavier than the paddle kayaks’ who were always ahead of me. Sou, our instructor at the Oakland CCK told me to not use the Mirage drive to make sure that I could learn the right technique for using the paddles because there might be a time that I may have to use my paddle if my Mirage drive broke or was not usable while out in the ocean and he wanted us to be tired when we did our last self-rescue which would mimic real conditions. In the past 6 years, I have flipped my kayak, maybe 3 times; last salmon season coming in Bolinas at Wharf Rd., once last season getting hit on the side by a large boat wake after landing a big salmon at HMB and my first time trying to unload my full crab traps coming in HMB Harbor 6 years ago. I managed somehow to get by; but was in denial that it was not a big deal,
What I learned:
I think the fist thing that I learned was not to panic and take your time to get yourself grounded. As soon as I was in the water, I noticed my anxiety and adrenaline rush right away. As we kept doing the self-rescues, I purposely told myself to relax, I had my life jacket on, I could move around and position myself for getting back on the kayak.
I also noticed that it took a lot of energy to do a self-rescue and you don’t want to expend too much energy trying to rush and have to do it over and over. It can be exhausting!!! Get yourself in position with your legs away from the kayak and kick as hard as you can while pulling yourself on to the kayak. I kinda wished I had my short lap swimming fins on!!!
I have a kayak rescue ladder on my kayak and have used it only once. Having a kayak step ladder does not necessarily make it easier to self-rescue as it is very easy to get your body under the kayak and not stretched out away from the kayak. If your legs are under the kayak, it is very easy to flip your kayak over again. The one thing that I found the rescue ladder was good for was up righting a capsized kayak. I was able to throw the rescue ladder over the hull and pull my kayak upright from the other side very easily.

http://www.kayakselfrescueladder.com/

We used and inflatable paddle float once and I liked how easy it was to deploy, blow it up with the end of the paddle inserted inside the float and the paddle basically was like a AMA which kept the kayak from flipping over and you could climb in the kayak with the leverage of the paddle with the float. There is somewhat of a complicated rigging of using a long nylon strap to secure the paddle to the kayak like an outrigger. I think that I will keep one of my AMAs with the float deflated and mounted on the bar and stored under my kill nag on the back of my Revo. It is so much easier to get back in the kayak with a float on the side of the kayak you are trying to climb in from.
Another thing I learned is to make sure that your PFD/life jacket is on tight and close to your body when you are attempting to self-rescue. I found that I generally keep my life jacket straps loose for comfort and once I was in the water, my PFD was riding very high which made it more difficult to climb back in the kayak.
Going out the ocean with someone else if the best way to be safe. It is so much easier to do a double rescue with another kayak on the opposite side as you climb in.
Lastly, after doing multiple self-rescues by flipping my Revo over; I was blown away after coming back in, to see how much water was in my hull. I think in normal conditions one would not be doing this, but it was quite sobering for me. I suspect that most of the water must have come in through the front hatch. Right after my first capsize on my Tandem Oasis 6 years ago, I bought a bilge pump because of water in the hull and I recently upgraded and bought a larger size NRS bilge pump at a REI sale which I have stored under the middle storage hatch for east access.
After taking this class, I’m going to do some ocean self-rescue at least once a year to keep my mind and body ready!!
If you have any other tips for self-rescue, please post!!!
It was also great to meet another NCKA Bruddah- Shan “Mountain Wolf” who took the class with me. It was great that we had Sou as our instructor who is also a kayak fisherman and there was only 3 people in the class so we could get a lot of one to one help.
Good Stuff!!
Aloha,
Michael  da Bruddah

Thanks for the info. Sounds like a great class. How is launching, and parking there if you bring your own kayak?

It sounds like it was a great class and investment in self-sufficiency and safety. Nicely reported, Michael! Thanks for sharing that.

Does your hatch need a seal tune-up or is that SOP on those?

Get yourself in position with your legs away from the kayak and kick as hard as you can while pulling yourself on to the kayak.

This seems like the key to me. Thanks for posting--I need to practice!

My first PFD was very bulky and I kept lots and lots of things attached to it and in its pockets. Bulky PFD’s with lots of things attached make getting back into your kayak more difficult. So in addition to making sure it is tight fitting also make sure that you don’t have too much attached to it.

Michael, you really remembered so much if what Sou taught us.  Good to go over it again by reading. Under stress, we always revert back to how we trained, so training right is important.

I also thought it was important when Sou showed us during a assisted rescue that when assisting it really helps to initially lift the side of the kayak closest to you, thus lowering the deck height on the side of the person getting out of the water.  THEN appling pressure downward on the side near you to counter balance. The person entering their kayak should, at that point be holding in to your stable kayak.  Done smoothly, this process makes it much easier to get out of the water.

It was great to meet you Michael! Be safe.



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Post of the month!

Great move, Michael and Mountain Wolf.   

I think I have fallen out of my kayak almost half a dozen times and had to self rescue. Thank goodness here in Texas I fish some shallow lakes and it is an easy task of turning the Hobie over and getting back in. With all the "practice" I am quite good at it even it a leached out garage sail.
I'm not proud about falling in and it usually done on accident when some water gets into the hull.

Even as much as I hate going in, I have no fear of losing it when I go overboard.

Great review. I'm going to book the class this week. Anyone interested in booking together (requires two).

CCK instructor Sou was fishing at ARW yesterday 4-21 in a camo Outback. He was my teacher for sea kayaking 1, 2, and a surf zone class. Excellent teacher and I can highly recommend him.   

Last year when I flipped over using Michael's Revo, I learned the cold water at Shelter Cove was shocking, and everything locked up.  It was a good Forester was near-by to do a 2 person rescue.  All the practice in warm HMB did not work when everything is tight.  It did not help not having my paddle float with me (left it at home is usless when it comes to safety).  So Forest save my day.
    One thing I did learn was to put out a call to let everyone know that I was flipped and may need help.

Great review. I'm going to book the class this week. Anyone interested in booking together (requires two).

Next class is 5/25. A friend and i are signing up. There's a few spots left.

Yes, excellent write up. Everyone has the same nightmare of not being able to self- rescue.

I can use this class. How do I sign up?

Through California Canoe and Kayak:
https://www.calkayak.com/classes/kayak-fishing-classes/

If we get a group together, Sou said he would teach the Surf Zone class.  I feel more confident in this area, but of course there is lots to learn.

Be safe!

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