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Sea Kayaks Techniques Bulletin Board
Re: The knife
Posted By: Brianne Corbett In Response To: Re: The knife (Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks)
Date: Wednesday, 28 May 2003, at 5:26 p.m.
: Without reading Shawn's story about using a knife, the idea of pointing a
: knife down towards my stomach or legs while being tossed about in surf
: does not strike me as a good idea.A blunt tipped double edged knife might reduce this risk and give you the cutting power needed.
: To get free you must either cut the
: rand, or the waist. I would consider using the knife up at the front of
: the cockpit, but since what really needs cutting is the rand and that is
: the thing you can't get free, I don't see that a knife would be much use
: for freeing the rand.The knife might have allowed him to pry it up. He couldn't get his hand on it becuase it was too deep in. Fact is that he was having no success trying to use his hands alone. Ultimately he was lucky that he could use his legs. For many, that would not be an option.
Admittedly, the knife is a dangerous means to achieve the end... even a blunt tip. But with hope almost gone... as was the case here... I think it makes perfect sense. It is a last resort.
Quite frankly, I think he should have sculled up for air as soon as the roll failed or done a Petrussen Manouvre. But I wasn't there so I can't really know all the circumstances. What I do know is that I would have been prepared to use my knife at the stage where things weren't working and air was running out.
: Unless your knife is extremely sharp it is going to take significant effort
: to cut the neoprene around your waist and the force required is likely to
: make the blade end up someplace you would rather not have it. And there
: are a lot of vital organs right near where you need to cut. And if your
: knife is extremely sharp, well, those organs are still there.No argument here. There is a lot of risk and the knife must be razor sharp for a reasonable chance of success... but I would rather risk it than just drown.
Safe Paddling!
Brianne
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