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Sea Kayaks Techniques Bulletin Board
Re: You Are Alone Out There!
Posted By: Robert Woodard In Response To: Re: You Are Alone Out There! (Ian Johnston)
Date: Wednesday, 22 November 2000, at 7:10 a.m.
: Buddy rescues- FORGET IT! In severe conditions do you really expect to bring
: two kayaks together with one person in the water? What happens when 2, 300
: lb.+ kayaks collide? What happens when a hull is holed? What happens when
: the person in the water is between the two kayaks? What happens when the
: conditions make it impossible for your partner to turn around? What
: happens when your partner is out to save his own skin while you are
: waiting for an assist?DON'T FORGET buddy rescues. I've practiced this in large breaking surf and know it works. Of course it isn't my first line of defense, but sometimes s*** happens and a person comes out of thier boat. I used to worry about the 2 kayaks colliding as well, but in practice it isn't a big deal in the horizontal plane. In the verticle plane I've had some problems as a rudder slammed down on my front deck and dinged the gelcoat.
My opinion on the subject is put as many tricks into the bag as possible. For a solo paddler who may not get a chance to paddle with others an assisted rescue may be worthless. For the solo flatwater beginner who hasn't yet developed a roll, the paddle float may be priceless. But in almost every case, the more you can do, the greater your chances of survival.
Woody

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