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Sea Kayaks Techniques Bulletin Board
Re: Unsafe perimeter lines
Posted By: Jed In Response To: Re: Unsafe perimeter lines (Tim Mattson)
Date: Monday, 4 March 2002, at 3:09 p.m.
: You raise an interesting point. Of my five kayaks, only one has perimeter
: deck saftey lines. Frankly, I don't understand why they are considered
: such an important saftey feature. I know that's the conventional wisdom,
: but I don't understand why they make things safer. If I'm in the water, I
: control my boat by sticking my legs or an arm in the boat --- not by
: gripping a perimeter line. I just don't see why they add any degree of
: saftey.: I have in the passed worried about them as a potential hazzard for the
: reason's your story illustrates. Any kind of lines on or near our kayaks
: are a potential source of dangerous entanglement. I keep lines and other
: stuff on the deck to a minimum.Tim,
1 The value of perimeter lines becomes self-evident when a swimmer is working to hold onto a kayak in rough water. I tend to perform my fair share of assisted rescues and can atest from experience that the availability of perimeter lines has made all of the difference between an easy or difficult rescue.
2 An additional benefit is seen when a boat needs to be towed for whatever reason.
3 Stabilization of a boat by another paddler for various reasons like rafting up for an uncounsious paddler rescue or possibly just to stabilize a boat during the reentry phase of a T Rescue.
4 Manual Handling - The more places you can grab a boat the less likely it is to be dropped or for those carrying it to be injured.
5 My perimeter lines are used to stow my paddles when that becomes neccessary.
6 Anchor points for my (bivy) tarp
Given the various benefits of perimeter lines, I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want them on their expedition rigged seakayak. Can you tell us about your boats and why you have chosen not to use perimeter lines?
Jed
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