Just Grab It
Published January 7, 2006 | 
Live baby live
Now that the day is over
I got a new sensation
In perfect moments
Impossible to refuse – inxs
I just want to share a quick option for paddle float rescues. As much as it’s nice (sometimes) to have bungies or clips to hold your paddle in place for a paddle float rescue, it’s usually not necessary. In fact there is a downside. “locking down” your paddle does add a risk of breaking the paddle if you put too much weight on it when launching onto the back deck. It can also cause more issues when you try to remove it after you are back in your cockpit. Balance can go haywire when you try to reach back behind you. It sucks to end up right back in the water!
In the above photo you can see how I hook my (inside/forward) hand on the back combing of the kayak while holding the paddle in place with my thumb. My other hand reaches across the back deck and wraps over the side. From here I can easily launch up onto my deck. Yes, you do have to manage the paddle a bit by keeping it at a right angle to the boat while you work your way into the cockpit. You also have to have a clean efficient launch onto your deck. However, with practice it’s a simple and fast method.
If you are having trouble with your launch, here is a simple visualization. Kick your feet until your body is horizontal on the water, then swim onto the deck. Or if you like, slide the boat under you. Don’t “JUMP” up onto the boat. “Jumping” can work if you have the upper body strength, but for many of us we’ll just remain in the water totally exhausted. Get horizontal to the water, and slide/pull the kayak under your chest.
Another issue can be that smaller hands cannot wrap around the combing and paddle shaft. Yep, I know that can be a pain. Luckily there are smaller shafts out there these days, and they can really be a blessing for smaller paddlers.
The one nice thing about putting your paddles under a bungies or clips is that it will stay in place and steady the boat until you are ready to go. However, you can also accomplish this if when you are in the seat, you bring the paddle around and place it over the combing and under your elbows while you pump out the boat and get your skirt in place.
Either method will work. However, if a boat is not designed with bungies or clips to hold a paddle it should not effect your ability to self-rescue. In fact, with time you may find this method to be much quicker and safer.
In time we learn other methods to recover. The best recovery is simply to roll the boat up without swimming. The next choice would be to re-enter and roll. Even if you cannot “roll”, it is possible to re-enter and roll with a paddle float. But that’s another post. . . Stay tuned!!
Just my nickel!
- d
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6 Responses to Just Grab It
What are those rubbery looking things with screws through them above your hand in that picture? (Not the skeg cleat, the other things.)
TD
Hi,
This is a cleat for the tow rig.
It’s interesting you bring up the paddle float rescue- I had the same thoughts after reading a post on another site today. I have never used anything but my hand to hold the paddle to the back of the combing. (I have big hands which i’m sure does help.)
One thing I have noted when people have problems is that they are trying to rush the recovery. Taking the time to get the body positioning and weight distribution right is the key to a smooth re-entry. Once the motions are perfected, speed comes naturally.
Hey Russ,
Yeah you’re right. With time comes balance, comes speed. For whatever reason the paddle float came very easily for me, so when I instruct I always have to temper my personal memories and remember it’s a really hard maneuver for some folks.
If we read the same post, I could not imagine pulling off a paddle-float in the conditions described. Especially if those big waves are dumping on the boat as he noted. Even had he managed to get into the cockpit, the cockpit would have been full of water and staying upright would have been a miracle in of itself. For what it’s worth though, I can’t say enough good things about him posting his story. He deserves a lot of credit for putting himself out there, where others will judge him into the ground. I don’t know him, but that took a lot of character to honestly post the story.
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For those of you new to kayaking who are reading this: As you attempt a recovery or even when you are back in the boat, you are going to face the same conditions that took you over in the first place. On reasonably calm waters a well practiced paddle float recovery is perfect for solo paddlers. However as you get into more challenging conditions it begins to become less and less successful. Instructors often suggest that you practice your recovery in increasing conditions over time. At some point you’ll probobly find a line where it becomes pretty impractical. So if you plan to move beyond calm waters then having a solid roll or at least a re-entry roll (with or with out float) becomes important. In fact in time, many kayakers would hardly every actually perform a paddle float recovery. It’s just too easy to scramble, roll, re-enter roll, two boat, or whatever. HOWEVER that being said, I will always carry a paddle float in-case of injury or to assist others. (and it makes a nice pillow for naps on the beach)
I too like just using my hand and not bothering with straps. I probably don’t practice it often enough since I spend too much time practicing rolls…
On a recent paddle my friend David found that his foam back rest had blown out of his boat during transit. Disaster was averted by using his paddlefloat as a very comfortable inflatable backrest.
Franco Ferrero demonstrates a nice variation by using his assembled splits for the float and securing it under the deck lines. This leaves your main paddle free for instant paddling/bracing. The splits are tied to the kayak by a line tied on the shaft near the float.
Once finished with the float you reach behind and pull the paddle from the lines and tow it till you get yourself sorted.