Tips for Noob in a Sea Kayak?

Use of nose plugs
It is always good if you can get used to the sinus hit without them, but I wouldn’t discard them. In salt water, they tend not to be needed anyway. Salt water is automatically kinder and more natural feeling up in there anyway. The only time I have used nose plugs in salt water was when I was being asked to do something like alter my approach to bracing, when I was just getting a ton of closely spaced rolling moments until I got it down. There is a point of just having so much water and discharge running out of your nose every time you come up it is annoying.



Fresh water is another matter, and in WW groups you will often see people going thru rapids with nose plugs on. But WW runs tend to organize themselves so that it is reasonable to pop on a set of nose plugs before a given rapid. That’s why you will sometimes see them attached to a helmet.



The salt water rush when you capsize in surf was, for me, very distracting at first because the first rush is so strong. But it is still salt water, so it is tolerable if you can hold off thru that initial hit to get your moment to roll.

boat choice
For initial pool sessions I wouldn’t worry about using a boat similar to the one you own. Find one in which you have a fairly snug fit.



When you initially get in a snug-fitting boat it may feel like you will have difficulty getting out of it upside down. I think you will find that when you are inverted, pop the skirt and everything is wet, you will be able to slide out just fine. The water lubricates everything and gravity is more or less working in your favor or is not a factor, since you will be essentially weightless in the water.



A snug fit will allow your lower body movements to be more effectively translated to the boat for bracing, rolling, and bow rescues. Once you have worked on these in the pool, you will be more comfortable doing the same with your boat in protected, outdoor waters.

masks are great for lots of practice
I use nose plugs for casual practice and nothing for combat rolls. But if doing lots of rolling like in a class a mask is very nice. nose plugs slip off and eyes can burn a bit after lots of dunkings. A dive type mask won’t slip off the nose and gives you crystal clear vision to help you stay relaxed and do things like follow a blade while rolling.

damn you done good so far…

– Last Updated: Oct-12-12 11:17 AM EST –

You started off well. Nice purchase!

I'd echo what jay posted: wear your pfd. And learn a wet exit ASAP - if the water's cold and you have the right protection, you'll be fine - maybe splash some cold water on the back of your neck to minimize the shock.

After a wet exit I'd do what Hutchinson recommended and learn to be comfortable upside-down in your boat. wear a mask and noseplugs, use a snorkel with an extension if necessary - whatever it takes to gain that comfort. That will help you with rolls.

Next I'd learn a good forward stroke and commit it to memory.

Next I'd just get out and paddle often which sounds like it won't be a problem! Then you're on to either lessons or instruction regarding edging, low and high bracing, rolls, corrective strokes and so on. You'll need all of these to get out in unprotected water but if you have the desire you'll do it.

You sound just like me when I went from a rec kayak to sea kayaking, except you gave yourself a better start with gear.

Rescue!
I just got home a little while ago from my Rescue Class. It was held in a fitness club’s heated pool, which is great, since the water temps in the Willamette River this time a year are probably lower 50’s by now.



The boats they used are all the same… Custom Designs plastic boats, and from what I can tell, they’re right in between my Tempest 165 and Essence 17 in terms of size/volume. They were 13-14’ boats, since there’s only so much room in the pool.



At the other end of the pool was the rescue class. They used the same boats too, so I know what I’ll be in two weekends from now when I have that class.



Anyway… I picked up nose plugs, which are a good thing. They don’t stay on well, but that’s okay. They protect the initial sinus drenching. I wore mine the first two times, then forgot them the third time and that wasn’t terribly pleasant. So I stuck with them for subsequent dunkings.



Wet exits are pretty straight forward. It does feel a little odd being upside down, but I have no trouble reaching the “ejection strap” as I call it. The main thing was learning to relax and do what I needed to do rather than being in a rush to get out.



During one rescue attempt (when I was the rescuer), due to a poor hold on the other boat, I ended up going over. What’s interesting is that I capsized while leaning backward. So it took a moment to realize I had to bend forward and grab the strap to get out, since my initial reaction was surprise, especially when I didn’t come right out. That was a good thing to experience in a controlled environment, especially since it was unplanned and without nose plugs.



I was really glad to get experience with the self-rescues, since I will be paddling alone most of the time, up until I get into ocean paddling sometime next Summer. I liked the paddle float method best. She taught us the cowboy method too, but I wouldn’t attempt it unless it was an emergency or warm weather (and in flatwater), because it’s waaaay too much work/exhausting to have to do more than once.



And, while it may not be as comfortable, it’s best to have your PFD snugged up as much as you can stand it before you go in the water. It makes all the difference when you’re all wet and bobbing about. :slight_smile:



Tomorrow, unless the weather totally sucks, I’m going to see about moving the seat in the Tempest back a little bit. I think that’ll do the trick. The Custom Designs boat I was in today actually had a fore/aft seat adjustment!! So yeah, time to do that, get used to the Tempest, and sell off the other one, and use the money to buy a dry suit. This wet suit crap isn’t gonna cut it for winter paddling. :slight_smile:



Rob


Hood, gloves and a big jacket or cag too
Extremities tend to be a problem, and when you do need to stop in cold weather you’ll want to add a layer.



I would suggest that you take a little more time messing with the cowboy if you have it. The Tempest is a friendly boat for that, and once you are in cold water you run into the issue of hands that start to get uncooperative. The cowboy, once mastered, is less dependent on having all the fingers working well than messing with a paddle float.



Sounds like you had a good time.

cowboy


That’s a good point. I’ll have to try it with the Tempest when I can. I’m not going to willingly dump in the cold water (at least not until I have a dry suit), so it’ll have to wait til warmer weather, or if I somehow manage to get it into a pool.



Now, that being said, if I do happen to go over on my own, I now will probably try the cowboy at least once just to get the heck out of the cold water quickly. :slight_smile:



The boats we used there in the pool seemed very tippy. VERY easy to capsize, and very easy to tip 'em over when climbing back in. I don’t recall my two boats have much better initial stability.



BTW, I wrote a blog post about both of my classes… they’re up here: http://robgadv.wordpress.com with more detail than I posted here. Even some photos.



Rob

Bow rescue
What you term an “assisted roll” in your blog is more widely known as a bow rescue or “Eskimo rescue”.

heel hook

– Last Updated: Oct-15-12 2:30 PM EST –

nice blog report. Like many, you found the heel hook difficult but with just a bit of practice it actually takes less physical effort. I learned to use the outside and not inside leg in the cockpit first. I think it's easier that way. The key is to elongate your body by reaching for your rescuer's boat near the stern of your boat. This avoid the butt hanging far out requiring more effort for you and torquing the boat more for the rescuer -- you want your body more flush with your boat as you roll in. The heel hook rescue is especially good for anyone that is either weak upper body or large upper body.

Tippiness

– Last Updated: Oct-15-12 4:01 PM EST –

EVERYONE recapsizes a lot when they are first learning self-rescues, in just about all of the rescues. Balance has to be learned.

Re the Cowboy, getting over the back of the boat gets fairly simple in a kayak like the Tempest once you get your balance down enough that you can start well to the back of the boat. The further back you are, the easier it is to get over the boat because you can actually push it under you.

The downside of this is that, the further back you go to make it easy to get securely over the boat, the further you have to go without capsizing to make it into the cockpit. Hence the reason I have said that lower decked boats are better in this regard - lower center of gravity, closer to the water, you have a little more head room before you are swimming again.

There is a basic trick that you really should experiment with when the water temps and your clothing agree. That is to take the boat into fairly shallow water, so that you aren't killing yourself dumping out the water after every capsize, and literally climb around on the top of the boat. Stern to bow, sit up on the deck, turn around while sitting up, learn to use your paddle to help as a slight outrigger without a paddle float on it... once you can manage this all of the self-rescues get much easier.

I haven't looked at your blog yet, but you should also start to use the correct terms for things. Otherwise you will get a lot of terribly misdirected advice.

cowboys
I’ve found you need to experiment and find the one spot that is best for you in your boat to climb up. As said further back is less effort but more balance so you need to find the happy medium for you. The higher the deck the further back you may need to go, but further back is both more tippy and requires a longer journey to the cock pit. Personally I like to come up as far back as possible and yet still just being able to reach the cockpit with my hand. This way once on the deck my hand on the cockpit helps me start working forward. The other key is to get the hang of getting your belly button over the deck in one move then turn and keep moving to the cockpit – this require practice to make that first push is just big enough without throwing yourself over the far side (a bit more rare). Experiment and learn where on the boat and how big a lunge to first make. For many I would also suggest using the paddle float but try to put less and less pressure on the paddle. Eventually many paddlers don’t even bother bringing the paddle float.

The Absolute Best
self rescue is a roll. The second best is a re-enter and roll. The best way to avoid needing a rescue is a strong, reliable brace. Learn those things early on. After awhile they aren’t just skills but a lot of fun.

bracing
I’ve been practicing braces already. I rather like them. Especially yesterday in the pool… while waiting around watching the other two guys rescue each other, I would practice tipping and bracing.



BTW, I moved the Tempest seat back tonight. I ended up moving it back one bolt hole, so that I’m only using one bolt per side. I decided this was better than drilling another hole. I still have to put some sealant over the one remaining hole, though.



That adjustment moved the seat back about 1-3/4.". That’s as far back as it’s going anyway. I couldn’t get the seat OUT of the kayak without risking never being able to get it back in. But at least I had the chance to move it way forward and clean under it with some cleaner and paper towels before bolting everything back together.



So with that done, I climbed back in, repositioned and secured the thigh braces, reset the foot braces, and it feels a heck of a lot better now. Now I’m eager to take it out and see how it feels. I’m supposed to go tomorrow after work, but we’ll see how the weather goes. If it’s pouring rain, it may dampen my enthusiasm.



I want to edit my blog post to use the correct terms… so, the Eskimo Rescue is the one where you pull yourself up onto the deck (assisted), as opposed to the heel hook? And is that one called the Heel Hook? What’s the one in between (the one I called the Vee Method)? Thanks!



Rob

bow rescue
The bow rescue, aka. “Eskimo rescue” is an assisted rescue in which the rescuer makes the bow of his or her boat available to the person who has capsized.



When attempting the bow rescue as the rescuee it is important to grab the bow of the rescuer’s boat with both hands, then bring your head up so that your hands are in front of your face.



It is a not uncommon beginner’s mistake to bring the head up in front of the hands, which doesn’t work well and potentially puts the shoulders in a vulnerable position. Once you have your hands on the rescuer’s boat, put your head on your hands and keep it there as you roll your boat back up with your lower body.

Rescue Names

– Last Updated: Oct-16-12 10:12 AM EST –

Rescues are either self rescues or assisted rescues to start with. The there are types of each.

Eskimo rescue - this part edited out because I may be out of date.

Note that coming in at an actual perpendicular angle on the Eskimo bow presentation is a pretty good way to blow the rescue by bumping the boat of the person you plan to save away from you unless you have very tight boat control. Most coaches I've dealt with the last few years favor more of an angle, even sliding your boat along the upturned hull to plop your bow into the rescuee's hands.

Your blog also shows a paddle shaft presentation of this rescue - the woman is doing it - but that requires a fairly good degree of boat control and a willingness to come in pretty hard and fast. It is not likely you'll be getting to that one a lot quite yet.

I've seen what you called the Vee Rescue called a couple of things, usually involving shoulder in the name or between boat at times, but be aware that one is less well liked by many because it is a dandy way to blow out a shoulder.

The Heel Hook has the heel going into the boat first, the one on the side furthest from the boat, and there is both an assisted and a paddle-float self rescue version of same.

The Cowboy and the Ladder are pretty much the same self-rescue, and there is a ladder version of an assisted rescue.

Yeah Man!
Congratulations on the seat move. It makes a big difference for a lot of folks.



You might consider looking at Eric Jackson’s DVD. He teaches how to plop your head and shoulders into the water then brace up.

T rescue
T rescue is a term that is also applied to a boat-over-boat rescue in which the capsized craft is drawn over the rescue craft near amidships upside down to empty it of water.

Seat
I finally got out today with the Tempest. The seat changes were a definite improvement, but it’s far from done.



The fore-aft positioning is great. I also removed the hip pads because it was too tight with them in. I could see maybe making my own about half as thick sometime later.



The thigh braces need a bit more adjustment. I left my screwdriver at home so couldn’t do anything on the water. But the biggest problem is the seat bottom and seat back. I think I need to just replace that seat with one of the molded ones from a composite boat. The one in that SEDA that I paddled in the Kayaking Essentials class was awesome, even without padding.



The current seat bottom angle is all wrong. Even with the front lifted up, it isn’t supportive enough, and that’s what is setting off my sciatic nerves. The Perception’s seat is much better in that regard. The bottom isn’t adjustable, but it’s already at a good angle. Unfortunately it’s too wide to fit in the Tempest or I’d swap it in.



And then there’s the issue of the seatback, which I still say is too flimsy.



So… I need to find a place to order a seat. Then I think the Tempest will be golden. I went ahead and put the Perception up on Craigslist too… maybe I can get it gone and use that money on a dry suit.



Rob

Improving support under thighs
You can glue in shaped minicell in front of the seat to extend the support from the seat bottom. Others here have done it.



That said, when is the rolling class? That will tell you more about how that seat needs to be set, may be a better idea to wait if it isn’t too far off.



Obviously waiting is not something you love to do, but before you spend money on messing with the seat…

ok…

– Last Updated: Oct-17-12 11:08 PM EST –

Getting a good non-OEM seat in a kayak is a non-trivial exercise. Having built a handful of kayaks, I tend to prefer carved foam. Doing it yourself can be satisfying, but may also be frustrating and expensive (like, if you mess up your slab of 4-inch thick minicel, which is expensive to begin with). Another possibility is to either get a full custom foam seat from Redfish kayaks, or get a bottom piece with butt-print pre-carved in it, from Redfish, then, you'd shape the block to the hull outlines, yourself. Probably use Velcro to hold it in place. Oh, the WS seat pan does provide a bit of structure, but, I doubt if it's enough to be critical.

http://www.redfishkayak.com/seats.htm
http://www.redfishkayak.com/foam.htm