Tips for Noob in a Sea Kayak?

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

Thigh supprt
An easy way to deal with that is with a paddle float. Inflate it and place it under your legs in front of the seat. Adjust it for height by inflating or deflating. Another tip is to be sure you are alternating pressure on the foot supports. When paddling on the right, push with your right foot and relax the left and vice versa. Finally you will likely find that with experience you will want little or no back support and a seat that is hard and smooth rather than padded. Both facilitate torso rotation.

Seats, Class, Etc.


Rolling Class is Sunday the 28th, the day after my class with Nigel Foster, which is an extension of the Kayaking Essentials class I already took.



I’m in no rush to replace the seat; I’m still fairly broke. I’ll keep trying to make this one work. I like the suggestion of putting foam under it. That may be a good way to go. For the seatback, I can get a replacement for about $45 that will be much more rigid than the wet noodle in there now. I’d rather take more time and learn more about the boat and see how my needs change with experience than throw money at it.



Speaking of that, I just sold the Perception Essence 17 today. A real nice guy, perfectly sized for it, just took it away. Now I think I’m going to order a dry suit. NRS has a closeout on a real nice one that’s supposed to breath very well. I’m really warm-blooded so I worry about sweating like mad in one if it isn’t super cold out. I wonder if I should start a separate thread about that. :slight_smile:



Rob

seat
I have a tempest and needed to “firm” up the back band and leg lifters. it was flimsy feeling. I put some foam under the leg riser so it it wasnt just “hanging” from the straps on the side. worked great. then, I ran bungie through the slots at the seat sides where the hip pads run through (i removed the pads) and ran the bungie over where the bottm strap connects to the middle of the band. The back band now stays low and is firm. ( could do any adjustment & it will feel firmer this way) of course you could just change it out but this worked and the t band is not a bad back band as far as back bands go, i feel.

Perfect!
PERFECT!! Awesome idea, the bungee on the back band. I have a ton of bungees of various lengths so I’ll try that.



For the seat bottom, my initial plan was to use both of my bilge sponges for the time being, to test height and firmness.



Rob