Draw string
My tilly is a Columbia brand, and has an elastic cinch around the band that lets you tighten it to your head. Does the Goretex OR have this? I don’t usually let the neck strap hang down, I keep it tucked under the hat. With the hat tightended, it’s never come off, even in strong wind.
Patience…
…glad I used it and read the whole thread before posting…DITTO the behind the head on the hatstring…and as for you grumps wondering why hats are worn paddling…spend nine hours at a time in your boat and come home lobsterized…sun shade folks, sunshade…
A related hazard–
the drawstring or other doodads that cinch the hat can catch on rear deck items such as pump handles. Kokatat’s hat’s cinch was perfectly located to snag the towing cleat of my first Mariner when doing a layback roll. I ordered my second Mariner with the towing cleat several inches back from their suggested placement. It never happened to me, but the risk seems too real, so I keep nothing on the deck between the seat and that cleat.
Sanjay
"It will satay on."
MMMMMMmmmmmmm. Satay. I love Thai food. I just had it last night.
Why…
I just about always wear a hat when on the water - I don’t need to fry my brain any more than it already has been.
I was wearing my Gore-Tex hat beause it breaths, and is therfore cool in the sun, and it dries quickly.
I wasn’t planning to roll. When I plan to roll I usually take off my hat. In cold water I wear a neoprene or Mystery helmet liner that fits very snug and has chin strap.
Unexpected…
I started this thread because the incident seemed like the sort someone says may happen, but you never experience or see.
I’ve worn this hat most times the last year or two when paddling and this was the first time it tried to strangle me.
I think the forward momentum aided in pulling the hat off and it filling with water.
The up side was that it was my first real unexpected roll on the move and that the string tight around my neck did not prevent me from rolling succesfully.
The coach is not a MIKCo coach, though he did his training there years ago. He did much of his training under Tom Bergh and Steve Maynard. He took his highest assesment under Nigel Dennis and Tom Bergh.
Ball cap
Old school. Stylish. Make statement with logo, if you wish. Won’t strangle you, but stays on if your roll is sweet. Wear backwards if windy.
Skol, brothers and sisters.
Erik
The hoods on drysuits…
and other touring cags can also fill with water, blowing rolls and once in a while performing badly. The first time I observed this was when a buddy tried to roll in a mid sized race. His drysuit with included hood filled up on the downstream side like a drogue, pinning him under water. He could not rise to the surface, nor switch sides. He exited boat, and tried to reenter and roll, but made the mistake of doing it on the same side as before, same result. He exited again and reentered and rolled on upstream side of kayak and rolled successfully. I have seen others in same drysuit with hood perform rolls well in a race, so it is not an automatic thing.
The other time a gent was demonstrating hand rolls with a hooded cag and the weight of water in hood prevented a happy ending. Quick thinking of grabbing a spare paddle kept him in kayak. His next hand roll demo ended similarly.
Careful with them hoods and hats, yall! Know thy equipment.
Augustus dogmatycus
MMIV
Yes, now
I am wearing my MIKCo cap with a tether in back clipping it to the float line of my sun glasses.
Hat with a BRIM, brothers and sisters
or be prepared for skin cancer at the temples at some point , usually over 50.Ballcaps don’t cover that very sensitive area.
Kokotat dry suit
Fortunately, my Kokotat dry suit has a velcro strap to keep the hood stowed when not deployed.
$10 mil spec
boonie for me too. Fast drying and keeps the sun off my head.
Been there; done that…
D.I.
Fort Ord, California
1971-1973
Never lost my hat; still have one of them as a matter of fact.
BOB
Absolutely…
…nothing tastier!
(Nicely done, BTW, nicely done indeed.)
Hat retention
Two clips salvaged from convention badge holders, plus a short piece of cord, and voila–any type of hat can be attached to your collar, pfd, glasses, etc.