Kayak contact line to spray skirt video & a nice P&H Volan

It would be easy enough to incorporate a quick release under load type of shackle such as this one:

Quick-Release Shackles | West Marine

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I’ve never seen those before. Very cool. But ouch! Very spendy.

140+ bucks :scream:

Yes, it is costly.

Reminds me of the saying “a boat is a hole in the water you keep throwing money into” or some such, smile. Always something more to buy, always on the expensive side.

I was thinking of this type of rig. This is just the ball and cord, but you get the gist. I’ve never tried to find the individual components but I suspect the buckle this would work with is also under $10.

https://www.westmarine.com/ronstan-363-lb.-stainless-steel-snap-shackle-11819760.html

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Good find, and that would be easy to incorporate into whatever you already use as a tow line. Or with bungee. I’m not sure which I’d prefer honestly.

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They use to be even cheaper. I bought a few a few years ago. Everything is skyrocketing.

Those do NOT release easily under load. A long time ago was looking for a quick release shackle (forget why) and got one of those. I tested it myself and ended up not using it.

I do most of my paddling on Boysen Reservoir which is formed by the damming of the Wind River. The north end pinches off at the Wind River Canyon which forms a natural wind tunnel that dumps on the lake. So I started out paddling in windy conditions with chop ranging from 6" to about 2-1/2 feet from the first month I ever put a kayak in the water. As I was warned about the wind I ended up learning about wet exits and reentry’s literally from the first hour I ever sat in a kayak. Not every day is windy, but most days are to some degree. I use a leash most of the time.

I wear a nylon belt on my waist over my clothing but under my spray skirt, and I have a 30 inch bungee looped onto the back band of all my kayaks now. I have a large carabiner looped through my belt and a smaller one on the end of the leash, so clipping in and off the leash is very fast and easy for me. I was a rock and ice climber for many years so using carabiners is 2nd nature to me.

Because the lake nearly always has some degree of wind blowing over it I found out early on that being tethered to the kayak was a very good idea. One time my wife jumped out to practice her reentry and lost hold of her kayak. She told me she was only about 3 inches out of reach but that was enough to guarantee a swim back to the shore. 3" is as good as 300 feet if the kayak is moving faster then you can. The kayak ended up about 1-1/4 miles away and she had to go get it. Made a believe out of her.

My sister kayaks off the coast of Alaska and her instructor has told me he uses one too, but only in winds and not always in big waves. He told me that on ocean waters many times the high waves are generated many miles away from where the kayak is and so the heaving my be dramatic, but in some cases the kayak is not being driven away by the swells. It just heaves up and down. But in wind the kayak will run away a lot faster then you can swim after it. So having a tie attached to it can be a life saver. He also told me to NEVER tie on if you don’t have an easily accessible sharp knife on your body. The idea of a mechanical quick release in case of a tangle is still too complex for him, so if in real danger, just cut the bungee. In such a case always cut the bungee between your waist and your hand so you are still f holding on to the half that is tied to the boat. Never cut the bungee on the boat side of your other hand.

That makes sense to me.

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Former long time rock climber here, very familiar and comfortable with all manner of 'biners, and I definitely do not advocate using only carabiners to tether to your kayak. Even with a sharp knife readily available (I carry one lashed to my pfd), situations where you are tethered to your boat are situations that you believe you might lose your boat, so it could be chaotic, cold enough to where your hands can’t safely hold a knife, or any number of scenarios that could lead to entrapment and death. A quick release with something easily accessible and easy to pull is essential. JMHO.

Good to know those shackles do not release easily under load, @Nunio.

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That Whetman Equipment Sea Contact Tow shown towards the end of the video (uploaded by PaddleDog52 on Feb 3) has a quick release system that looks like it would easily release under load.

If you don’t want to spend the $$ for that (though it looks like nice kit) you could probably make something with some webbing, a couple hooks and one of those cam/lever buckles. Add a loop or something to the lever to make it easy to find in a hurry.

Put a pull tab made with Paracord it pops easily. I also carry two knives. I put them on my drysuit zippers also.

May depend on make/model/etc as well as the load. I remember attaching a pull loop to it, and it just ended up uncoiling the split-ring instead of moving the pin when under load.

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SS dive split rings are very strong.