Less water
Try getting as much out as you can before attempting to reenter (bow lift) and leave the kayak completely inverted as much as you can so it doesn’t refill. If on its side it will flood. Get under and get in with it as upside down as you can to keep the air bubble in the cockpit. Affix skirt (reverse wet exit - completely inverted). Roll up.
Maybe easier said than done as you have to coordinate a few things and hold breath a bit more than slipping in with kayak more on it’s side.
This tip taken from my
– Last Updated: Nov-10-04 2:50 PM EST –
other current post on paddle float rescue might be a help
Leave the paddle under doubled stout bungies or put it across your lap and lean on it with your forearms as you pump out. Skirt up when dry
An electric pump or foot pump would be better. If you are paddling solo in places wher things might go bad, you might want to consider a hands free pump.
If your partner can do a rescue, it is always faster and better, but if not, it's you on the line. "Mind (practice) what you have learned, save you it can."
A BIT more?
Taking the time to fix the skirt under water would require a very long breath hold by most people’s standards. Very few will be able to do it.
I can but unles you can keep it
100% inverted it does not help much.
I cannot keep the boat fron getting some of the coaming above water and taking on more water unless I remove my pfd. I do not go for that.
Let me guess
– Last Updated: Nov-10-04 5:19 PM EST –
Nylon skirt deck? Time to upgrade?
Whatever it is, a skirt that cannot be affixed quickly and reliably (blindfolded) seems like trouble to me.
My neo deck skirt goes on in 3-4 seconds (normally - not trying to do it fast).
Yes putting skirt on underwater would take a little more breath holding as I said. Also maybe fighting PFD to submerge as Peter pointed out - but better to look at that as lifting kayak over you - and letting it do the submerging than trying to swim down under the kayak.
Also easier to do that with two free hands - so it really helps if you're set up to be able to stow/retrieve a paddle quickly and easily (and securely) on the foredeck (: GP works very well for this :)
Pick gear and do outfitting that helps you. All gear is not created equal. Lots of options. Don't settle for things that don't work well. Modify to suit or replace. Sure it may never really matter - but if it does, seconds matter.
You can also break the R&R into shorter parts if you find yourself too short on air to do it all in one shot: De-water and stow paddle. Take breath. Get in affix skirt and retrieve paddle. Scull up for another quick breath. Set up and roll. Or add P-float to the equation and use it to pop up for as many breaths as you need (inflate and affix to paddle before stowing in front bungees/deck lines).
You can also get that last breath before re-entering from inside the cockpit to be more in position and avoid wind/waves/spray. That puts PFD under the kayak too, where you won't have to fight it so much. Grab coaming get feet in and twist around however it works best for you - 3/4 back flip - a more sideways twist into position - whatever.
Now you've got me wanting to go play again!
Depends on the volume of Your Kayak
to you and the bouyancy of your PFD. I can secure my skirt underwater pretty consistently. The problem is the boat is so low volume and I am relatively bouyant that as I get myself in, the boat rolls side to side and ships on a lot of water. I would still have to pump out. Nevertheless, if I were to bail in rough seas, I may go that option rather than coming up with an opened cockpit. The only additional thing to work on is to stick the pump through the waistband of the skirt first, then reattach underwater and then roll up. This way, one would be ready to pump with one hand while the other is holding the paddle as possible brace/outrigger.
sing
Pump through skirt tube
Should be easier to do that with my new stretchy neo band skirt and Astral center zip PFD too (that stays secured even unzipped). Thanks for mentioning it.
Defintely depends on volume - and kayak weight. My boat probably weighs twice what your SOF or new surf boat weigh.
That’s The Thing…
The pump situation has to be worked out – not only with the PFD (I like my Astral too!) but also with drytops/drysuits with double tunnels… Mostly likely, would have to lift the tunnel up and/or pull the skirt waist way down to accommodate the pump.
sing
paddle float limited
In my experience the paddle float rescue is limited to milder conditions. It can be very awkward, exhausting and time consumeing when performed or attempted in rough conditions. If you go solo paddleing in rough conditions I would reccomend that you have a solid roll, re-entry and roll and a footpump. The best teacher is practiceing rescues in the conditions you want to paddle in. It is amazeing how quickly you can become fatigued while being in the water in rough conditions.
Difficult, but do-able
I took a guiding class from the University of Sea Kayaking earlier this year, and after we had spent almost the entire day in the water and we were cold, wet, and tired, we went to do some solo re-entry practice.
We went to the outside of a breakwater where there were 4 foot breaking waves plus the reflected waves coming back and about a 15 knot wind blowing us towards the breakwater. We paired up so each paddler had a safety boat near them to pull them out of trouble if necessary.
We were then told to capsize, wet exit, and do any kind of self rescue we wanted.
My re-enter and roll failed in those conditions and I reverted to a paddle float re-entry. It was difficult, but do-able.