I am a newbie to ocean/flatwater or touring but I do have a good bit of whitewater kayaking experience and I find that the touring boats I have demoed are easy to roll but I have never tried to get back in a boat in deep water. I know you should be prepared for all situations but is it very likely that I would get knocked competely out of my boat?
Stuff Happens…
though if you’re an experienced ww paddler, you would be hard pressed to come out of your boats until you begin ratcheting up the conditions you go out in. Chances then is that you would get stripped or sucked out of the boat before even having a chance to roll. That is the dreaded “crap happens” for a good roller.
For someone with a roll, a reenter and roll is far faster and more reliable in conditions than the paddle float rescues that require scrambling back up on deck. A paddle float can be used in the reenter and roll to help act as an outrigger and stablizer in conditions, facilitating pumping and resealing the skirt.
sing
it’s
a real good idea to have a backup-in case you blow your roll(I know it’s bombproof but still can happen)in white water where you are reasonably close to shore if you do crash and burn and have to eject usually you can get to shore. Not always possible when you crash and burn 2-3miles from the nearest dry land. like sing says most of the conditions people sea kayak in they won’t need a backup and maybe not even a roll but when you do start to surf the reefs or want to go out in 30 knot winds with 7 foot seas, its a good idea to have more than one method of rescue–My advice however is to practice your reentry and roll as opposed to a paddle float rescue—if you already have a good roll from your whitewater days you shouldn’t have a hard time doing this especially when you practice it with your paddle float on—to my suprise I was able to do it the first time I tried it–a first for me.
my take
"but is it very likely that I would get knocked competely out of my boat?"
Kind of depends on where you paddle. You can always “find” some place rough enough to knock you out of your boat.
Though as everyone said, if it’s that rough, paddle-float re-entry will be difficult at best.
I think the best use of paddle-float is as sing said, as an aid for re-enter and roll, if you do get knock out of your boat.
paddle float rescue
is a fall-back, but just another tool in the box IMO. It’s also fun to try and practice at.
So is a paddle float reentry and roll, and more valuable in the real world conditions that may displace you in the first place. But I think it’s good to try and master them all. I mean, you can only paddle in a straight line for so long…
Well, learn it, but…
after you do, you may find that the cowboy re-entry is much faster, simpler, and not the feat of only gymnasts.
That’s assuming you failed a roll in the first place.