SOT rescue scenarios?

Advice
#1

While paddling here at home, I met up with a neighbor who was paddling her SOT. While air temp was about 74F that afternoon, water temp is around 36F. She had on a short sleeve shirt and paddling pants. No PFD, so I asked her where it was. She was sitting on it, but did admit she needed to get a PFD specific for paddling. We chatted a while and after she headed back to her car, I started thinking about what I would do if she had capsized. That’s when I realized I have no clue how a rescue is done when a SOT is the other boat.

I’ve done T-rescues in class, both as the wet one and the rescuer - but both boats were SINKs. What’s the protocol if you have a SOT paddler in cold water who can’t remount her boat or needs help stabilizing it? How would you stabilize the SOT while attempting to help the now, probably shivering, wet one?

Thanks…

#2

Just flip the boat over, it will drain through the scupper holes, raft up side by side and she climbs in. Likely she does not know how. Tell her to swim perpendicular to the side of the SOT, kick hard push down on the near gunwale and grab the far gunwale and pull herself in, roll over on her back and drop butt in seat. More likely you will just need her to hang onto your stern and tow her in to shore . It’s likely she has never tried self rescue. It’s incredibly easy if you know how and have upper body strength. I’ve participated in about a dozen rescues of folks in SOTs paddling in Lajolla, none of the women I encountered doing this had good enough upper body strength. I also encountered a guy from china who insisted on hanging onto the bow of his kayak, with his arms wrapped around the bow in a bear hug and with his legs wrapped around the bottom of the hull and would not let go. I pushed him into shore, and told him to stand up. He would not let go and stand up until I jumped in and showed him the water was shallow.

The middle part of this video shows the easy way. … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10H-X5tWPRY

#3

There was a quite healthy guy in his 40’s who could not get back onto his SOT at a place Jim and I rented. He ended up getting towed in holding onto a rope on the SOT about a quarter of a mile. Happily he was wearing a PFD. Towing may need to happen.(Note, we only realized what had happened when we saw the guy being towed into the Cove, being towed in by his wife in a Swifty.)

#4

The recovery for a SOT is a variation of the scramble. It is easier than recovering on a sea kayak, but not necessarily easy. The article on scrambles in issue #7 of California Kayaker Magazine covers it. http://calkayakermag.com/magazine.html

To assist, the primary thing you can do is raft up and support the kayak, as SeaDart said. The next added step would be that as they try to lunge up, you grab on to them and help pull them up (from far side of their kayak, so reaching across the kayak).

#5

“The next added step would be that as they try to lunge up, you grab on to them and help pull them up (from far side of their kayak, so reaching across the kayak).” Yes this is good to do if they seem to be competent and in control. Be careful about someone grabbing onto you and going back off their kayak, pulling you over. I’ve had this happen several times helping beginners in the surf in SOTs. if you ever have taken lifeguard lessons / martial arts you can block their hands and push back up from their boat using your own hip snap.

#6

Good video and article. Thanks. Looked at various SOTs on line and it appears they all have some sort of handle, so that would be a plus for the person trying to get back in. Not keen on grabbing or being grabbed when the water temp is in 30-40F range and I’m not in it. If it came to that, think I’d unhook my contact tow and offer the line. No idea how well it would work, but it’s less slippery than wet hands.

Towing is always an option but in cold water, I’ve read that getting the person out of the water as much as possible is crucial. How hard is it to get someone on your stern deck, then paddle with that extra weight on the back? I’ve practiced bulldozing a willing participant in my 14-foot boat (hard work), but never have tried carrying a person behind me. I’ve read about incidents where a paddler was carried that way over two or three rafted kayaks, but unsure about a solo effort. Seems like you’d have to be a heck of a strong paddler with solid braces.

#7

It can be anywhere from very easy to almost impossible to carry someone on your back deck. Getting them up there is fairly easy if you brace, l have never lost anyone getting them up there.

But you have a small person’s boat, the destabilizing effect of a big guy back there can be tricky. I never hesitated to have anyone on the back deck of my Explrer LV for ex, never felt close to a capsize even in a little wave stuff. But putting the same person on the back of my little Vela is a completely different matter. I’ve had a 6 ft 4 inch guy back there, but there was no way we were going to get anywhere. The majority of the front of my kayak was out of the water.

I did do the rafting thing in one real rescue, l rafted up in my Vela with a guy who had an Explorer. Worked well to get the paddler out of the water, some notable wave action so very helpful. But the only way forward progress happened was when our raft got towed.

I consider this stuff to be more important than a perfected forward stroke for safety, because it makes you better in the water as well as potentially helping others. Can you hook up with a decent rescue class this season? If you are getting restricted by the relationship between a the bcu 2 star award and taking their safety class, find some ad hoc paddling bunch that messes around with this. And work with some folks that are bigger than you, find out the situations where you may have to rethink the usual approach due to size discrepancies.

PS, it is likely your boat will get new scratches being used aggressively in rescues. But when there is a safety problem, it is no longer a thing of beauty. Your boat is a tool to help keep someone else safe.

#8

I’ve done a bowrider in both canoe and kayak. This works reasonably well and is stable for short distances to get the person to shore. Of course in the middle of a five mile crossing its hardly practical. But wrapping hands over the bow and putting both rescuees feet on the deck ( one leg per side ) is quite reassuring for both you and the rescuee as you both have eye contact.

Now does the heel hook work in an SOT for those lacking upper body oomph?. You need something to hook your foot around and roll in.

#9

@Celia said:
It can be anywhere from very easy to almost impossible to carry someone on your back deck. Getting them up there is fairly easy if you brace, l have never lost anyone getting them up there.

But you have a small person’s boat, the destabilizing effect of a big guy back there can be tricky. I never hesitated to have anyone on the back deck of my Explrer LV for ex, never felt close to a capsize even in a little wave stuff. But putting the same person on the back of my little Vela is a completely different matter. I’ve had a 6 ft 4 inch guy back there, but there was no way we were going to get anywhere. The majority of the front of my kayak was out of the water.

I did do the rafting thing in one real rescue, l rafted up in my Vela with a guy who had an Explorer. Worked well to get the paddler out of the water, some notable wave action so very helpful. But the only way forward progress happened was when our raft got towed.

I am not trying to be mean here. But this is among a number of things that l am confused about your not having been run thru in a class by now. I consider this stuff to be more important than a perfected forward stroke for safety, because it makes you better in the water as well as potentially helping others. Can you hook up with a decent rescue class this season? If you are getting restricted by the relationship between a the bcu 2 star award and taking their safety class, find some ad hoc paddling bunch that messes around with this. And work with some folks that are bigger than you, find out the situations where you may have to rethink the usual approach due to size discrepancies.

PS, it is likely your boat will get new scratches being used aggressively in rescues. But when there is a safety problem, it is no longer a thing of beauty. Your boat is a tool to help keep someone else safe.

All good points, as I’m paddling a LV boat that’s 21 inches wide.

No, you’re not being mean at all when questioning the classes. BCU/ACA - makes no difference to me so long as I can learn something - but I’ve never seen a class up here advertised as BCU. I’ve taken the ACA L1 and L2 (latter included T-rescue). Learned towing, contact tow, and in-line towing last summer, with more T-rescue work. Looking at the course descriptions, that’s on the L3 list. Back deck rescues (and others) aren’t covered until L5 “Coastal Kayaking Rough Water Maneuvering, Towing & Rescue.”

Probably due to population density, the clubs, meet-ups, etc. are located downstate. None I’m aware of up here and I’ve done a few searches. As a solo paddler, my curiosity about rescue techniques is simply in case I ever come across someone in trouble, I’d like to know as many options to help as possible. That would most likely happen on inland water and involve a rec boat as I rarely see another kayak where I paddle on Lake Michigan.

Do have a class lined up early next month, so maybe I can talk the coach into getting on the back of my boat, just for the experience.

#10

@kayamedic said:
I’ve done a bowrider in both canoe and kayak. This works reasonably well and is stable for short distances to get the person to shore. Of course in the middle of a five mile crossing its hardly practical. But wrapping hands over the bow and putting both rescuees feet on the deck ( one leg per side ) is quite reassuring for both you and the rescuee as you both have eye contact.

Now does the heel hook work in an SOT for those lacking upper body oomph?. You need something to hook your foot around and roll in.

I don’t see how a heel hook could work. I’ve heard of rescue stirrups but have never seen one in practice.

#11

Hi Rookie. Just to clarify an name thing, the class as under the BCU in this country actually are offered by the US affiliate, PNA. Hence alphabet soup could be different.

But to the point of learning a good range of rescue skills, I completely disagree with the idea of holding off on giving paddlers a chance to mess around with all possible rescue techniques as early as they can in their paddling.

IMO l am being a lot more practical than thesee organizations. The most likely time for someone in a group of paddlers to end up swimming is when everyone is newer. Or paddling solo. That is when the bigger mistakes on judgement or conditions are going to happen. Details unimportant but this opinion is based on personal experience, my own and being with others.

To your specific concerns about rec boats, as in boats without flotation both ends and ginormous water capacity, you may find the boat itself unrecoverable without help. Had to wrangle one at a demo day and needed to get a couple of guys over, too heavy, But the kid who had capsized it (on purpose, l looked away just for a moment) had to get back to the dock on the back of my boat. Since his boat was being worked on by the guys.

There is a technique to deal with a rec boat across the bow of a kayak not dissimilar to a canoe. Or you can have float bags in your day hatch and start trying to stuff and end to get it less weighted. For a solo smaller person, l can’t recommend either as reliable in difficult conditions.

#12

Did you tell her she was close to death paddling like that?

#13

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8ya9csKfkk

i’ve done rescues in both canoe and kayak using this method… I am not familiar with SOTs…I don’t see any around here.

#14

@PaddleDog52 said:
Did you tell her she was close to death paddling like that?

You’d think that would be doing someone a favour, eh? In fact, I’ve found the majority resent having their ignorance pointed out.

#15

@kayamedic Thanks for the video. I’ve seen it listed as an item on the ACA skills courses, but never demonstrated. I wonder if any instructors carry one.

@PaddleDog52 Nope, said nothing about the water temperature. Sometimes when people hear about a threat they hadn’t thought of, they tense up. Don’t want to be tense in a kayak. I did ask if she fell out of her boat, could she get her PFD on while holding on to her boat and her paddle. That’s when she told me she needed to get a paddle-specific PFD.

#16

@kayamedic said:
I’ve done a bowrider in both canoe and kayak. This works reasonably well and is stable for short distances to get the person to shore. Of course in the middle of a five mile crossing its hardly practical. But wrapping hands over the bow and putting both rescuees feet on the deck ( one leg per side ) is quite reassuring for both you and the rescuee as you both have eye contact.

Now does the heel hook work in an SOT for those lacking upper body oomph?. You ne

@kayamedic said:
I’ve done a bowrider in both canoe and kayak. This works reasonably well and is stable for short distances to get the person to shore. Of course in the middle of a five mile crossing its hardly practical. But wrapping hands over the bow and putting both rescuees feet on the deck ( one leg per side ) is quite reassuring for both you and the rescuee as you both have eye contact.

Which is the accepted method for rendering aid to a tired swimmer in the Hammer Head triathalon.

#17

@Rookie said:
@kayamedic Thanks for the video. I’ve seen it listed as an item on the ACA skills courses, but never demonstrated. I wonder if any instructors carry one.

This instructor does not. But I know how to make one on the spot using a tow line. Thankfully our water temps are such that an extra 5-10 minutes wouldn’t generally be critical.

For people who take rescue classes and have trouble getting back in using standard T and paddle float rescues, I do suggest they get one for themselves.

#18

@Sparky961 said:

@PaddleDog52 said:
Did you tell her she was close to death paddling like that?

You’d think that would be doing someone a favour, eh? In fact, I’ve found the majority resent having their ignorance pointed out.

Paddle Dog we have all tried that and its never well received.