Does anyone use their tow line system to do double duty as a safety line tether to their boat ? Please share your ideas and techniques as to using the tow line for other purposes. Thanks, Mike
I’ll read more carefully
Didn’t read your post as carefully as a second cup of coffee would have allowed. Sorry about that in the initial reply.
As to your connecting the tow line to your boat as a safety tether, would depend.
If you are doing an expedition far from civilization (ie: Chris Duff style solo circumnavigations of Ireland or NZ) then yes it makes sense and might be useful if for nothing else the security measure of it.
There is a part of my whitewater instructor hat that is crying “Warning! Warning!” as it is never a good idea in whitewater (surf in this case) to have a piece of equipment tethered which may result in entanglement of you if you are having an out of boat experience on a surf landing. In the soup, you, the boat, your paddle can all be tumbled head over heals and your tether/tow line could connect all the pieces into one potentially dangerous web.
That being said I know of lots of paddlers that swear by a paddle leash and other corded means of keeping connection with their possesions so I think that while the idea has merit it does have some potential risks and only you are going to be able to determine whether you absolutely need to be attached to your boat in that fashion based upon the conditions, your experience and ability.
Be safe and happy paddling,
Marshall
www.the-river-connection.com
entanglement
Yes…makes sense.
Thanks so much, Mike