What to do when the weather turns wet and blustery? Suit up and go get wet! And that’s exactly what we did on Saturday afternoon.
Because of the conditions that we can be exposed to on our paddling adventures, we believe that knowing how to perform self-rescues is a very important skill set. Most kayakers learn these skills in the safe confines of a pool, sheltered bay or lake but when it comes time to need them it probably will be when the crap hits the fan. Like any skill, they must be practiced regularly and in different conditions to prepare for the unexpected.
So what is the best self-rescue? I think that most kayakers will say that the roll is the quickest and most effective way to get yourself out of the water. Although easy to perform, the roll is probably one of the hardest skills to learn and needs to be done over and over to master. That is our first self-rescue option when ending upside down admiring the fish. :-)
If the roll just isn't going to work then it’s time to either scramble back into your kayak (cowboy) or use your paddle float to rescue yourself. The key is simple …. get yourself out of the water as fast as possible and that’s what we practiced today.
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| Yup .... it's raining! |
Because of the conditions that we can be exposed to on our paddling adventures, we believe that knowing how to perform self-rescues is a very important skill set. Most kayakers learn these skills in the safe confines of a pool, sheltered bay or lake but when it comes time to need them it probably will be when the crap hits the fan. Like any skill, they must be practiced regularly and in different conditions to prepare for the unexpected.
So what is the best self-rescue? I think that most kayakers will say that the roll is the quickest and most effective way to get yourself out of the water. Although easy to perform, the roll is probably one of the hardest skills to learn and needs to be done over and over to master. That is our first self-rescue option when ending upside down admiring the fish. :-)
If the roll just isn't going to work then it’s time to either scramble back into your kayak (cowboy) or use your paddle float to rescue yourself. The key is simple …. get yourself out of the water as fast as possible and that’s what we practiced today.
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| Robyn goes to work using her blow up paddle float for the first time during a self rescue. Using new equipment requires practice before you really have to use it! |
Another great day of paddling even if it was spent mostly in the water. :-)
2014 Paddle #9 Self Rescue Training
Distance: 3.89 nm (7.20 km)
YTD: 50.88 nm (95.20 km)
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