Wet World #17 - April 2006 Paddling Safety

decided to wait before I tried again and to swim the kayak further inshore into the lee of the headland. If that didn't work, I would try for Iron Ladder Beach, about a kilometre from where I was in the water. The last option was the radio but I did not want to use that unless I had to.

As I bobbed up on a swell, I saw the other kayakers heading for me. Apparently, they had decided to abandon the trip because of the sea state. They were returning to shelter and had spotted me in the water. One of them came over and, after assuring himself that I was not about to drown both of us, gave me an assisted rescue. He hung onto me while I pumped most of the water out of the kayak, fitted the skirt, and then we paddled with the group to Lobster Beach for morning tea.

Afterwards, they headed for Pittwater for some fun and I returned to Ettalong.

Moral? Don't be a bloody idiot and go offshore on your own without the essential skills. You might not come back.

Wayne's Comments:

The important message from my point of view here is that offshore conditions, especially near headlands can and do change dramatically within a very short period time and distance.

In this incident, John had several things in his favour:

The other paddlers returned on his path;
The water at the time was warm (22 Degrees C);
The winds and tide at the time were very much in his favour;
Johns previous experience, though limited in this specific context, allowed him to stay calm and able to review his options;
John carried a range of safety gear with him in his kayak which enhanced, though would not have guaranteed, his option of rescue

In this incident, John had several things that were not his favour:

The planned rendezvous of Box Head with the group of paddlers did not eventuate, leaving John in the position of having to paddle hard to catch up with the group which without doubt took some of his concentration of the conditions. Had this rendezvous occurred, the whole scenario would not likely occurred. John was left in the unenviable position of being in the water on his own.
Most people forget that headlands are focal points of energy and conditions will always be different in and around the headland. While conditions may be flat up to the headland, you can bet they won't be at the headland. The skills that you have learned in flat water paddling that were once adequate will be strongly tested and extended and may not be up to scratch in the rough water around the headland;
As John notes, he can't roll and should not have been in that area without another paddler who could have effectively assisted him to re-enter in those conditions. Also remember, rolling only gets you back up. It does not get you out of the situation that caused you to tip in the first place. Practice on the edges of these choppy areas you expect to paddle in the future with other paddlers that are confident and capable with assisted reentry techniques. This is very important;
John believed (though he sure has changed his view) that the same skill at reentry that he had in his previous kayak would transfer automatically to the new kayak. He quickly found out that was not the case;
Swimming a kayak, either upside down or part full of water right way up is a physically demanding task - it would have been a very long arduous swim and he would have been better using his other safety back ups if required;
VHF radios are excellent if you have to call in help but it is always important to realise the distance limitations of VHF radios at water level (which is where you will be using them if you are out of your boat). The range is very limited and in close to rocks may be significantly reduced if not fully blocked from effectively sending a message for assistance.

In Summary -

Everyone makes mistakes, everyone has communications hiccups ..... after they have made them, the wise ones learn and move on with that new knowledge. Those experiences make us "experienced" paddlers who make sure that we keep as many options for well being up our sleeves as possible and keep the negative alternatives to a minimum.

Do not rely on luck to save you as it may just one day be your unlucky day.

John has learned from the experience. His analysis of the situation is a very good first start and so is seeking out training from a reputable paddler/instructor in similar rough water conditions that he and his new boat found themselves in.

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		Wet World - April 2006 Page 03

View of headland leading out to Box Head The following article is from John L'Estrange, a seasoned bushwalker with literally decades of experience in the outdoors and a regular paddler for several years. John's cool head, stamina and patience are note worthy, traits which I am sure helped him in the following recount of a paddling "out of boat experience" he was involved in. We all should thank John for contributing this very frank article of a situation that many readers can easily find ourselves in - if you have not already. Johns willingness to share his experience with others should be admired. Getting Boxed at Box Head I recently decided to sell the kayak that I owned and replace it with another. The previous kayak had great primary stability with poor secondary stability and, as is usual for this style, was not fast and was quite wet in a chop. The new kayak has poor primary and good secondary stability. It is fast and surprisingly dry in a sea. I took the opportunity to get hold of a demonstration craft to do a back-to-back comparison with the old kayak and to familiarise myself with the new unit. This was on enclosed waters. I had a lot of fun. I borrowed the demo unit again, a few days later, to give it and myself a harder workout. I arranged to paddle with a group of kayakers who were launching at Patonga at 8:30 am, headed for Maitland Bay. As I had a commitment at 9:00 am, I put in at Ettalong at about 9:20 am, having told the group that I would meet them off Box Head. The weather forecast was 10 to 15 knot NE winds with a 1 to 2 metre NE swell, possible showers with the wind changing late afternoon to 10/15 knot SE.
I was wearing a skirt, PFD, dry top, thermal top, gloves, hat, and board shorts. I was carrying a VHF radio, tow rope, spares kit, lunch and drink and the paddle was leashed. The demo unit does not have a pump fitted so I was carrying a hand pump. My wet exit and self-rescue skills in the old kayak are good. I cannot roll, having not exercised this skill. When I was about 80 metres SW from Box Head, I tipped over. I had nearly caught up with the rest of the group who were about 20 metres ahead of me. I found out later that they had not seen me coming up behind them. The sea was confused with a short reach 2 metre swell from the NE, a long reach swell crossing from the SE and, of course, the clapotis from the rocks. It was my fault, I didn't brace quickly enough and I shouldn't have been there with my limited experience in a tippy hull. It would have helped, of course, if I had been able to roll! I righted the kayak, getting as much water out of it as I could, and scrambled back in. I was promptly tipped out again. I realised that this might take a bit longer than expected so carefully studied the way I was drifting. My distance to the rocks was remaining constant (joy!) and I was slowly moving inshore (more joy!). I got back in again and was promptly tipped out again. I had a rest and worked out what to do. I
decided to wait before I tried again and to swim the kayak further inshore into the lee of the headland. If that didn't work, I would try for Iron Ladder Beach, about a kilometre from where I was in the water. The last option was the radio but I did not want to use that unless I had to. As I bobbed up on a swell, I saw the other kayakers heading for me. Apparently, they had decided to abandon the trip because of the sea state. They were returning to shelter and had spotted me in the water. One of them came over and, after assuring himself that I was not about to drown both of us, gave me an assisted rescue. He hung onto me while I pumped most of the water out of the kayak, fitted the skirt, and then we paddled with the group to Lobster Beach for morning tea. Afterwards, they headed for Pittwater for some fun and I returned to Ettalong. Moral? Don't be a bloody idiot and go offshore on your own without the essential skills. You might not come back. Wayne's Comments: The important message from my point of view here is that offshore conditions, especially near headlands can and do change dramatically within a very short period time and distance. In this incident, John had several things in his favour: The other paddlers returned on his path; The water at the time was warm (22 Degrees C); The winds and tide at the time were very much in his favour; Johns previous experience, though limited in this specific context, allowed him to stay calm and able to review his options; John carried a range of safety gear with him in his kayak which enhanced, though would not have guaranteed, his option of rescue In this incident, John had several things that were not his favour: The planned rendezvous of Box Head with the group of paddlers did not eventuate, leaving John in the position of having to paddle hard to catch up with the group which without doubt took some of his concentration of the conditions. Had this rendezvous occurred, the whole scenario would not likely occurred. John was left in the unenviable position of being in the water on his own. Most people forget that headlands are focal points of energy and conditions will always be different in and around the headland. While conditions may be flat up to the headland, you can bet they won't be at the headland. The skills that you have learned in flat water paddling that were once adequate will be strongly tested and extended and may not be up to scratch in the rough water around the headland; As John notes, he can't roll and should not have been in that area without another paddler who could have effectively assisted him to re-enter in those conditions. Also remember, rolling only gets you back up. It does not get you out of the situation that caused you to tip in the first place. Practice on the edges of these choppy areas you expect to paddle in the future with other paddlers that are confident and capable with assisted reentry techniques. This is very important; John believed (though he sure has changed his view) that the same skill at reentry that he had in his previous kayak would transfer automatically to the new kayak. He quickly found out that was not the case; Swimming a kayak, either upside down or part full of water right way up is a physically demanding task - it would have been a very long arduous swim and he would have been better using his other safety back ups if required; VHF radios are excellent if you have to call in help but it is always important to realise the distance limitations of VHF radios at water level (which is where you will be using them if you are out of your boat). The range is very limited and in close to rocks may be significantly reduced if not fully blocked from effectively sending a message for assistance. In Summary - Everyone makes mistakes, everyone has communications hiccups ..... after they have made them, the wise ones learn and move on with that new knowledge. Those experiences make us "experienced" paddlers who make sure that we keep as many options for well being up our sleeves as possible and keep the negative alternatives to a minimum. Do not rely on luck to save you as it may just one day be your unlucky day. John has learned from the experience. His analysis of the situation is a very good first start and so is seeking out training from a reputable paddler/instructor in similar rough water conditions that he and his new boat found themselves in. OP INVITES YOU TO SEND IN YOUR STORY PLEASE HELP OTHERS LEARN FROM YOUR HARD EARNED "ADVENTURES"
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