Its a kayak pictureLast evening I and some of the guys did some scramble on self rescues. What does a scramble on self rescue imply?
It implies, if you have to do one, you were out by yourself, failed to brace properly and got knocked over and you missed your roll.
It could also suggest, if you had company, that your paddle partner did not know how to do an assisted rescue.
Its good fun and good balance practice but that's as far as I'm willing to go on that. A scramble on is problematic in rough water and that's where the chances are greatest for being knocked over. In that situation, in my opinion, a wet re-entry and roll is the preferred option for self rescue.
I agree that the scramble rescues are challenging in rough water, but Brian pointed out to me in St. P. last year that pointing the boat perpendicular to the waves is helpful, and I found that to make a big difference. There was also in interesting story on this topic in Sea Kayaker Magazine: http://www.seakayakermag.com/2011/June11/Schumann.htm. They suggest this can be a very effective backup to a missed roll, but it takes practice...
ReplyDeleteCertainly if your stuck with a scramble on as your last option its works best to get the boat perpendicular to the waves. I'd even suggest pointing into the waves so you can see and anticipate an incoming wave.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen the article (yet) you refer to but from experience all these articles are shot on calm water.
A re-entry and roll takes seconds with sufficient competency verses the chance of ending up in the water a number of times before success. You can even replace the skirt before rolling to avoid more water in the cockpit and you're ready to paddle to a safer place to empty the water.
Tony :-)