Another Self Rescue Video

This is an ancillary benefit of paddling and using a paddle leash.  The drag created by the paddle in the water gives you a little more time to catch up.

-Mark-

This doesn't work when your paddle is strapped to the side of a Hobie. 

Here is a video of a guy swimming with his paddle. Seems to work pretty well. I would have never thought of it.

The video which Merz posted shows a guy swimming with a paddle while lying on his back in the water.  This position is often preferable in whitewater, because you can position your feet mostly downstream so you can fend off rocks with them while ferrying towards the left or right bank.  But in a lake or the ocean, I think you'll find that you can get a longer paddle stroke while lying stomach-down in the water.

Here is a video of a kayaker swimming on his stomach with a paddle.  He’s using a Greenland style paddle, which has a narrower blade than most kayak paddles.



There are articles which discuss swimming with a paddle at http://www.useakayak.org/recoveries_rescues/paddle_swim.html and http://neptunesrangers.blogspot.com/2013/05/just-swimming-with-paddles-video.html .