On Capsizing revisited

Note: Long Safety Rant Mode Engaged

IslandHoppa's huli dancing and some recent experiences prompted me to drag out and update this old chestnut from the last decade.
 
If we are ever going to be anything other than a fringe lunatic group, capsizing and self-recovery must become a non-issue. One of the scariest things about our sport is that our boats are not very stable compared to pretty much any powerboat (stinkpot). On the other hand, one of the greatest advantages of SOT yakfishing is the ability to capsize and completely recover.
Capsizing in pretty much any conventional fishing boat is, at best, the end of the day, and at worst, a tragedy that kills you and possibly others in your rescue. But it can't be that way in ours. This has been one of the main arguments I have had to contend with in discussing yakfishing in conventional fishing circles.

“What if your boat turns over?”

My standard response is “I roll it back over, climb back on and check my bait”

That might sound a bit smug (because it is) so smile when you say it . But it’s also a fact. I don’t get in my boat without expecting to swim. That means dressing for complete immersion and being able to re-board in deep water without losing your hat.  You must expect to be dumped and then you can be pleasantly surprised when you don’t. In other words you need to more than prepare for that contingency, you have to expect it.

I think we really need to think about our sport more like white-water kayaking or rafting than conventional boat fishing.  In white water kayaking, capsizing is expected and one of the first skills you develop is a roll (actually, that’d be sometime after you learned how to do a wet exit).  But that’s about where the analogy ends.  I’m not suggesting that we all have the ability to crash through rock gardens and develop a bombproof roll for your SOT, just that you are able to get back on when (not ”if”) you fall off. 

Climbing back on requires a bit more effort than falling off, but it’s nowhere near as challenging as learning to roll and as an added bonus, you’ll rarely ever have to pump out the boat (unless your me)

 I’m not saying that there’ll never be an emergency, but just falling over under “normal” circumstances cannot be one of them.  I’m also not saying to refuse assistance. But even though we preach “take a buddy”, this really is a individual sport and it’s critical that you are able to self-rescue in most situations.

Please don’t take this as any kind of personal flame. In fact, BIG kudos’ to IH for posting about what has happened to a lot of folks (me), but they were too embarrassed to talk about it.

Lately, we've all read about (or experienced) rescues and the recent tragedies from the increased participation. The number of kayak fishing tournaments has skyrocketed over the last couple of years. Heck, when I originally posted this there was no NWKA AOTY and not many other tournaments on the West coast. 
 It just really bothers me when I hear folks who are overly concerned about stability, wakes and getting rolled, or worst requiring rescue (not assistance). That screams to me “under-prepared” and really makes me very uncomfortable. This is the point where just a modicum of preparation is worth essentially, your life.

Deep-water re-entry is a skill, but DOES NOT require months of practice to perform adequately. It is waaay too easy to learn to re-board your boat(s) with just a little practice!  It really can be self-taught, but it most certainly is not something you want to learn to perform when you have to do it.

One interesting side effect that I’ve found when I do dump is that I feel WAAAAAY more stable than before I went in. It probably has something to do with trying too hard to “not” dump.  So maybe we should all jump into the water before we go out? Ok, maybe not

Another issue that’s creeping in is complacency. As we mature with the sport we can get a bit too comfortable and forget some basics (and I’m not just talking about getting old). As many of us find out too soon, kayaks breed in the backyard. We quickly end up with multiple boats to accommodate different conditions.  Different boats for different floats (sorry, no more cliche's)  Or you went cheap on your first purchase and upgraded. Whatever the reason, we end up on different style and shaped boats. Although you may have mastered self-recovery in your first boat, that does not guarantee mastery in your other boats. You need to practice getting back on the boat your on.

  I recently kicked my level of participation up a notch and did some ACA training.* While practicing rescues, I noticed that I had a lot more trouble getting back on my Hobie Adventure than I'd expected.  Now, I’ve had some incarnation of the Adventure since 2006, it’s my primary boat, and I've preached ''self rescue, self rescue, self rescue...". But until that practice session, I realized that I have never rolled that boat (on purpose or otherwise) nor practiced deep water re-entry in it. Of course, I've hulied in the surf, but I'd hopped back on, pushing off the bottom. I had never done it from deep water or a soft bottom till then.    That was a major eye-opener for me.  “Different boats float different”

Something else that I learned during the course was the use of tools for re-boarding. Paddle floats and stirrups work GREAT and are worth having. I’ve also heard that swim fins REALLY help. The only caveat with those is that they are extra’s that you might not have.

The one thing that you will always have in that situation is you and the boat that you are trying to re-board. We really need to practice re-boarding unassisted. Again, there is nothing wrong with having and using tools or being assisted by a buddy, but you should make a concerted effort to learn to re-board without them.

The other issue is how we dress. This sport grew up in Southern California where the ocean and lakes are a lot more,,, pacific. The difference between the air and water temp is smaller, and generally currents and tides run smaller as well. But that runs out at about Monterey and by the time you cross the 45th parallel all bets are off. Everything is super-sized up here; currents, tides, surf, and FISH [well, at least the Halibut] and all require a bit more preparation and equipment.  I don’t want to scare anybody off, but fishing up here is at least Kayak Fishing 102 vs. 101 (the entry level course).  That does not mean that everybody can’t play. Just know that it is less forgiving than southern waters and requires a few things that you might be able to get away with in warmer climes.
  You have to dress for the water and not the air. In the Great Pacific Northwest that can be especially challenging in the summer when the air is warm and the water isn’t.

Whatever you wear, a PFD is an absolute must.

All of this is to say we need to train ourselves not just to recover from a capsize, but to be prepared such that you are comfortable enough to keep fishing (which is why we are there in the first place).

Ok, Rant Mode Disengaged.

Zee’s short video is probably the best self-rescue example  I have seen and is an EXCELLENT model.



One thing he does not mention (but he does demonstrate)  is to stay as horizontal as possible to keep your weight low and reduce tipping.






* Why yes, I am a certified ACA paddle instructor 

Excellent read.  I would love to know more about the stirrups.  A little Google searching has shown me stuff for the SIK guys, but not much for the SOT.  I would expect that basically attaching to the rail of the PA somewhere and pulling it under, attaching to the other rail, and stepping up would be the plan, but would love to hear from others in the group that use or have used a stirrup on their SOT's and what the steps are for deployment, etc...

Excellent read.  I would love to know more about the stirrups.  A little Google searching has shown me stuff for the SIK guys, but not much for the SOT.  I would expect that basically attaching to the rail of the PA somewhere and pulling it under, attaching to the other rail, and stepping up would be the plan, but would love to hear from others in the group that use or have used a stirrup on their SOT's and what the steps are for deployment, etc...

This is an Etrier, they are used for aided rock climbing.  You can pick one up for under $40, or fashion something similar for under$10.  If you decide to fashion your own, take your boat, get in the water (deep enough that your feet don't touch) in all your normal gear, then figure out what length you need the step to be, and go.  For a Pro Angler, you could probably secure it to the mounting bars, and store the excess line under the seat, out of the way, so it doesn't get tangled in crap.  Secure it with a rubberband or something that will pop/break off easily when needed.

The only thing I would add is when practicing the kayak flip you may be able to do the lift and flip like Zee or you may need to do the climb over and pull method. The Addy is a narrow yak and easier to flip over a wider kayak with a bunch of fishing gear will not be as easy. Climbing over and pulling allows you to use your body weight to roll the boat over.

Here'e a good stirrup vid. It clips onto the far end of the paddle shaft, hangs under the boat, then clips to the near end of the paddle shaft.

Alksazi posted this in Zee's self rescue thread, but it's easy to miss 'cause it's on the last page.



As Demonic mentioned, it can a bit time consuming though.

great thread. Northwater makes a re-entry stirrup, along with some other very nice gear:
http://northwater.com/html/products/sea_kayak/SKsubdirectory/SeaTec-Rescue-Stirrup.html

a few years back we did a re-entry clinic. fun way to spend a couple hours as the weather starts getting warmer. can learn a lot by watching others, and having them watch you.

I am going to talk to the Next Adventure Kayak School " Crabby Dave"   to see if he is interested in doing a kayak fishing rescues and recovery clinic this summer. 

You can also go to your local pool for one of their "kayak Roll sessions" to practice in nice warm water!!! We do them in Hood River, three time a week and I'm sure there are some pools in the PDX area that are doing them. You can call them for details im sure.
Derek
 

will they let you in with long boats now? We used to have issues with that, and could only go on Saturdays.

I just called the Hood river pool and they will allow longer boats (11-14ft) for their roll sessions.

Tue/Thr 5:30-6:30 and Saturday 10am-1pm

Im sure there is pool in PDX that will do the same.

mmmmmmm warm water!!! 

Derek

fishes-
Yours was an excellent rant - I couldn't agree with you more. I have played on, in and under the waters in Puget Sound for over 40 years, and I have never lost my respect for its killer abilities. A PFD is an absolute necessity, at all times. I think most kayakers are pretty conscientious about using them, but we have had a couple of SINK fatalities in the last couple of years, in which they were not in use. Hard to believe.

I have been paddling less than 2 years, but one of the first things I did when I got my Prowler was to learn to self rescue. I watched a video put out by Ocean Kayak, tried it, and found it to be as easy as the video showed it to be. One of the things the Ocean Kayak video demonstrated, that I didn't see in Zee's video, was to let your legs float to the surface, before you make the push/lung to get back in the boat. I tried it once without using that technique, and ended up rolling the boat over on top of me, instead of me in the boat. After that, I never forgot that little step.

Since most of the time I paddle by myself, I make a habit of practicing self rescues often. Although I haven't unintentionally capsized yet, I would like to think that if I do, I will be prepared.

If anyone is interested in the video, here is the link:

The stirrup video is misleading, the guy is standing, not treading water, it took him 2 minutes to blow up the float, in 44 degree water you would not be blowing anything up!  I rescued a guy in 43 degree water at PNP January 2010, in 2 minutes he was pretty well incapacitated, able only to hang onto his boat.  HIs hands were useless for complex work. Your point about rescue practice are right on; of course PFD is a must, in my opinion so is a dry suit.   Just as the vast majority of people who back up their computers regularly are those who lost data due to a crash without a good backup , I'd bet that the majority of those who have taken an inadvertent swim in 40 degree water acquired a dry suit--assuming they stay with the sport....

Pool practice is such a good idea if you have any reluctance to set about learning self-rescue techniques.   Wednesday nights (7:30 - 9) are Kayak Night at the Bartlett Pool in Anchorage. I couldn't agree more with FWT: practice, practice, practice in every different boat you use. SIK, SOT, IK -- fully rigged or bare bones.  Build muscle memory. Gain confidence. 

Excellent thread.

Ive Offered this before ANYONE wanting to pratice in the ECONOMY INN pool in Reedsport is wecome to stop in ,I am the Manger here,and wecome all kayakers its not the bigest pool but its deep and big enough tp pratice and its is heated , still cool this time of year but not as bad as the ocean.

If any of you read my DAMHIK post about taking a dip in the willy, I was lucky enough to have been given a brief description of how to self-rescue. I had never actually practiced (shame on me), and if I hadn't been given those words of advise I would have been at a complete loss as to getting back on my kayak. I think that the first thing to learn after learning how to launch is how to self-rescue.