Keeping Track of Everything

It is no secret that I suffer from gadgetophilia. What is a little surprising to me is my love of data. I always thought that tracking a paddle on GPS was useful while on the water, and it was fun to see your speed at the end of the trip. I never really thought I'd be interested in that data later.
A few years ago I got a Garmin Forerunner as a cycling computer. It track cadence, speed, heart rate, and your course. It also let's you down load the data to a computer for tracking your workouts. I figured what the heck, it would be cool to see where I've been riding. Now, I have three years of ride data and I constantly compare new rides with past rides to track my progress. It is a little bit of an obsession.
I've also been keeping track of my weight because my doctor told me it was the best way to diet. Seeing the trend line would keep me motivated. It never really worked, but I did it anyway. The graph was sort of neat. When our scale died a few weeks ago, I wanted one that would automatically track my weight. I ended up with the Withings scale. It records weight, BMI, and body composition data and automatically uploads it to the Web. I find this super cool and love looking at the graph.
This obsession with data extends to photos as well. I love the way iPhoto can show where a picture was taken and I love the fact that my iPhone automatically ads that information. It save me from compulsively adding the data manually. If I have to I do while I'm adding face data, because that is super cool too.
Initially I worried that maybe keeping track of all this stuff was unhealthy; it was just another time killing obsession. As I thought about it more I realized that it was just another form of journalling in a sense and that some of the data was actually helpful. In fact, human beings have been obsessed with keeping track of things forever. Technology just makes it easier.
I have always been a journal keeper. Writing things down started out as a crazy teenage dream about having source material for an autobiography for when I was famous. Then it became a creative outlet and a way to work out the stresses of life. The journal is also a good way to keep things in perspective. It provides a window to the past, both good and bad, that can help refocus what is happening in the present. It can also provide clues as to what is happening in the present-sort of like medical records.
The face and places data with the photos serves a similar role. It provides context for the pictures. It adds to the memory. It also makes the photos easier to find.
The workout data and the weight data doesn't serve a real memory purpose, but they do help in keeping track of your health. I can easily see that last summer I was in better shape than I am now. That is no surprise since the stationary bike is easier than a real bike. I can also easily see that I am in better shape at this year than I was at the same time last year. So, when I drag the real bike out of the garage, I will be able to gage what is a good starting point for training. When my health anxiety gets going good I can see proof that I'm in good physical shape.
I think that the data craze is here to stay and not just for me. Anyone can keep and track reams of data about themselves cheaply and easily. For a hundred dollars you can buy a wrist band that monitors your activity throughout the day and monitor the quality of your sleep. With a smartphone you do even more.
Applications like Facebook, Pintrest, and Intagram are more ways we keep records of our lives. They are taking the place of journals, folders, and photo albums. Just easier to update, store, and share.
Of course the downside of all this is that companies now have access to all of this information too. When it was written on paper in your drawer or in your bookcase, you controlled access to the information. Now Facebook, Google, Apple, Garmin, Fitbit, and other companies can use the data for their own ends. You just have to trust them to be good shepherds and not sell your data to the wolves.
That is probably easier with companies that view you as their customer instead of their product.... So it pays to know the business model of the companies who have your data.

Wilderness First Aid

Several trip leaders took the SOLO Wilderness First Aid class through Osprey Sea Kayak Adventures. We figured that if there was an emergency on a trip a few of people should have a clue.
The biggest difference between wilderness first aid and standard first aid is the distance between the victim and real medical care. the standard first aid protocols are established around the premise that an ambulance, with highly trained paramedics, tons of equipment, and a radio link to doctors, is a phone call away and can be on scene quickly. In wilderness first aid, the assumption is that an ambulance is at least an hour away and likely cannot get within a mile of the victim's location.
This difference changes the basic dynamics of how to best assist the injured party. In a standard first aid situation, you would do a just enough of an assessment to call for help and then wait for help to arrive. If the injury was bad enough, say choking, heart failure, respiratory distress, you may intervene. In wilderness first aid, you need to do a much more thorough assessment, figure out if outside help is required, and how to treat the injuries while waiting for help to arrive. You also need to determine how to get outside help if it is needed: Can you radio or phone for assistance? Who do you send out? Does the patient need to be moved to a more accessible location?
We covered a lot of ground in two days and ran many scenarios. The first day focused on the basics of patient and situational assessment and patient movement.
In wilderness situations, particularly the types encountered in kayaking, accidents do not happen in places where you can safely manage a patient. An injured person can easily drown if they get a mouthful of water. Because of this, a patient will probably need to be moved to a safe location before anything else can happen. Moving a victim goes against everything in standard first aid, but if a person is injured in the surf zone on the beach they need to be moved. It is not safe for the victim and it not safe for the rescuers. (The most important person in any emergency situation is the rescuers, not the victim.) We were shown a technique called BEAMing. Essentially it means moving the injured person while keeping them immobilized. The general rule is no less than three, no more than six. One person manages the head and spine. The person at the head runs the show. Then as a unit, the group moves the patient to a safe location.
Once the patient is in a safe location, you need to asses the patient's condition. First you need to check for critical issues: attention, breath, circulation, da spine, environment. As you go through the checklist, you annotate move to the next step only after the previous one is cleared. If the patient's airway is compromised, you need to fix that before worrying about the bleeding or if the patient is cold.
Once the critical checklist is cleared, you can move on to a more detailed patient assessment. The detailed assessment should provide enough information for you to start treating the patient and provide revue personnel the information needed to mount a proper rescue. It should include vital signs, pertinent patient history, details of how the accident happened, the condition of the group as a whole, and what you are doing to treat the patient. This should all be written down and sent out with the people getting help. You should also keep a copy with the patient. The patient copy should be updated while waiting for rescue.
We also covered how to deal with injuries and common conditions. Most of this was stuff that outdoor enthusiast already sort of know, but can always be reinforced. I don't think you can ever be reminded how to identify and treat hypothermia, dehydration, or hyperthermia enough.
It was a lot of information to absorb. It was also humbling to know how hard doing this was in a safe, controlled environment. Having taken the course, I fell better about my ability to handle myself in an emergency. However, I also know that I'll probably make a ton of mistakes. At least, I'll be able to do something which is better than doing nothing.

Safety Practice 2010

I like the annual safety practice. It is valuable to get the the group of people you paddle with together to practice rescues. It is also good to teach newer paddlers basic rescues.
One of the things I learned at the RWS is that when the poop hits the fan knowing how the people with you react is invaluable. It helps when deciding what options are open. It makes it easier to coordinate. It also helps your general confidence.
Paddlers who know how to do rescue and how to be rescued are generally calmer in emergency situations.
The one rescue I never liked was using a stirrup. I know it can help a swimmer get back in their boat, but it also leaves them encircled by a loop of rope. I'd much rather just use a scoop to stuff the swimmer in the cockpit or find some other way to get them to climb out of the water.
Speaking of the scoop... It is hard to manage with a heavier paddler. TM demoed the scoop using H as his rescue dummy and made it look easy. When I tried stuffing him back in his kayak I nearly busted a gut. It took a while to find that sweet spot on his hull where I could get the leverage I needed to right his kayak.
One nice trick TM showed us was leaving the paddler face down on the deck when doing the scoop. It makes keeping the swimmer low to their deck. It also means you don't have to risk damaging a possibly injured back as much.
You can always learn new tricks!

RWS Day Two

I was pleasantly surprised about how my body felt on Saturday morning. I haven't paddled as hard as I did on Friday in a long time, so I expected to be stiff to the point that even thinking about squeezing into the Q-boat would trigger back spasms. I was a little sore and stiff, but more than ready for a second day on the water.
The big question for the day was what to do on the water. I initially planned on taking a strokes clinic with Jen Kleck and Phil Kleg, but it looked like half of the paddlers at the symposium had the same idea. The Greenland Paddling with Turner and Cherri also looked to be bulging at the seams. TM beckoned me over to the Incident Management class with Peter Jones and Ciro de la Vega. There were only four other paddlers in the group and Pete is a renowned for his incident management coaching. Since all three of the classes I was interested in were going to the Narrow River, I stayed on the fence until the very last minute.
I decided to stick with TM for incident management. We were joined by BH and RB as well.
In the morning we did a lot of towing exercises in the new Narrow River tide race. All of the tows were easiest if you could get into the eddy along the rocks. When you got sucked into the race proper things got tougher. Maneuvering a contact tow is tricky enough in clam water, in a tidal race it is a whole lot tougher. When doing long tows the danger is that the kayak in the tow is more likely to dump in rough water and towing a raft is just that much more demanding.
One thing I learned was that when using a long tow, you really (really) need to plan your route when maneuvering. I was towing RB into the race on my long tow and ran him into the rocks. My plan was to get in tight to the rocks to capitalize on the eddy and cut the turn tight. What I forgot was that the kayak on the end of my tow would end up cutting the corner even tighter and end up on the rock. What I should have done was taken the corner wider and picked a line that would bring me and the tow into the eddy straight on.
The contact tow through the race was interesting because it is a lot more stable than I thought it would be. The two kayaks together are more stable than a solo kayak.
The craziest thing we did was a five paddler tandem tow through the race. It worked surprisingly well except for the other classes trying to work the race as we came through. BH, who was behind me in the chain, got caught up with another couple who were practicing contact tows. When I felt the yank on my tow belt, I immediately pulled my quick release and dropped him from the tow. Once I cleared the race and was clipped out of the tow, I circled around to make sure BH and the coaches, who were the raft at the end of the tow, were OK (and to get my tow belt). Once I saw that they were good (and had my tow belt back) I went off the play in the race. Meanwhile, the rest of the class was hiding behind the rocks in the eddy working very hard to ignore BH as he finished towing the coaches out of the race....
After playing in the race for a bit and eating lunch we headed towards Whale Rock to do some rescue practice. We did a few rescues near rocks which was fun.
We also learned a fun new way to empty a kayak on the water. You have the victim climb behind the rescuer motorcycle style. While the victim sits on the back deck, the rescuer, empties out the swamped kayak. Then the victim climbs back into their nice dry kayak. If the rescuer has a firm grip on the swamped kayak before the victim climbs on the back deck, it is surprisingly stable. The victim is out of the water which is always good.
The afternoon dose of crazy was supplied by having the whole group land on a rock. Getting on the rock was surprisingly easy. One at a time, a kayaker would get out of their kayak, clip their tow line to their kayak, a second kayaker would clip their tow line into the swimmer's kayak, and the swimmer would swim into the rock. Once on the rock, the swimmer would haul into the rock and disconnect the second kayaker's tow line. The second tow line is used to keep the kayak from surfing into the rock and the swimmer.
The only tricky bit is getting the last kayaker on the rock since there is nobody else to keep their kayak from crashing into them. We solved this problem by having the last kayaker, who happened to be BH, surf up onto the rock where we snagged his kayak and stabilized it while he climbed out. I thought that somebody was going to die pulling it off, but it worked surprisingly well.
Getting off the rock didn't go so well. Getting off the rock involves hooking your tow belt to your kayak, tossing the kayak into the water, and jumping in after it. Once in the water, you use the tow line to reign in your kayak and renter it.
Our plan was to have BH go in the water first because his kayak was in the best spot for getting back in the water. Since he cannot re-enter and roll, the second person in the water would do an all-in rescue with him. BH got in the water without a hitch, but the second person in the water forgot to clip his kayak to the tow line and it floated away. Things were still OK because TM was queued up to quickly get in the water, capture the run away kayak, and pop BH back into his kayak. However, the second kayaker decided he would swim for his kayak which is where the whole endeavor went from not pretty to downright ugly. We now had three out of five kayakers in the water and a run away kayak. TM managed to get the run away kayak back and BH did managed to get back into his kayak. I'm not entirely sure how because I was busy getting back into my kayak.
Peter pointed out that the biggest reason things went completely pear shaped was lack of communication and planning. He stressed that planning and communication were the best tools for managing incidents. He reviewed CLAP(Communication, Line of sight, Avoidance, Position) with us as well. The best way to manage an incident is to avoid them. Before taking a group into a situation be sure they can handle it and communicate the plan to the whole group.
One other helpful hint Pete gave us was to take your time. If you blow your first roll, stop and collect your wits before rushing to try the second roll. If you end up in a situation, take the time to figure out a plan before simply acting.

Recreational Adventure Liability

We had the spring RICKA sea kayaking pot luck on Saturday evening. It was as usual, a good time. It is always fun to see people after a long winter break and plan summer time fun.
As is typical at this gathering, the conversation trended towards liability. The sad fact of the matter is that one of the risks a trip leader (or coordinator) faces, in addition to the plethora of seafaring risks, is the the risk of being sued if something goes wrong and a paddler is injured. None of us are payed and, as far as I know, wealthy enough to shrug off being sued.
Our groups approach to the issue has always been to dance around it. We make sure the guidelines for joining a club trip and the expectations of paddlers on a trip on the Web site. Before leaving the beach, most leaders review the float plan, the predicted weather conditions and sea state, and the expectations of the participants. We are also very clear that we are volunteers and not paid guides. I usually point out that I don't have any credentials or certifications as well.
The idea is that if we are clear that we are amateurs, people will be less likely to sue and it would be less likely that a lawsuit would stick. It leaves leaders who do have professional certifications and/or credentials in a tricky spot since they are not really amateurs even if they are volunteering to lead or just along for a recreational paddle. That, however, is not a problem the club can really solve. Paddler's with professional credentials need to be aware of the risks of joining a club paddle and decide for themselves if they are willing to risk it. I doubt the club could protect them in a lawsuit if it tried.
Interestingly, two people at the meeting had spent Friday at an all day liability seminar for outdoor recreational clubs and shared their impressions. It was informative.
Everything from here out is just my rehashing of their rehashing of information gleaned from the conference on Friday. The people who went to the conference are not lawyers. I am not a lawyer. What follows should not be taken as legal guidance.
The biggest take away, and the most obvious, is that anyone can sue anyone for just about anything. Nothing you can do can shield you from being sued. If I broke a toenail on a flatwater trip, I could sue the coordinator for not ensuring my toenails were safe. (A judge would most definitely toss such a suit, but I could still bring it.)
The good news is that, according to our reps at the conference, there is no case law about clubs, or volunteers leading club trips, being sued. That means that nobody has ever actually been sued for this kind of activity.
Of course there is always a first time.... So what can one do to protect themselves in the case of being sued? It sounds like the best thing to do is due diligence. Inform trip participants of the known risks involved in the planned activity and the expectations for participation. To really CYA, make the participants sign a statement acknowledging the inherent risk of the activity. If a participant sues, you can prove that they knew there was a risk of injury and knowing accepted that risk. This will go along way towards making you look like you should not be held responsible (as long as you were not grossly negligent.)
People asked about waivers that state the participants waive their right to sue the leader or the club. It sounded like they were less than useless. A waiver won't stop someone from suing, and judges apparently don't like it when you ask someone to sign away a right to sue. It makes you look guilty....
The acknowledgment of risk form, on the other hand, doesn't try to absolve anyone of guilt before hand. It just states that participants are aware of the inherent risks involved in an activity.
The other thing that was mentioned as a possible way to shield coordinators and the club from liability was adopting what is called the "common adventure" model. In the "common adventure" model there is no coordinator or leader. A trip participants are merely doing an activity in proximity to one another and if coordination is required, it is done as a democracy. The problem with the "common adventure" model, from a liability stand point (I have a host of problems with it from a club standpoint), is that is very easy to slip outside the bounds of the model. According to the conference attendees, any activity that is done on the auspices of a club is not a common adventure. Also, as soon as one member of the group takes what can be reasonably assumed as a leadership role, the adventure is no longer a "common adventure". Also, it does not shield you from liability. If someone wanted to sue, they still could.
The one thing the "common adventure" model does do, and what RICKA's use of coordinator and repeated statements that we are uncertified volunteers does, is, in theory, make us look like people who don't have a strong organization with lots of money behind us. It makes us less likely to be targets of a law suit because there is no big purse we can dip into. Why sue a yahoo sea kayaker whose only likely asset is 18' of fiberglass and a rusted out car to transport the fiberglass? It would cost more in lawyer fees than you'd hope to win.
Nothing was decided about how the club would proceed. We may have a sign-up sheet for trips. I do not think it is a bad idea. I prefer to have a paddle in dangerous seas. Or we may not. Some people feel like a sign-up sheet with an acknowledgment of risk statement would make us look like better targets for a lawsuit.
Either way, the risk of a lawsuit is omnipresent. If someone gets seriously hurt on a club trip, there is always the chance that they will come looking for someone to blame or simply to help defray the medical costs incurred to recover.
The best things to do are be honest and clear about what is expected, keep an eye on the group, paddle smart, and if there is an emergency handle it as best as possible. Kayaking on the ocean is a risky hobby. People and gear can be broken. People, unlike gear, can also sue.
The risk is part of the reward.

Pot Luck Rescues

Every year RIC/KA sea kayaking does a safety and rescue practice session early in the season. It is a good chance for regular members to polish up on their skills and for newer members to learn how rescues go in a group. TM usually takes the lead in running the group through its paces.
This year we had a good group show up and got some decent practice doing the basic assisted rescues. Most of the morning rescues were variations on the basic T-rescue. We practiced with the kayaks bow to stern, bow to bow, having the victim hang on the bow of the rescue kayak, and a couple of other variations. TM stressed a few things:

• The rescuer needs to make and maintain eye contact with the victim.


• The victim needs to be an active participant in the rescue if possible.


• All participants in the rescue need to consider the welfare of the paddlers not participating in the rescue.

We even did a few eskimo rescues, but TM stressed his opinion that eskimo rescues are rarely useful outside of spotting during rolling practice. In fact, he pointed out that they can be dangerous if the victim is not expecting it. A kayak bow on the knoggin is a sure way to ruin someone's day.
On the way back to the parking lot for lunch, TM and I split from the group to sneak a peak at the infamous breechway. It was flatter than a pint of beer after a night on the porch. Still, we found a few waves to play in before the second wave showed up and castigated us for not inviting them. I received special chastening for making off with H's lunch.
After lunch we practiced towing. We did some contact towing which is good for short distances. While passing PB back his short tow, I dropped it in the water. Since it was shallow and the rope was easy to see, I decided I could just roll over and pick it up... So, I grabbed onto the bow of PB's kayak, flipped over, and grabbed the rope. Getting back up proved to be a real trick. I had PB's bow with the wrong hand and could not get my body all the way around. Just as I was about to drop under and switch hands, another bow showed up and provided me a handy platform.
While practicing long tows, I handed off my tow rope to H and proceeded to drop the carabiniere into the water. It was not easy to see, so I was saved from even thinking about trying to rescue it.
We ended the water portion of the day with my demonstrating the rat swim. The rat swim is where you stay in the cockpit of the kayak and claw yourself to the surface to get quick gasps of air. It is uncomfortable and tiring, but if the water is cold and there are other people nearby it saves you from a bit of exposure.
After paddling, we retired to Christie's house for a pot luck. Everyone brought excellent food and it was nice to sit around and catch up.

Rescue Review

It is important to digest and dissect rescues. They offer great learning experiences.
The trip last Sunday offered a number of lessons.
Lesson 1: Eric Tries to Rescue Bob and Ends up Getting Rescued
I am not certain my decision to go in after Bob was the soundest decision I could have made. I say that after having been smashed, but even before that it was a questionable decision. I wasn't feeling at my best after being off the water for a few weeks, out of the Q-boat for a solid month, and not having paddled in anything more serious challenging than a salt pond for nearly six weeks. In the moment, with the adrenaline running, I felt I could do the rescue. The wave that squished me was pretty extreme.
Paul's rescue was flawless. He talked to me enough to determine I was OK, but not too long to delay the rescue. He quickly assessed the situation, made the plan clear to me, and executed the rescue. His call to toss me a line and tow me to safety was excellent. The conditions where the rescue started were big, steep swells that made maneuvering tricky. Paul's kayak could easily have whacked me if he had attempted to secure my kayak. Once he had towed me out of the rocks and swell, it was much easier to put me back in my kayak. Fortunately, I was properly dressed for being in the water and the few extra minutes were not critical. Even if I had not been properly dressed for immersion, Paul's choice to tow me out was probably still the right one. Trying to do the rescue in the swells could have taken longer or resulted in Paul's going into the drink also.
Lesson 2: Bob Plays in the Rocks and Takes a Swim
One could say that Bob should have had the sense to stay out of the rocks given the conditions. However, that was Bob's call to make. If he honestly believed he was a match for the conditions, he cannot be faulted for looking for some fun.
What happened once Bob got squished is ripe for analysis. We did some after the paddle and I have been thinking about it since. After I was dumped, Matt moved into help Bob. I'm not sure what happened while I was being rescued, but I know that Bob, his kayak, and Matt were still being bounced around in the rocks after I was safely back in my kayak. From what I heard, Bob had found his way out of the water and onto the relative safety of some rocks and was trying to drag his kayak up with him. Meanwhile, Matt was sitting just off the rocks to help. After a few minutes, Bob managed to get his kayak on the rocks with him and drag it to a section of water that was protected enough to allow or a launch.
While everything turned out OK, the whole thing took too long and left at least one kayak in needless danger. Based on what I heard, I think the root cause of the trouble was a lack of communication compounded by a lack of clear command and control. When rescuing me, Paul took charge of the situation. It sounded like neither Matt nor Bob took charge of Bob's rescue. This makes a confusing situation worse.
It looked like Matt was following standard rescue protocol. If there is a swimmer near the rocks and the swimmer is separated from his kayak, the first rescuer secures the swimmer and tows them to safety. A second rescuer gets the kayak. Once both swimmer and kayak are out of danger they are reunited.
Bob's goals and perspective were very different. He reported that felt pretty safe on the rocks. He was out of the water and felt that it would be easier to get himself and his kayak to the protected water on the far side of his little outcrop. He reported that he saw Matt's kayak as a danger to himself because it was being tossed around and could easily have whacked him.
I'm not sure if either Matt or Bob were right about how to proceed, so I'm not going to pick sides. Matt's approach is the correct one in 90% of situations. Bob made a good case for his approach given the particular circumstances.
I will say that one of them needed to take charge of the situation. Bob either needed to clearly wave Matt off, or Matt needed to just latch onto Bob and drag him out. The third option would have been for Matt to simply leave Bob on the rocks once he saw that he was OK. As it was Matt sat off the rocks, in harms way, for too long. It also took too long for the rest of the group to have a sense of what they needed to do.
Lesson 3: What to do with nervous paddlers?
While the rescues were going on, MA and Bob were sitting out in the Bay with Carole. Needless to say they were nervous. The swells where they were waiting were large and the wind was pretty strong. Carole wanted to take them closer to the end of the Bluffs where things were more settled. She figured that there were five paddlers to help out rescuing Bob and we could handle it.
While I'm not a big fan of splitting groups in general, there are times when it is appropriate. I think this was one of them. Getting the less experienced paddlers to safer conditions would have lessened the chances that one of them would have gone in the drink also.
However, the decision was made to keep the group together. This makes sense also. If there had been trouble once they moved off their lower numbers increased the danger of a rescue.
Lesson 4:Staying Warm
Becca's brush with hypothermia is a good reminder of the dangers inherent in winter paddling. In the summer what you wear is hardly a concern. Heat management is not that hard. In the winter, however, heat management is critical and difficult. Picking the right clothes to wear under a drysuit is a matter of safety as well as comfort. You need to be warm enough to keep your core temp up, even in the water, but not so warm that you sweat away the benefits of a drysuit.
Becca's situation is also a reminder that all the members of the group need to keep an eye on each other right up to the point that boats are stowed and dry clothes are donned. Hypothermia hits fast and is unforgiving. The signs to look out for are slurred speech and someone acting more spacey than is normal.
Thankfully, Ken spotted the signs and reacted quickly. To treat hypothermia you need to warm the victim. Get them into dry clothes, put them in a warm place, and give them something warm to drink. If they don't start to show signs of improvement call 911.

Stretched at Sakonnet

H and I showed up at Sakonnet Pt. looking forward to a nice warm up paddle before Sunday's Pier 5 to Galilee paddle. Earlier in the week Tim M. had suggested a bit of playing around in the rocks and perhaps a quick trip over to Brigg's Marsh. Nothing too crazy was planned.
We showed up close to launch time-around 8:40-to find Tim already in the water practicing. He'd showed up early and was eager to get the show on the road.
We got our gear together as a few others showed up. There was Rod, who has a sweet looking Pygmy kayak that he built, John, Eli, a new guy from CT, and Jonathan. Carole and Bob H. were also scheduled to arrive.
Since Tim was itching to go and Carole and Bob H. were late, Tim, Eli, John, H, and I headed out. Jonathan and Rod waited for the stragglers.
As we were heading out of the harbor, H pointed out some white caps off in the distance and asked if it was anything to worry about. Since the wind didn't feel too strong and it looked like there was a boat nearby, I said "nah, it's just boat wake." Once around the breakwater, I realized that I might've been very wrong. The conditions in the river were challenging. We were paddling into a 20knt SW wind and an incoming tide. The combination of wind and tide not only made making headway tricky, it also created big rollers that occasionally crested in a frothy white brew.
The level of the trip went from three to five quickly.
This was the first time H had been out in these conditions in a while and was understandably concerned. It is funny how fear worked in this situation. She wasn't worried about capsizing on the way out of the river, she was anticipating the return journey. This made paddling in the conditions as they were that much more difficult because she wasn't focused on the moment. I can remember many times when this has happened to me also, and it is always a struggle to force myself back into the moment.
She did a great job of working through it. In short order, we were tucked behind the rocks off the point. With the rocks acting as break for the wind and waves, the water was much calmer.
The boys wanted to test their luck out amongst the rocks and the waves, so H decided to hang out on the beach. Rod also chose the wise path and explored the protected areas near the beach before joining H.
On the outside of the rocks, conditions were interesting. The wind driven swells crashed off the rocks creating a stew of refracting water. We bobbed along near the rocks, kept our hips looses, kept our braces ready, and avoided bashing our heads on any hard surfaces. The rugged conditions were a good challenge and provided an exciting opportunity to test my skills. It looked like everybody else also enjoyed themselves.
While keeping my head, which really should have been in a helmet, off the rocks, I also worried about the safety of the other paddlers and their ability to help out in a crisis. One of the challenging parts, for me at least, of paddling with a group is the fact that you are sometimes paddling with people you don't really know. Because I'm a bit of a closet control freak, this makes me feel like I need to be extra vigilant. I always look out for the other members of the group, but with people you always paddle with it seems to be a lot easier. I understand how they think and I know their skill levels. When the conditions get challenging, that knowledge is comforting.
Back at the put-in, however, there was less joy. Bob H. suffered a back spasm while launching and was completely incapacitated.
Meanwhile, us happy paddlers collected the beach crowd and poked down the coast of Little Compton for a bit. Nobody was really ready to go back, but nobody really wanted to push things either. The wind was picking up and the current in the river was going to start to run against the wind around 1pm. The combination would make getting back a potentially dangerous slog. We decided to stick close to the shore and make sure we were back at the river by 12:30. That way we would be in the river at slack tide and the conditions would be at their best.
While paddling up the coast most of the group stayed far enough off shore so that they were out of the rocks. The SW wind was working for us, so nobody really minded it too much. Eli, on the other hand, decided that the rocks would be fun and darted in without checking to see if anybody was watching out for him. Naturally, somebody was... I enjoyed playing in the rocks, but not the knowledge that I was essentially on my own if I got into trouble.
On the way back, the wind forced the group to a slow crawl. There is nothing like a strong, sustained headwind to wear a paddler out.
Once tucked back into the rocks off of Sakonnet Pt., we decided not to stop for lunch. The time was ripe for getting into the river and back to the protection of the harbor. The wind was as quiet as it was going to get, the rollers were looking smaller, and the tide was slack.
We dashed into the river pushed along by following seas. It was the easiest part of the whole paddle. The biggest challenge was keeping the kayak from being twisted around. Since the seas were pretty reasonable, that was a piece of cake.
On the beach at the put-in, Bob H. was in bad shape but keeping a stiff upper lip. We rallied around him and made sure he got the proper care. Jonathan contacted a massage therapist who was able to see Bob. We all helped get him in Carole's car. Even Rod and John, who don't know Bob from a hole in the wall, stayed to make sure he was going to be OK. It is refreshing to see people band together to help out a person in need. The world could use more of that spirit.

Rescue Me

Last weekend two experienced paddlers found themselves in trouble and required a rescue from the Coast Guard. They have put together a very detailed and well thought out incident report at Plum Island Incident Report.
Be sure to read Nick Shade's comments also.
The take aways:

• You can never be too prepared.


• You can never be so skilled that you always be able to save yourself.


• You can never be so smart that you won't be surprised by Ma' Nature.


• You can always use a friend, or friends, when things go wrong.

Eskimos and Staying Put

After the practice on Saturday, Carol mentioned that Wayne Hurodowitch had said that instead of teaching newbies how to exit their boats, instructors should be teaching them how to stay in their boats. Both of us agreed that it is best for a kayaker to stay in the boat, but that it is probably unrealistic for most people. Rolling is one of the last things sea kayakers are taught. The early focus in safety training is on self-rescues, like the paddle float rescue and T-rescues.
Thinking about it while writting about the rescue session, I wondered if that is really the best approach. In white water kayaking, one of the first things you learn how to do is roll. The theory is that you should only come out of the boat if there is no other option. Most eskimos couldn't even swim, so they rarely left the boat. It is possible to stay in the cockpit of an upside down boat and get air by swimming or sculling.
Maybe it would be best to focus on teaching people to stay in the kayak? It would make rescues easier and eliminate the need for pumping out an open cockpit in rough water. In cold water, it means that a lot less of the person is in the water..
The reality is... the majority of paddlers are purely recreational and don't venture into conditions where a rescue is that tricky. Many are not particularly athletic. Most paddlers paddle in a group, so there are plenty of people to facilitate a rescue.

Rescues

Saturday was the RIC/KA sea kayaking rescue session lead by Tim Motte. Despite the inauspicious weather (downpour) in the morning, seven people showed up and practiced safety skills. As the incident last weekend off of the MA coast attests, safety skills cannot be underestimated. You never know when you are going to need to be plucked from the drink or need to pluck somebody from the drink.
Tim ran through a progression of skills starting with wet exits. While it can be argued the safest strategy for a paddler is to never come out of their boat, the reality is that most paddlers cannot always roll a kayak up, do the rat swim, or hang upside down holding their breath long enough for somebody to perform an eskimo rescue. We all need to know that we can get out of our boats and how to do it quickly and safely.
After wet exits, Tim went over the standard T-rescue. During his talk he pointed out two very important things:

1. When you paddle with a group it is important to be a part of the group. When you go over and wind up swimming, you let the group rescue you. When somebody else goes in, you help rescue them.


2. When you wind up in the water, don't just be a passive victim. Be proactive in facilitating your rescue by holding onto your paddle and boat, making noise to attract attention, and listening to the rescuer.

Tim also demonstrated using a stirrup for helping a swimmer into their boat. We went over the pros and the cons of the stirrup. The pros are that the stirrup makes it easier to get heavier people in their boat and the stirrup, if used properly, stabilizes the rescue boat. The cons are that the stirrup can easily become an entrapment for the swimmer to become ensnared and it takes some time to set up the stirrup.
Eskimo rescues were also demonstrated and debated. Most people have only ever seen them used during practice sessions. For instance, they are great when doing rolling practice. I have seen it used once in the wild, but it was a rare case of factors lining up just right to make the rescue work. The biggest question was about how realistic it is for a capsized paddler to stay in his boat long enough for a rescuer to get a boat in position? Another question was about the risk of the swimmer banging their head.
See Eskimos and Staying-put for more thinking about sticking with the boat.
There was also a heated debate over paddle leashes. Some people love leashes because the leash alleviates the paddler from worrying about losing their paddle. Tim said he could see where leashes have their uses during rescues, but still doesn't use one. I personally don't like leashes for a few reasons:

• they get in the way.


• they are an entrapment risk.


• they make people sloppy.

You should always, always, have to think about keeping your paddle secure.
After lunch we went over self-rescues. Everybody practiced the standard paddle float outrigger rescue. It is a good rescue in calmer water, or if you have the right rigging behind your cockpit. Mike K. showed off the cowboy rescue and a few people tried them out. I, personally, don't see how the cowboy would be useful for more than showing off, but I have good deck rigging for a paddle float. Rolls were also mentioned in passing and a few of us practiced them.
Of course, the safest self-rescue is to paddle with other people who you trust to be able to help out when things go awry...