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| - | ==== Bob's back deck rescue ==== | ||
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| - | **Bob Putnam <putnam_rea@…>** \\ | ||
| - | 12/25/07 #3939 | ||
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| - | Last April Deep Cove Kayak was hosting a stroke clinic with Imre\\ | ||
| - | Kemecsey, 6AM - 8AM. Imre was standing on the Government wharf and\\ | ||
| - | we were paddling out and back. I was paddling my Vajda sprint boat\\ | ||
| - | (very tippy) and showing this newbie sea kayaker how not to scoop\\ | ||
| - | water at the exit of his stroke…1st bonehead move…well I did a\\ | ||
| - | good job of demonstrating the “scoop” and pulled myself into the\\ | ||
| - | water. | ||
| - | |||
| - | It was cold enough that there was ice on the sea wall. Shrinkage was\\ | ||
| - | instantaneous! The sea kayaker didn't know that he was going to\\ | ||
| - | rescue me but I wasn't going to float around for too long explaining\\ | ||
| - | it. I climbed up onto his back deck and sat up while uprighting my\\ | ||
| - | sprint boat and tried to dump most of the water out. Having coach\\ | ||
| - | flatwater paddling kids I had performed this maneuver many times\\ | ||
| - | before, but the combination of the cold and being a bit panicked I\\ | ||
| - | was having a difficult time. I finally decided to get re-enter the\\ | ||
| - | sprint kayak….2nd bonehead move…so I could paddle to shore.\\ | ||
| - | There was still some water in K1 and when I finally got myself in all\\ | ||
| - | the water rushed to the bow of the bulkhead-less kayak and the bow\\ | ||
| - | went down like a submarine. The kayak literally dropped out from\\ | ||
| - | under me. | ||
| - | |||
| - | Back in the water, and worrying about my $3500 sprint boat going to\\ | ||
| - | bottom caused me to feel very panicked…thing weren't going as\\ | ||
| - | planned. However, I was able to supress the panic. Profanities were\\ | ||
| - | flowing from my mouth faster than bids from an auctioneer, I climbed\\ | ||
| - | back onto to the back deck of the sea kayak and told the guy to\\ | ||
| - | paddle for shore. I grabbed the sinking K1 and my paddle and lay my\\ | ||
| - | head on the deck and kicked like crazy. It took us about 5 minutes\\ | ||
| - | (seemed like 20) to get to the nearest dock. | ||
| - | |||
| - | I hauled my sorry ass up onto the dock which was covered in ice and\\ | ||
| - | dumped the water out of my K1. I was already starting to seize up. I\\ | ||
| - | noticed the dock-owner looking out his window, sipping his morning\\ | ||
| - | coffee, wondering what kind of idiot would be kayak/swimming on a\\ | ||
| - | morning like that. | ||
| - | |||
| - | 30 minutes later after a hot shower and breakfast I was still\\ | ||
| - | shivering uncontrolably. Imre thought this was great and gave me the\\ | ||
| - | gears all through breakfast. “I am a kajak coach, not a swimming\\ | ||
| - | coach” Imre said with a thick Hungarian accent and laughing heartily. | ||
| - | |||
| - | Although the seakayaker had never done anything like this before I\\ | ||
| - | have had the opportunity to practice it many times, mostly while\\ | ||
| - | goofing around with racing club kids. So, I am not saying anything\\ | ||
| - | new, but I would like to re-enforce the importance of practicing all\\ | ||
| - | this stuff. Having practiced these kind of things makes the\\ | ||
| - | difference between, panic in an out of control situation or being\\ | ||
| - | able to take it in stride because you have done it before. | ||
| - | |||
| - | Because of all the work Kathleen has been doing lately she probably\\ | ||
| - | felt pretty confident rescueing the kayaker. The work is paying\\ | ||
| - | off. | ||
| - | |||
| - | Next season at Deep Cove Canoe & Kayak we will certainly be singing\\ | ||
| - | this song to all of our regular paddlers who typically become\\ | ||
| - | complacent about risks and overconfident in their abilities. Many\\ | ||
| - | think that because they paddle 2-3 times per week that they are\\ | ||
| - | experienced. The typical scenario for seakayakers and surf ski\\ | ||
| - | paddlers is that they start paddling, take a capsize course or try to\\ | ||
| - | remount their skis once or twice and then start paddling and then\\ | ||
| - | don't practice these skill for many years.\\ | ||
| - | Enough typing\\ | ||
| - | Happy Holidays\\ | ||
| - | Bob | ||
| - | |||
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