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You missed your
brace. You capsized and now you are the keel
instead of the mast. Now what do you do?
If you don't know
how to roll your kayak and you don't have gills,
you have a fairly short period of time to get
some air. Your kayak companions can come and
assist you. But what if they don't get there is
time? Knowing how to quickly and safely exit
your kayak and practicing it under safe,
controlled conditions will help you make a clean
exit when difficult conditions occur in a real
capsize. Sit on top kayakers don't have this
problem as they are not confined by a deck and a
spray skirt, just a few straps. Besides, if they
have managed to capsize their sit on top, they
probably have bigger problems than falling off
of it.
The wet exit is
the process of getting out of a decked kayak
when it goes over, and other recovery techniques
are not possible. It is the last maneuver that
you want to use because being in the water can
be dangerous. Re-entering the kayak is more
difficult than recovering while you are still in
it.
The best way to
learn how to wet exit is on a warm, calm day in
shallow water with an assistant standing on the
bottom ready to help if needed. When you go over
in your kayak, the first thing to remember is
not to panic. There is plenty of time to perform
a wet exit, which takes only a few seconds when
done properly.
The first step
in any capsize is to let your companions know
you have gone over. You have a great signalling
drum in a kayak full of air right at your
fingertips. Place your paddle next to the hull
of the kayak, keeping it between your arm and
the kayak so it does not float away. Pound on
your drum. Give it five or six good whacks. If
they are truly your friends they should be
coming over to assist you in a rescue. Turn your
hands perpendicular to the hull center line and
move your hands forward and aft in a slow waving
motion. This will locate the assistance that
hopefully has arrived. If no one has arrived and
the air supply is getting short, it is now time
to rescue yourself and proceed with the wet
exit.
The first thing
to do when wet exiting is to release the spray
skirt. All spray skirts have pull tabs of the
front of them just for this purpose. However,
they do not do much good if they are caught
underneath the spray skirt. So the first step in
a good wet exit is when you put the spray skirt
on. Make sure the pull tab at the front is
outside the skirt and easily accessible.
The next step is
to locate the spray skirt tab. This can be
harder to do in the upside down murky kelp sea
grass world you might find yourself in a real
capsize. However we all know where our hips are.
Keeping your paddle caught under your arm, bring
both hands down to the cockpit coaming next to
your hips. Follow the coaming forward with your
hand until you locate the pull tab. Tuck forward
to release the tension on the front of the skirt
and pull the tab to release the skirt. Continue
to tuck and roll toward the front to release
your legs from the kayaks hull. When your legs
are half way out of the kayak you should be able
to reach the surface for air. Keep your feet and
legs in the cockpit so the kayak does not blow
away from you and hold on to your paddle. You
are going to need them both soon. (Paddle
leashes will keep your paddle from separating
from you) Now you should be comfortably floating
on your back with your paddle in hand and your
feet securely planted in your cockpit
contemplating your next move. Perhaps you should
get some new friends who can get there quicker
to help you or perhaps you really should
practice those braces some more and learn to
roll your kayak...
>> More Kayaking
tips
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Types of kayak: Sit-on-top
kayak, Inflatable
kayak, Folding
kayak, Solo
Versus Tandem kayak
•
Kayaking in Vietnam
• How
to get in and out of your kayak
•
How to make your kayak go
•
How to make your kayak stop
•
How to make your kayak turn
•
How to keep your kayak from capsizing
•
What to do after a capsize - wet exiting
•
Basic paddle and arm signals for sea kayakers |
