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Technique
Pump & Dump
Text by Bjorn Olson
The
begining of the pump-and-dump is a lightning-quick combination
of pulling downon the blade, doing a scissors kick and lifting
the bow as high out of the water as you can
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Anyone
who has pumped water out of a flooded cockpit knows that it can
be difficult and time consuming to pump five or 10 gallons out
of a kayak. With an assisted rescue, your partner can lift the
bow of your kayak and, assuming it has bulkheads, drain most of
the water in a matter of seconds. If you're recovering from a
capsize and wet exit on your own, just rolling the kayak over
from a position near the cockpit will allow a lot of water aboard.
I
use a wonderfully simple, straightforward method for draining
water from the cockpit that requires neither fancy gadgets nor
assistance. It's called the "pump and dump." After a
few practice sessions in safe, flat water, the pump-and-dump should
become a fluid and efficient technique to add to your self-rescue
repertoire.
The
starting position: left hand on the bow, right hand holding the
paddle on the right shoulder.
photo copyright Sea Kayaker Magazine
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