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SIDEBAR: Lessons Learned When you paddle, it’s easy to think that your intentions override your environment. If you set out for a short fitness paddle after work, you aren’t likely to think about carrying an emergency shelter or signal devices or even food. You may employ differing standards of preparedness for the different types of paddling trips you set out on. But whether you are out for a few hours or on expedition, conditions can change—rapidly, in some areas—creating a situation far beyond what you may have planned for.. As with driving a car, most accidents happen close to home, that is, during the daily routine. It’s the same with kayaking. Statistically, if you do most of your paddling close to home and for short trips, that may be when you are most likely to have some mishap. In this case, the author was out for what should have been a short, three-hour trip, when a weather front came in. Planning for the Unplanned With most paddlers, as their skills develop, so does their standard gear list. A spare paddle, bilge pump and paddle float top the list of most kayakers’ on-water emergency gear, but the standard kit should also include gear for emergency use on land. Bivi gear—like a waterproof bivi sack and, in cold weather, a sleeping bag—should be carried as standard equipment on every trip. Michael could have stayed nestled between the rocks on the beach if he had been able to bring his core temperature back up while resting. Without the bivi gear, he was forced to use precious energy jumping and running in place, just to keep from shivering. Space blankets provide warmth and shelter from wind and rain and usually have a reflective material on one side that’s useful for signaling. Although some are pocket sized, these tend to lose their aluminum coating when wet, compromising their reflectivity. The thicker space blankets don’t have the same tendency, so for day trips, when kayaks usually have plenty of space, carrying a thicker blanket is the better choice. Carrying extra food and water may seem elementary, but how often do you launch with only a sandwich in your day hatch or a granola bar stuffed in your PFD pocket? Beyond what Michael packed for lunch, he was not prepared for the additional fuel his body needed after running into trouble. The stash of bagels was a good turn of fortune; they made a difference to both his fuel reserve and his state of mind. An item that served Michael on several levels was his stove. Though intended to support his tea habit, the stove provided a measure of comfort, warming his hands so that his fingers could handle the small pieces required to fix his rudder. A flashlight should always be standard gear, for safely moving around on land and as a signal device. In Michael's situation, a flashlight would have helped him more quickly address the repairs to his rudder cable. Though his stove provided a means to warm his hands, its ability to shed light on his workspace was limited. A weather radio might have warned of a front moving in, with wind speed and precipitation estimates, giving Michael information beyond what he could see developing across the mountains. Better still would be a VHF radio. VHF radios provide weather data as well as connect with other boat traffic. Submersible models are now available at reasonable prices and are convenient to wear on a PFD. Other boats on the lake may have picked up a distress call, for which, on larger bodies of water, a VHF is indispensable. In the din of the storm, it's possible that a marine horn would have been muffled, but signal flares might have called attention from the nearby town. Most PFDs come with pockets and straps that hold flares within reach. Unlike signaling for help over a broad range using a VHF radio, for aerial flares to be effective, someone has to be looking. Firing flares without the potential for someone seeing them is not a wise use of resources. So although carrying flares is a good idea, in Michael's case, it is questionable whether the signal would have helped. As you prepare your body for paddling, you should also inspect your gear to see that it is fit for the task. A close inspection of his rudder before launching may have revealed the fraying cable and prompted preventative measures while still on land and close to tools. An emergency tool and repair kit takes up little space and should be standard equipment. Immediately following the cable break, considering his paddling ability, Michael, if he had been dressed for immersion, may have done a wet exit, swam to the stern to retract and stow the rudder, then returned to the cockpit for a reentry and roll. As time went on and he spent energy struggling to hold his course with an uncooperative rudder, this option closed. Although he intended to enjoy a relaxing day paddle, Michael's decision to paddle solo and make a long crossing increased his level of risk. Without filing a float plan, the only people who knew about his presence were the three ski instructors who had long since left the lake. The choice to make a five-mile crossing opened a significant window of opportunity for things to go wrong, forcing the day paddle into darkness. Without backups in the form of a paddling partner or sufficient emergency gear, his options for handling the change in weather and broken rudder cable were severely limited. Whether you're out paddling for an afternoon or a week, emergency equipment should be the first gear down the hatch and carried on your PFD. Raise your standard of preparedness before the conditions create a situation in which you realize what you're missing. |
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