Rescues in Rough Water

Nick Schade, of Guillemot Kayaks in Connecticut (the New England region of the United States), shot this video one early spring during a wet and overcast day.

Watch the above video two or three times and you'll probably note lots.

One note you might make is that the seas are rough: a lumpy swell. The rescuer wears a helmet. This is a local group that regularly heads out in in search of surf.

Another note you might make is that the rescue is not fancy: it's a straight ahead face-to-face rescue.

One drawback of practicing rescues only in calm water or in pools or on lakes is that you don't gain the confidence that rescues will work if the weather is rough or your nerves are rattled.

Nick's video shows handily that even in seas of a type that might intimidate, rescues are, by and large, simple step-by-step processes. It helps to have another experienced paddler nearby calling out steps and reassurances.

The rescue is pretty basic, as is the scenario.

Both would be different were the waves breaking heavily or if the capsize took place close to shore, or took place close to shore in an onshore wind.
all but the video copyright 2008 Just Another Guy Named Dave
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