Sea Kayaking Rescue Techniques
This page to the Narragansett Sea Kayaking section is an attempt to bring together some of the best of YouTube videos that help explain sea kayak rescue techniques. Using YouTube can be a time consuming effort with all the distractions in the referenced videos. Here I have gone through the tedious process of looking at all the funny, stupid, error prone, and the just crummy camera work, to give you what I feel is the best of the lot. When better ones come up, I will add them. These videos do not show the process of learning the rescue, but what different kayakers have found sucessful for themselves. Click image to play small video. (A single click on a runnng video will open YouTube for full size version, as will clicking the text link.) Note: The latest Adobe Flash Player may be needed if you get a black or blank screen and no video.
The Cowboy self-rescue Technique
This technique is an alternative to the paddle float rescue. It has the advantage that it is very quick, but it takes a reasonably athletic person and a compatable kayak to perform it sucessfully. It also does not work as well with a kayak that has a lot of flotation in the rear, or for a person with short legs and a wide kayak. If you can not get your legs into the cockpit while sitting in the seat, this method will be almost impossible. A blade rudder on your kayak will also make it more difficult to get on the back of the kayak. All the kayaks in the videos have skegs. To impliment this method, you climb up on your kayak from the rear, straddle it (as a cowboy on a horse) and eventually drop into the cockpit. The following YouTube videos show different variations on the technique, as well as in different water conditions. They show how sucessfull the method is once you have learned it. The link titles are those of the video on the respective YouTube pages.
| The first video is in calm water and Barbara makes it look easy to get back in the kayak. Note her the using the paddle to help support her when she empties the kayak. She also has the ability to climb onto the kayak fairly far up on the stern. Note that in some videos the kayaker climbs up on the kayak farther toward the stern. She carries her paddle with her, and uses it while sculling for balance while getting her feet into the cockpit. Kayak Cowboy Self-rescue |
| In this video the kayak is already emptied. Note the kayaker cowboys the kayak at the very stern, actually pushing the stern underwater as he straddles the kayak. He then keeps a very low profile on the deck sliding up, and he carries his paddle with him. As he drops into the cockpit he uses his paddle to scull and maintain his balance. Cowboy |
| This video raises the difficulty with rough and cold water under the Golden Gate Bridge. Somehow he empties the kayak with one hand and never goes underwater. Obviously a very light kayak. He also has the strength to cowboy the kayak right behind the cockpit and then only needs several short hops to position to drop into the cockpit. He maintains a more sit up style keeping his balance with his legs than in the previous videos. Note that he places his paddle across the cockpit before he climbs on the kayak so it will be ready for balancing. He uses a strong sculling stroke to keep from tipping over while he gets his legs in the cockpit. 30 Second Cowboy Scramble |
| In this video the kayaker is dealing with rougher seas, although it appears not much wind. His technique with a kayak with very little rear volume is to just push down the kayak stern under his legs and slide up the back to the cockpit. If you look carefully you can see him put his spray skirt loop in his mouth to keep it from becoming hooked on the rear of the kayak as he climbs up. He also does not carry his paddle up with him on the kayak as the others have done. I think the waves would have knocked it from his arms if he had attempted to. After he drops into the cockpit, he uses his hands to scull and keep his balance while getting his feet into the cockpit. Sea Kayak Self Rescue - The Ladder |
| This video was taken during a RICKA practice session at the URI Bay campus. It shows the cowboy technique under calms conditions. Mark is able to climb back into his kayak very easily. Note the hesitation just before he climbs on the rear of the kayak. He is putting his spray skirt release loop in his teeth so that it does not get hung up sliding up the kayak. He makes the mistake of putting his paddle under the front deck lines, which could cause the paddle to swing out of his reach after he is in the kayak. Mark Cowboy Self Rescue |
| This video was taken during a RICKA practice session at the URI Bay campus. This video is from a helmet video cam. The video starts out by rolling over (very loud crash) and then shows the recovery sequence. Note putting the paddle in the left hand and using it to push down on when lifting the kayak to empty the water. This kayak has no gear and in normal conditions it would be much harder to flip the kayak up and over. The paddle leash is attached to the left wrist of the kayaker. In this case, while sliding up the back of the kayak, there is a hesitation while the spray skirt toggle (which has a 1 inch foam ball attached) is pulled out from under the kayakers leg. Which could have been avoided if the loop was held in the kayakers teeth. But if you grasp the loop in your teeth before you pull up on the kayak, be sure that the skirt is pulled up far enough that you don't capture a lap full of water, which could put a strain on your teeth. A couple of sculls with the left hand is used to balance the kayak while getting the legs in the cockpit. Mike Cowboy Self Rescue |