Self Rescue
The best and safest 'self rescue' is prevention. Paddle your boat within a comfortable swimming distance from shore. If the temperature are cooler, paddle even closer and wear a wet suit or dry suit. ​Any re-entry type of rescue, whether solo or assisted, can be taxing on the capsized paddler; sometimes to the point of near exhaustion. If you attempt to re-enter boat and fail, you may not have the necessary energy at that point to swim to shore. If you have not thoroughly practiced self rescue before you need to use it, it is always better to just swim to shore. Ultimately your boat is replaceable. If the environment or your energy levels make it difficult to swim with the boat, let it go.
Survival Backstroke
It is the same stroke only if the arms don't come out of the water, there is slow progress and movement only when progress is beginning to cease, to preserve energy. Most importantly the arms and legs are kept together as long as possible to minimize heat loss from the body.
In this context the stroke is a life-preserving stoke to be able to swim long distances, conserving energy, minimizing heat loss (avoiding Hypothermia if possible), all whilst awaiting rescue.
The Hornbeck StirrupTechnique
.2Kick and Push
With a firm grip on the kayak, let your legs float to the surface behind you. Then give a powerful kick with your legs and push with your arms to haul your chest up onto the kayak.
This technique involves attaching an inflatable float to the paddle blade, providing additional buoyancy and stability as you re-enter the cockpit of the kayak. By incorporating the paddle float, kayakers can regain control of the kayak with enhanced stability, making it particularly useful in challenging conditions or for those still building confidence in unsteady waters.
After securing a paddle float to one end of your paddle, use the paddle as an outrigger to provide stability while reentering the kayak.
Place the paddle perpendicular to the kayak with the paddle float in the water, holding the paddle shaft against the backrest.
Next, kick your legs to get your body horizontal on the surface, then slide onto the rear deck with your chest facing down.
Lastly, twist your body and swing your legs into the cockpit, maintaining contact with the paddle for support.
​
​
Using a stirrup recovery technique can literally give you one leg up on being able to re-enter your boat.
A stirrup is a loop with a flat base to support the paddlers foot. The key words being “support” and “foot”. From a re-entry perspective, a foothold is made from one end of a looped section of tubular nylon webbing straps that is used as a “step up” segment of a kayak re-entry rescue.
The loop is fashioned from aproximately length of 1” tubular or flat webbing formed by tying ends off in a “water” knot to form a long, complete circle (loop) of strap. The loop is then placed over a paddle straddling the kayak deck perpendicular to the deck, drawn under the boat and wrapped around the shaft at a point where it extends out beyond the beam of the kayak. Excess strapping is hung below the shaft to create a loop in which the capsizer’s foot is inserted and used like the rung on a ladder for support and upward push to rise up out of the water and onto the cockpit area.
As part of one’s safety gear, the stirrup - already appropriately looped at a proper length-is stowed within the cockpit area for quick access. Practice will help you determine the appropriate rigging set-up for your body/leg length and kayak dimensions.
The strap can be wrapped around your paddle shaft for self-rescue or to assist you in team rescue.
Be advised: this can put excessive stress on your paddle, especially two-piece shafts - and can lead to serious damage.
​
​
​
​
​
Watson, Tom, Paddling.com, Stirrup Strap Re-entry, https://paddling.com/learn/stirrup-strap-re-entry, 9/18/2024
