During our instruction and certifying BSA High Adventure trek guides, each guide student must demonstrate deep flat water tandem capsize rescue. It is easiest to do with a rescue canoe assist, as BSA treks will always have multiple canoes. It is fairly easy to talk the rescuers and rescuees through how to right an overturned canoe and get it and paddlers upright back in with the canoe over canoe method if they have seen and practiced it at least once.
Impossible to do with packs and gear firmly tied in with wet rope of questionable knot configuration tied by youngsterrs. I have had scouts worry about their pack sinking because it is so "heavy". During the demo I may throw my own pack in the water to show that 95%+ is floating above the water. I tell them, at most, just clip the hip belt around a thwart so that it can be easily jettisoned in the event of a capsize. Yes, the wind may blow it away, but it can be retrieved by another or after you are safe and able to paddle your rescued canoe. for heavier items, cookware, etc., be sure to have those items in a dry bag that will float, or use slip knots to tie non floating items in some kind of bag to a thwart with an untieable knot so you can at least rescue people ahead of heavy gear.
If it is so windy that a deep water capsize is possible or likely while guiding inexperienced youth, I ask the would-be-guide, "what are you thinking to travel in those conditions in the first place with unstable paddlers?"
In other than flat water it is a different question; as it is unlikely to be there with young inexperienced scouts. On the Yukon River races (certainly requiring an experienced adult team), basic critical survival items are carried on the person and one can only hope that the canoe with gear still firmly tied in can be retrieved a short distance downstream.
Impossible to do with packs and gear firmly tied in with wet rope of questionable knot configuration tied by youngsterrs. I have had scouts worry about their pack sinking because it is so "heavy". During the demo I may throw my own pack in the water to show that 95%+ is floating above the water. I tell them, at most, just clip the hip belt around a thwart so that it can be easily jettisoned in the event of a capsize. Yes, the wind may blow it away, but it can be retrieved by another or after you are safe and able to paddle your rescued canoe. for heavier items, cookware, etc., be sure to have those items in a dry bag that will float, or use slip knots to tie non floating items in some kind of bag to a thwart with an untieable knot so you can at least rescue people ahead of heavy gear.
If it is so windy that a deep water capsize is possible or likely while guiding inexperienced youth, I ask the would-be-guide, "what are you thinking to travel in those conditions in the first place with unstable paddlers?"
In other than flat water it is a different question; as it is unlikely to be there with young inexperienced scouts. On the Yukon River races (certainly requiring an experienced adult team), basic critical survival items are carried on the person and one can only hope that the canoe with gear still firmly tied in can be retrieved a short distance downstream.
