Simulated Deep Water Self-Rescue Result: FAIL

[jm0278]

I always like to practice emergency maneuvers in controlled conditions before there's an emergency. So today, after paddling a bit over five miles, I went to the far end of the swimming beach, dropped off my hat, glasses, etc, and waded the canoe back out into four feet or more and swamped it. I then made several attempts, without my feet touching the bottom, to re-float and reenter the canoe. I was marginally successful getting the canoe emptied and floating again and am confident I can do even better when I am actually in deep water.

The problem I was unable to solve was getting back in with swamping it all over again. I've watched a few videos on this and did, or think I did, what I saw in the videos: empty the canoe, get yourself floating horizontal, reach across to the far gunwale and drag yourself back in. Every time I tried, the far gunwale just lifted up and, of course, the near gunwale submerged again.

So then I tried getting the rope out, tying a loop in the end for my foot and tying the rope off to the thwart on the far side. The theory being that the weight of my foot would keep the far gunwale from rising. Again, failure. For whatever reason, I couldn't keep the foot with the loop from just sliding back under the canoe. I should probably work a bit more on this technique, but I ran out of time (and energy) to do any more today.

On the way home, I was reminded that when I had a kayak, I had a "paddle float" that gets inflated and attached to the blade of the paddle. I know I can lash the shaft of the paddle to a thwart with a paddle float attached outboard to presumably stop the near gunwale from submerging.

But before I go down that path, is self-rescue in deep water even an issue? I asked one of the sales people where I bought the canoe what he did and his reply was that he just swims the canoe back into shallow water, stands up, empties it, gets back in and goes. Is that sufficient for areas like Algonquin and the BWCA? I strongly suspect that by the time I actually get "out there" in a few more weeks, I'll know if conditions mean I need to stay close to shore or not, but is that a realistic solution or do I really need to get this deep water self-rescue thing nailed down first.

Comments?

Jim

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

When I was young and fit, I could shake-out and re-enter a tandem canoe in flat water. But I don't think I ever even tried re-entering the narrow flat water solo canoes I've been paddling since 1984. I could roll my whitewater closed and open canoes, which all had thigh machines, but that's not the topic.

Worse, I'm now far, far from young and fit. There is no chance I could clamber back into a solo canoe, most particularly in high wind and waves, and there may never have been any chance. Fortunately, I haven't tipped over unintentionally in a flat water canoe since 1984.

My self-rescue strategy when alone has always been simple. First, I never never paddle further from shore than I can swim the boat in the prevailing climate conditions, unless there is a very high confidence level that the wind/wave conditions will remain very benign. Second, I get to shore as soon as possible whenever conditions become gnarly and wait it out. These rules are easy to follow on rivers, which are my favorite aqueous venues. The rules have caused me to shy away from many long crossings and big lake trips, even though they may have been well within my skill level.

I suppose a third rule is to dress for the prevailing water and air temperatures in case of a dump. Since I no longer wish to paddle in wet or dry suits, I now only canoe in warm climes and times. Trudging through early March thigh-deep snow in the mountains of New Hampshire to locate my pinned boat used to be fun, but . . . no mas.

 

[bark-eater]

I had a simular eye opener with my solo. I immediately put short float bags in, but never did the second test. I hope to get some regular open water paddling time in on the Chesapeake this fall and will be putting the full white water bags that the boat came with, in just because. Resealing the dy suit is also moving up the list.

 

[latremorej]

It's very difficult to do a no bottom re entry when you can still touch it. You really need that momentum and strong leg kick that starts deep in the water. I try to sink myself to my chin and use the buoyancy of the PFD, a huge leg kick, and pull hard with my arms to get high enough out of the water to flop back over the gunnel. It's a demanding maneuver that I can't attempt more than 3 or 4 times before I'm gassed. Also, now that I use the fishing PFD, which is much fatter on the chest, it's even more difficult.

Jason

 

[Sweetfancymoses]

I've never made it back into a floating canoe when practicing. Throwing the packs back into the canoe and drifting to shore would be my only hope.
Paraphrasing Glenn's remarks: "It's the mark of a good self-rescuer not to get himself into a situation that requires self-rescue."

 

[MagicPaddler]

Several years ago I tried and failed to get back in my Magic. I was able to spin the canoe and get the water out. I do frequently cross large lakes. There is almost always a fishing pole with 100yds of 20 Lb. line lashed in the boat. My plan is to not waste energy trying to get back in. Empty the boat and put some gear back in. Hold on to the boat and let the wind blow me near shore. Hook the fishing line to my PFB and swim to shore. Tow the canoe in with the fishing line. Its untested but it was the best I could think of.

 

[hidden_lo]

to use the rope loop you should tie it off on the side you are entering and throw the loop across the opposite gunnel so the weight of your foot pressing down on loop pulls up the side your body weight will be pushing down on, keeping the canoe mostly parallel. still requires practice to get a feel for it. I used to do it similarly in my sea kayak when i forgot my paddle float.

 

[Alan Gage]

Never tried it in rough water or real life conditions but I haven't had much trouble climbing back aboard. I've done it in my Magic, Kite, and Bloodvein.

Once getting the canoe empty (completely empty, or nearly so, is very important in my experience) I get set in the middle. I reach over to the far gunwale with one hand while keeping the other on the near gunwale. At this point the canoe will be tipped quite a ways and I try to raise my self up so that the gunwale near the water is poking into my belly. Then I give a big kick and pull. This sends the canoe back to the upright position and the gunwale poking my belly helps pull me up with it. Or at least that's how it feels.

It's important to roll over and drop your butt onto the floor as soon as you can to get your weight back down. Otherwise you find yourself laying over the gunwales in a very precarious position.

This was from me practicing a couple years ago:

Alan

 

[clemency]

I used to be able to get back in a canoe after swimming. When I was 13 and weighed 120 pounds or so. Tried again recently using a nice stable tandem boat, with no luck. I do wonder if trying it without a pfd would make a difference, but at that point there are diminishing returns and I'd rather just avoid the whole scenario.

 

[jm0278]

"...while keeping the other on the near gunwale..."

Alan,

Each time I tried, I had both hands on the far gunwale. Each time I tried, the far gunwale just raised up and tried to smack me in the face. I am very optimistic that keeping one hand on the near gunwale is going to make the difference. An excellent tip! Thanks!!

Jim

 

[jm0278]

All,

The consensus seems to be that knowing how to self-rescue in deep water far from shore isn't a requirement. The weather here in Michigan has just cooled down a great deal and I don't know if I'll be willing to try again anytime soon. But I did get a few good tips to check out the next time I try.

I am reminded of an old adage with regards to sailing: the most dangerous piece of gear on a boat is a calendar. In other words, if conditions are bad, don't leave the dock. I am also reminded of the old airplane adage: taking off is optional, landing is not. So while learning how to self-rescue will remain on my list of things to learn, I'll add an extra day or two of food as "safety gear" so I can wait out marginal weather and not get into trouble in the first place.

On a somewhat related note, I just ordered this Sealline Black Canyon Boundary Pack from Amazon for $105 plus tax that should hold all my kit plus that extra food I mentioned. There are four color options. Choosing the blue saves $45.

Thanks again!

Jim

 

[Dagger]

Canoe self-rescue, what a timely subject.
Two weekends ago I practiced a few self-rescue scenarios. My aim was to use two different canoes. One was a Wenonah Spirit II and the other was my daughter's Dagger Tupelo. I figured the smaller Tupelo would more than adequately simulate challenges one might be presented with, getting back into a smaller solo canoe. Another challenge I thought might be fun to try, I decided to not wear my PFD on first try, to see what that was like.

Weather/Water Conditions:
Calm sunny, flat water day. I was in water deep enough to where I couldn't touch by several feet. I was close enough to shore (30' or so) to swim back if I needed too, and a friend of mine (good swimmer) was on the shore line, ready to help me out of need be. Water temperature was in the low 70'. I realize these conditions may have been much more favorable compared to most actual emergency situations, but I figured some good would come from practicing anyway.

Self-rescue attempts:
Take # 1: With no PFD, I spent 20 minutes mostly treading water and holding on to the canoe to relieve my tired legs from treading water. Staying afloat became a little easier once I flipped the canoe, but it was still pretty exhausting. I got most of the water out of the swamped canoe by using the rock-the-boat method. Note: I went under, every time I pushed/rocked the boat. Very unpleasant and exhausting. Re-entry into the canoe was pretty much a total failure. I simply did not have enough oomph left to do it. Back to shore I went, canoe in tow, for some rest. By the way, did you guys know, swim-towing a swamped canoe is a lot of work? Anyway, after about 30 minutes I tried again, still no PFD, but armed with a different strategy. This time I used a water filled dry-bag, hanging off an extended paddle attached to the yoke on the opposite side of my entry side, as a counter balancing weight. It still took about 10 minutes to get the water out of the swamped canoe, rig paddle and bag, holding on to boat to catch my breath...etc., BUT re-entry was successful! I have to say though, by the time I was back in the canoe, my energy was spent, and I was in no good shape for any long paddle to any distant shore line if had had to. After this experience, I did not even try getting into the Tupelo, not wearing a PFD.

Take #2: This time (about an hour later) I wore my PFD. I know this may be self-evident, but wearing a PFD makes the whole self-rescue bit a WHOLE lot easier. I am not sure I would have appreciated the difference quite as much though, had I not tried it first without. Now, Instead of focusing mainly on staying afloat, my energy was mostly dedicated to getting the water out - and my butt back into the canoe. My first attempt was not crowned by victory, but on second try, I managed to get back in. My technique, if I want to call it that, I grabbed the opposite gunwale from me (in the yoke area), and using a forceful kick, as well as the buoyancy of the PFD, I got my upper body far enough out of the water and over the canoe, so that by leaning forward, the canoe tilted toward flat. This sequence of events is quite elegantly demonstrated in Alan's posted video! The rest was just getting my legs in. I tried it once more, but this time I grabbed the opposite gunwale about a foot further from the yoke toward the stern. This worked pretty well, and I found it much easier not having to stretch quite as far. The canoe also tilts less toward me, so re-swamping it was not an issue.

Take #3: After another substantial rest on shore, I tried the same technique with the 10' Tupelo. Getting the water out of the small canoe was very easy, but getting myself back into the canoe wasn't. I believe the Tupelo was designed for 170 pounds of payload, and I am...well let's just say more than 170 pounds. It all went well up to the leaning over the canoe part which resulted, much to the amusement of my friend and some other bystanders, in me going butt over tea kettle back into the drink on the opposite side from where I had started. The second attempt with the Tupelo worked out better, but I found balancing my body weight just right, to avoid tipping back over, was very tricky and it may have been impossible, had there been any waves.

Body and ego bumped and bruised, here is my take-away:

1. I felt somewhat accomplished but mostly humbled by the experience. I am in decent shape, but self-rescue is an exhausting endeavor, even in good weather/water conditions.
2. Before this experience, I wore my PFD mostly because many statistics say it's a good idea to do so. Now I know it is a good idea to do so because I understand how vital it is to me, in a self-rescue situation.
3. To me, thinking of a self-rescue strategy and practicing it is critical! In the drink and next to a swamped canoe is simply not the time or place to start thinking about a strategy, or trying different rescue approaches. I was amazed how fast my energy tank was on reserve!
4. Think about the details. A bailer, not tied to the canoe may not be there when you need it. Just trust me on this one ;-). What do you do with your paddle during the whole bit. I had not thought about it before and promptly found my paddle 40’ away from my canoe, once I managed to get back in it. Add some wind and waves, and you may lose sight of your paddle altogether. I found it helpful to, even before rocking the water out of the swamped canoe, stick the paddle under yoke and thwart or seat and thwart, so the paddle stays put in the canoe.
5. Did I mention practicing ones strategy…?

Anyhow, just my $0.02 (minus inflation)

Cheers and happy practicing!

 

[jm0278]

Dagger,

Excellent information. With regards to calm conditions and good weather, it is clearly beneficial. But in counterpoint, the adrenalin in a true high-risk situation is not to be underestimated either. Also, I found the thickness of the front of my PFD interfered with my attempts to get over the near gunwale and ended up unzipping it, but still wearing it loosely, helped a lot.

For the successful try at Take #2, did you have one hand on the far gunwale and one on the near or did you reach across to the far gunwale with both hands?

Next time I try this, I'm going to grab the canoe a bit farther aft as you've suggested instead of directly abeam like I did last time. I assumed that grabbing it where the beam is greatest would give me the best leverage, but I now suspect the length of that reach curtailed my ability to gain any momentum -- and it does appear that momentum is important.

​Jim

 

[Dagger]

Jim,
I suppose an additional take away from your observation is that there might be an advantage to wearing a PFD that does not have a lot of bells and whistles on the front, unlike some of the fishing PFDs. My PFD has a zipper in the front instead of buckles, which I think helped a lot in not getting hooked. You are right about the momentum Jim! It seems to me that grabbing the opposite gunwale near the max beam will actually provide more leverage where you don't need it and actually pull the boat further down on the re-entry side, increasing the risk of swamping. Whereas grabbing the gunwale further aft (or front) reduces that leverage and thereby tilt.

I did have one hand on each gunwale. Predominantly pulling with the hand on the far gunwale and later adding pushing with the hand on the near gunwale.

I'll definitely practice self-rescue again this summer, and I want my daughter to learn it too!

 

[BWCA66]

Makes me think that at 60 it would be a lot tougher than it was at 40 which is probably the last time I did practice this. I do know that I needed deep water then to do it.

 

[jm0278]

"...at 60 it would be a lot tougher than it was at 40...

I'm already a bit past 60 and my 40's are just a blurred memory of eat/sleep/work with as much exercise thrown in as I could manage.

I do believe these shallow water practice attempts were more draining than the five-plus mile paddle that preceded them and I would welcome the opportunity to try again in deeper water. Unfortunately, I don't know of any deep water close to shore around here that isn't in a swimming pool.

 

[FartherWest]

... my 40's are just a blurred memory of eat/sleep/work with as much exercise thrown in as I could manage.

The story of my life right now...

If I might make a suggestion: if you have a friend in another canoe near you when you are flailing around in the water trying to get back in (that is the best possible description of my technique) don't you then have the necessary safety net in place?

Thankfully I have a few friends who like to go play in boats and we use the buddy system for rescues practice. We usually have a couple of canoes and take turns swimming. For fun, we sometimes even play stupid and make the person in the water verbally tell us how to properly empty the canoe and help us get back into it.

We are going to play this weekend in a two day class and rescues will be a part of it. I'll try moving farther back in the boat and see if that helps. I was also told to grab the thwarts if I cant reach the far gunwale, that way the canoe doesn't tip quit as far as well. That is what I have to do with the Prospector, its a bit beam-y and I simply don't have arms that long.

 

[Sven]

I must say that Mr. Gage sure made it look easy in his video...

I am a flat water only kinda guy at this point, and thank my lucky stars that I haven't inadvertently taken the plunge from my canoe.

Hope I didn't just jinx myself!

 

[southcove]

Add in the immediate effects of cold water, surprise and shock at being in water, the weight of a laden canoe and fatigue...not to mention waves, chop or wind and you have horrible chances of a successful re-entry except from shore. In many locales or trips there has to be an element of good luck combined with common sense, good paddling skills, the proper boat for conditions and nearby companions to assist when and where possible - because water temperature, wave conditions, wind, etc are simply not going to ever get much better. (and most of us are pretty casual with dressing for those conditions vs sea kayakers, white water and river rafters)

All of us have probably gotten away with a few episodes where we might have paid a much heavier price...

 

[Dagger]

...there has to be an element of good luck combined with common sense, good paddling skills, the proper boat for conditions and nearby companions to assist when and where possible

Absolutely right Sir!
Those are the essentials that keep most of us from getting into hairy canoeing (or other) situations in the first place. I intend to keep to those guiding principles for all my canoeing endeavors. Self-rescue practice was more of a fun thing to do .

I still don't have a high degree of confidence that i'll be able to get back in my canoe when it counts. I might have added a tool in my paddling tool belt that might come in handy some day. What I did learn pretty quickly was, I will absolutely continue to wear a PFD, even on those hot, sticky summer days .
If I can't get back in the boat, I will at least buy myself a lot more time to come up with a plan B ;-)