Bow Roll Rescue as Published in Sea Kayaker Magazine
Technique  —October 2007 Bow Roll Rescue by John Martin Photos by John Martin, Jim Price and Kate Armstrong |
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Recently I’ve been developing and teaching a rescue technique for righting a capsized kayaker who hasn’t been able to perform a wet exit and needs help getting upright for air. Dubbed the “Bow Roll Rescue,†it addresses many of the shortcomings of other common rescue methods. The technique was discovered during a pool practice session and has been refined over more than a year of application and introduction to others in the incident management and rescue courses I teach.
Conventional Rescue Techniques
Something New
For the past few years, I’ve been looking for an easy rescue technique that any paddler can perform on any other paddler regardless of size, strength or experience. The method had to work whether the rescuee was conscious or not, and it needed to work as well in rough water as it did in calm. It also had to maintain a margin of safety for the rescuer in case of an uncooperative or panicked rescuee. Fellow paddlers Paul Redzimsky, Mike Agostinelli and I were playing in a pool session one day. Paul and Mike were trying to capsize each other by grasping and rotating the bow of the other’s boat. After some time, they decided to see if the reverse would work—if a capsized paddler could be rolled up via rotation of the bow. They had some success, and I was instantly intrigued. I had no trouble doing the Bow Roll Rescue, as I called it (the “Redzimsky-Agostinelli Maneuver†had a nice ring to it but wasn’t very descriptive), but few of the people I showed the technique to could do it well or consistently. Over time, I realized that my 30 years of practicing ju-jutsu played a significant role in my understanding of how the technique needed to be applied for reliable execution. I’ve begun to use the Bow Roll Rescue almost exclusively in real situations and simulations (drills) when time is of the essence. At the kayak center where I teach, all of the kayak staff are required to know the Bow Roll Rescue. I have yet to find someone too big to rescue or too small to perform it. I now teach the technique first in a land session where the principles and mechanics of the technique can be explained and practiced without subjecting some poor “victim†to extended immersions. For dry land training, there is no paddler in the capsized boat. After the method is working on land, we then move to water where success quickly follows. Bow and Keel Grasp Stow your paddle, and while maintaining a safe position—elbows down and close to the sides—grasp the upturned keel with the hand that’s on the same side as the inverted boat. Reach underwater with the hand that is opposite the inverted boat, and grasp the bow. Support yourself on the inverted kayak and edge your boat to bring your cockpit coaming under the bow of the inverted boat. Getting your boat edged enough to submerge your coaming will take you beyond your kayak’s stability, but as long as you have a good hold on the capsized boat, you are in no danger of capsize. (See Images 1a and 1b.)
Bow Slide
Bow Quarter-Roll Float The side of the rescuee’s bow will easily do a 90-degree roll and come to rest in a stable position on its side on your spraydeck. The flat side of a sea kayak’s bow is what makes this rescue work well. (I haven’t yet tried to adapt it to work with white-water kayaks with horizontal bows.) (See Images 3a and 3b.)
At this point, a conscious paddler may surface enough to get a breath of air. He may also be able to hear you, so you can encourage him to relax and reassure him that all is going well for the rescue. Since the kayak and paddler are in a stable position with the bow resting on your coaming, the rescuee is not likely to be resubmerged. That lessens the risk of water aspiration and/or panic. Hull Hug With the bow of the rescuee’s boat stabilized on its side on your spraydeck, lie across the kayak bow and encircle it with your arms. Your off-side armpit (that farthest from the capsized kayaker) should engage the upward-facing deck-to-hull edge of the rescuee’s boat. The crook of your elbow of that arm should angle around the downward-facing deck-hull edge of the rescuee’s boat. Your off-side wrist or fingers should be hooked around the keel of the rescuee’s boat. It’s very important that you adjust the angle of your arm and position of your body so that all joints mate with the inverted kayak’s edges and your body is completely in contact with its bow. This is essential to maximizing the grip necessary to rotate the capsized paddler’s kayak without excessive effort, strain or injury. Your on-side hand (the one closest to inverted boat) should lightly grip the deck lines of the inverted kayak, and your wrist should be positioned such that it bends around the upward facing deck-hull edge. Depending on the slack in the deck lines, this may require holding onto one or both of the lines to get your wrist in the proper position. I don’t recommend fully encircling of the lines with your fingers—your grip should be just enough for you to maintain firm contact yet allow you to release the deck lines quickly in the event of any sudden rotation of the rescuee’s boat. Your lower forearm presses against the top side of the partially inverted boat’s hull. (See Images 4a and 4b.)
Not all inverted kayaks will have full perimeter deck lines. Some may have perimeter deck bungees or something else that won’t provide a solid, stable connection to the boat. The Bow Roll Rescue is still possible with these kayaks, but it’s harder to do when you can’t get a solid, stable connection. If you’re trying to right a kayak that doesn’t have perimeter deck lines to grab, the upper-facing deck-to-hull edge of the rescuee’s kayak must be mated to the crook of your wrist. This makes the rescue a bit harder on slippery rounded hulls and requires a bit more hand strength or grip. Full perimeter deck lines not only make this rescue easier, they help make many rescue techniques easier. They should be a standard feature on any sea kayak. Final Roll-Up
The torque needs to be sufficient to roll the rescuee to an upright position regardless of his weight and height. To get this torque, attempt to raise your boat into the air by lifting your hips. Of course you won’t actually be able to lift your boat into the air, but this is the best way to focus your efforts. By “lifting†your kayak, you’ll generate a downward force on the side of the rescuee’s bow. The resulting torque will easily roll the rescuee’s boat to an upright position. If you are small and are trying to assist a much larger rescuee, it may be necessary for you to focus more intently on trying to raise your hips and kayak out of the water. This will provide a greater torque to roll the inverted boat. If the roll-up is progressing easily, you should keep your eyes up and focused on the rescuee to aid in assessing his condition. If the roll-up is demanding your full concentration to maintain the Hull Hug—as is often the case in rough water—keep your head pressed to the side of the inverted boat’s hull. This will maximize grip as well as minimize the risk of impact to your head by the inverted boat’s hull in rough water. It’s relatively easy to give the Final Roll-Up too much momentum and have the rescuee recapsize on the side closest to you. The force required to perform the Final Roll-Up is greatest at its beginning and reduces quickly as the inverted paddler progresses to an upright position. Very little force is required at the end of the Final Roll-Up. An unconscious or panicked paddler may in fact continue moving to the other side of his kayak as the Final Roll-Up is completed, thus encouraging another capsize. You should reduce the force applied as the Final Roll-Up completes, maintain a full Hull Hug, and be ready to reverse direction if the rescuee flops across the deck to the other side. It’s not hard to end smoothly if these possibilities are recognized and anticipated. In other words, don’t quit the rescue to celebrate early. Proceed to the next step (finish position) and hang out there for a moment to be sure you are done. Finish Position
Practice Practice the Bow Roll Rescue until your form is correct on both sides. As is often the case with most physical actions, you will probably find one side tougher to do correctly. In an actual rescue, you’ll need to approach the capsized kayak as quickly as you can. Don’t waste time maneuvering to bring a favored side to the capsized kayaker’s bow. Focusing your efforts at trying to lift your boat out of the water will produce the results you want, but neither you nor anyone watching you perform the rescue will see much vertical movement in your boat. If you’re familiar with the kayak review hydrostatics listed on Sea Kayaker’s website, you know that it takes nearly 100 pounds of force to effect a one-inch change in the waterline of most kayaks. Because this key element of the rescuer “lifting†his kayak is largely invisible, knowing the correct technique is essential. When I’ve demonstrated this technique on the water to those who have never seen it before, few have been able to perform it based on their observation of it. Even if you have mastered numerous rescue techniques, don’t discount practicing on land. Of those students I’ve taught the technique to, those who have mastered the technique on land have 100 percent success rate in water. Most succeed on the first attempt; the rest need only a reminder of a key point or two to succeed within a few more attempts. Paddlers who have become proficient with the Bow Roll Rescue have commented to me how easy it is to perform in various conditions. Safe, Effective, Efficient The Bow Roll Rescue offers some great advantages over other common rescue techniques. It works well in calm and rough water, with panicked or unconscious paddlers, and in spite of significant size and strength differences between rescuer and rescuee. I believe it’s a method that should be in every paddler’s repertoire. As you practice with the Bow Roll Rescue, you may discover modifications that may improve the technique. I welcome your feedback. I’d like to make sure any useful modifications are shared with everyone. John Martin is an ACA instructor and BCU coach who loves experimenting and playing on the water. He instructs for Geneva Kayak Center in Geneva, Illinois, and especially enjoys teaching incident management and rescue courses. John has created a website for the Bow Roll Rescue, which includes a video clip of the rescue (www.bowrollrescue.com ). The video can also be viewed on Sea Kayaker’s website (www.seakayakermag.com ) with the online supplements for the October 2007 issue. |
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