Paddle leashes

[riverstrider]

I know this is not really a canoe topic, but if many of you are like me and paddle in groups, many in the group are kayakers. For some reason, I have noticed a marked increase in the number of my (misguided) kayak companions using paddling leashes. Has anyone else noticed this? If so, do you speak up about the potential entanglement dangers?

For my part, I do. I respectfully ask if I can give them some advice about their paddle leash, and if they agree, I recommend against ever using one in a river environment, even flatwater, since in a sudden unexpected capsize having the boat tethered to the paddle could at best complicate recovery and at worst get the boater tangled in their paddle leash and some other obstacle like a fallen tree (which on a moving river is the most common cause for capsizes I see on the trips I am part of). Pretty much 100% of the paddlers I have spoken to about this were unaware of the danger.

-rs

 

[dogbrain]

Lots of people are using kayak paddles these days in canoes, so it seems on topic enough, but I have never seen a leash used in a canoe. I get the entanglement concern in a river, but not so much in flat water. Do you care to elaborate on the flat water danger? In my sea kayak days I used a leash when soloing in flat water. The leash allows one to easily set up for a re-entry without worrying about where the paddle went, freeing both hands to pull the skirt, inflate and deploy the paddle float, grab other gear etc.

Mark

 

[Pseudonym]

I use a paddle leash when I'm in my touring kayak in salt water, but I secure it to my PFD and not my boat, which seems less dicey during a wet exit because the leash comes with me.

The leash is annoying, but you can't easily store the paddle on a kayak the way you can store a paddle in an open canoe. Opening my spray skirt and/or hatches is a two-handed operation and there's no good place to keep the paddle on the deck when doing so without it getting in the way. With my leash, I can drop the paddle over the side, let it float and then pick it up when I'm done.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

I used to paddle whitewater with a guy who used a leash on his single blade—attached, I think (it was long ago), to his grip wrist. Losing your paddle in a whitewater spill is a very real and not uncommon occurrence, and sometimes it won't be rescued or found. He had some sort of emergency quick-releases mechanism in case the paddle got entangled, but I can't recall what exactly.

Ocean kayakers and outrigger canoe paddlers sometimes use paddle leashes, especially if they don't have an easily accessible spare on the hull. You can't afford to be without a paddle in the wavy and windy ocean even if you manage to climb back onto or into your craft, which is easy with a self-draining outrigger canoe.

 

[riverstrider]

Do you care to elaborate on the flat water danger?

There are many "flatwater" rivers I have paddled that, while flat, still have moving water...and how fast that moving water is going can often be masked by the fact that it is flat, or give the paddler a false sense of security when they think the absence of any whitewater or riffles means they are "safe".

I use a paddle leash when I'm in my touring kayak in salt water, but I secure it to my PFD and not my boat, which seems less dicey during a wet exit because the leash comes with me.

I would agree with that. On saltwater bodies, or on large lakes, where losing a paddle is a real possibility, I can certainly understand that. Especially if one is paddling solo where no companion is there to help with paddle retrieval.

I used to paddle whitewater with a guy who used a leash on his single blade—attached, I think (it was long ago), to his grip wrist. Losing your paddle in a whitewater spill is a very real and not uncommon occurrence, and sometimes it won't be rescued or found. He had some sort of emergency quick-releases mechanism in case the paddle got entangled, but I can't recall what exactly.

Ocean kayakers and outrigger canoe paddlers sometimes use paddle leashes, especially if they don't have an easily accessible spare on the hull. You can't afford to be without a paddle in the wavy and windy ocean even if you manage to climb back onto or into your craft, which is easy with a self-draining outrigger canoe.

Boy, I would definitely not recommend a paddle leash on whitewater. I remember in my whitewater days that hanging onto my paddle was constantly drummed into my head. I would especially not want to try to execute a roll with a leashed paddle in turbulent current.

But as I noted above, I get the saltwater and wave thing. If I saw a kayaker or canoeist in such conditions, I'd keep my mouth shut. But on rivers, even wide rivers, with any current...nope.

 

[eckilson]

Going to be doing sea kayak assisted rescue practice on Sunday. One of my questions is what do you do with the paddle - assume you hold on to it and pull the skirt with the other hand?

 

[SouthernKevlar]

When paddling whitewater in C1s and OC1s, I always carry a spare paddle on or under my float bags.

In the kayaks I didn't carry a spare paddle but I could generally count on one of my paddling buddies to go after the paddle if it was loose. I grabbed paddles (or the 'yak) for them when they lost it too.

On flatwater I always carry an extra canoe paddle just because a different style blade can be fun.

I never even thought about a leash, except on my surfboard back in the '70s!

 

[Halpc]

My kayak skirts required two hands to "push" off. Maybe I was lucky, but the paddle was always within grabbing distance after wet exiting. The primary goal was to get my head into the air for a breath- the fate of the paddle a distant second! This was especially true if wet exiting followed a failed attempt or two at rolling.

 

[eckilson]

We'll see what they say at the training. I'm like Riverstrider - even in open water I wouldn't use a paddle leash. Its the whitewater paddler in me. I could put a spare, break apart paddle on my kayak deck, and probably should - the deck lines are there, and it would be one less thing to worry about if I dumped.

I've been on vacation for the past two weeks at the beach in South County, RI. I've been paddling my sea kayak exclusively. I took two unexpected swims while trying to take pictures - both times the paddle went in at a bad angle and pulled me over. In both cases I was able to get back in the boat with a paddle float and pump the water out with a pump. I could never do that in my canoe. I've been paddling alone, so I haven't been wearing the skirt and the conditions were calm. Holding on to the paddle wasn't a problem.

Just a side note - I can bounce around in river waves in my canoe all day and it doesn't bother me. The ocean is a whole different story - wind going one way, waves going another way, and me trying to go a third way. There's a lot going on. To be honest, ocean swells kind of freak me out - we'll see if I get better with time in the boat. I'd love to get out and do some ocean camping in the kayak - maybe the Maine Island Trail.

 

[lowangle al]

It makes more sense to me to use the leash to stay connected to your boat where your paddle is securely attached. If your boat blows away that paddle on the leash won’t do you much good.

 

[Alan Gage]

I never had a problem popping my kayak skirts one handed but these were sea kayaks. On my plastic kayaks they would often pop by themselves if I let go with my knees and let myself fall out of the cockpit. Maybe whitewater kayaks take more effort.

As for putting the skirt back after reentry that definitely took two hands but I was always able to keep track of the paddle while doing this (either in my hands, across my lap, or jammed under the deck webbing). Granted pretty much all my practice was done in calm water in hot weather so that makes it a bit easier. I did have a couple unplanned capsizes but I was able to either roll up or I was close to shore.

My roll was far from perfect but I was able to teach myself and it was a fun thing to do in hot weather. I started with a canoe paddle, which I found much easier, because there was only one blade to worry about and having my top hand on the handle gave me better feel for the blade angle. Once I started getting the mechanics down I switched to a double.

Have fun with training!

Alan

 

[gumpus]

Kudos to you for successfully coaching fellow paddlers riverstrider. I've only coached strangers successfully a few times when the circumstances made it easy and I got lucky enough to choose words that didn't offend anyone.

Most recently I watched a family of 5 launching in 5 kayaks on a 90 degree day. Local river running at 9000 cfs after some rain (normally around 3000 cfs this time of year) with current around 4 mph but nice and flat and quiet. Only one person wearing a PFD. Thought about telling them to look for the cross on the tree 1/2 mile downstream Thought about asking them if they thought they could swim across the river. Thought about telling them to hang onto their boats if they dump. The father said "have a nice trip" as I launched to paddle upstream so I said "be careful out there" and he said "thank you" and I was happy that at least he had a quizzical look about why I told him to be careful. I think that one reason we don't have even more deaths around here is that kayakers tend to paddle in groups so they have some safety back-up through dumb luck rather than awareness and planning. In my experience females are far more receptive to safety coaching than males.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

Just a side note - I can bounce around in river waves in my canoe all day and it doesn't bother me. The ocean is a whole different story - wind going one way, waves going another way, and me trying to go a third way. There's a lot going on. To be honest, ocean swells kind of freak me out - we'll see if I get better with time in the boat.

Haha, all those were exactly my concerns and fears when paddling sea kayaks in the ocean, especially since I only had a 20% roll. They were also the reasons I quit sea kayaking and bought an outrigger canoe at age 59.

I feel much more stable and safe in a va'a, and self-rescue is easy. You will never dump on your ama side.

If you dump on the non-ama side, the canoe will end up upside-down in the water. Just flip it over, get in between the main hull and ama, face away from the main hull so it's behind you (like the edge of a swimming pool), put one hand on the cockpit and the other hand on the rear iako, and lift your butt onto the seat as you would on the edge of a swimming pool. The ama is like a gigantic, permanent paddle float that will support you during this re-entry.

The footwell is the only part of the canoe that holds water, and you will either have a venturi self-drain there or you just stomp out the couple pints of water.

It makes more sense to me to use the leash to stay connected to your boat where your paddle is securely attached. If your boat blows away that paddle on the leash won’t do you much good.

Yes, some ocean kayakers attach the leash to the boat hull in front of them if they don't have a roll. In fact, that may be a lot more common than attaching the leash to your PFD.

I've never seen a whitewater kayaker use a leash, and the only canoeist I've ever seen use one is that one whitewater canoeist I mentioned in the early 90s. He was actually a good class 4 canoeist, but I don't think he had an open boat roll.

 

[lowangle al]

The people I see in OC1 use a leash attaching themselves to their boat. They have a spare paddle secured to the ama that they can then use to go get their other paddle.

I have been tempted to use a leash connecting me to my boats when practicing in the wind. This was especially important when I did most of my paddling while standing, but not as much now since I paddle mostly seated, even though I'm in the stern seat.