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Fish
Big Boofer
Joined: 05 Sep 2007
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Posts: 713
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   Posted: 27 Jan 2010 at 3:15pm |
Swimming with a paddle, but without a boat ,sounds a lot like my early creeking days in an IK. Our crew was arguably some of the best class V swimmers around for a good period of time. For "boatless" swimming pics one needs to look no further than Brian Blog. Being Captain of the swim team wasnt always a bad thing, it taught us that to paddle any rapid, you must first be willing to swim it. Check out the older trip reports, to see the latest in "boatless" paddle swimming technique.  Ahh the good ole days
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franzhorner
PP Junkie
outdoors music woodwork
Joined: 01 Mar 2005
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Posts: 751
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Posted: 27 Jan 2010 at 10:22pm |
awesome TR!
breakdowns are always a good idea.
once however, we decided that since two of the three of us didn't have a paddle and the 3rd had a breakdown, that we would share the breakdown and c-1 our IK's out! 1/2 a carlisle breakdown with its big ass blade and short shaft is no way to paddle a kayak!!!
we next did a piggy back type deal where two would paddle to an eddy and get out. while one went upstream with one of the paddles and a throw bag, the other scouted and looked for a paddle downstream. the guy upstream would then paddle down to the eddy and on we would go like this. this worked much better than the c1. we eventually found my paddle and all was good....
the skok is a great place for EPIC!!!!
I would really like to get back in there someday.....
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MORE RAIN PLEASE
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fiddleyak
McNasty
Joined: 26 Oct 2007
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Posted: 27 Jan 2010 at 11:26pm |
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Thanks for the writeup, that qualifies as an epic!
You're totally right that you can never have enough dry throwbag practice, and you have to be able to throw loops too. A much neglected skill. A good time to practice is when you're hanging out waiting for shuttle (or just go rafting with X!). Nothing feels sh*ttier than screwing up a rescue.
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water wacko
Master Poster
Team Jackson
Joined: 07 Nov 2006
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Posted: 28 Jan 2010 at 7:11am |
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...especially when it's your girlfriend!!
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fiddleyak
McNasty
Joined: 26 Oct 2007
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Posted: 28 Jan 2010 at 3:32pm |
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Throwing loops of rope...I think that it's best just to practice and figure it out. One thing that you will discover is that it won't work if the coils overlap in your palm, so you have to take care when you pull the rope in and set it in your hand. Doesn't seem to hurt to keep the lengths of rope about even.
Seriously this is a skill worth practicing, that way if you miss your first toss you can pull the rope in and throw it again in a matter of seconds, as opposed to the interminable process of restuffing the bag when time counts.
While were talking about rope, I'm a big fan of the small 40' bag that fits in the front pocket of the pfd.
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ThrowYaMittsUp
Tricky Woo
Joined: 08 Jul 2008
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Posted: 28 Jan 2010 at 3:49pm |
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This was definitely a factor in our case, as my second toss became tangled because I rushed to get the rope back. I was also in a horrible spot to throw from and slightly fatigued from rushing the flat water paddle in.
A supplemental TR will follow...
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"Call on God, but row away from the rocks." ~H.S. Thompson
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water wacko
Master Poster
Team Jackson
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Posted: 28 Jan 2010 at 5:50pm |
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Ben, what ropes and gear did you guys have on Day Creek?
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jP
Rio Banditos
Diddle Fuerte Diablo !
Joined: 15 Oct 2005
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Posts: 4404
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Posted: 28 Jan 2010 at 7:06pm |
Sweet Mr. Pernick, more accounts of the same trip would be a cool thing, since my account is obviously from my limited perspective. Slickhorn's blog continues to be a good resource to return to. i'm gonna check it out.
On Day Crk we had My spectra (50'?) rope, which now is somewhere on the Skok, and Ben's two rope bags: His 40' green bag and his 70' (?) raft guide bag.
I'm gonna replace the spectra bag. I like the way it throws and I like that it doesn't stretch as much. Yeah, it's smaller but it's usually adequate for most applications.
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🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋
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Ellingferd
McNasty
Joined: 21 Jun 2005
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Posted: 28 Jan 2010 at 7:47pm |
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using a butterfly coil instead of the regular coil works much better for the re-throw, but this takes a little practice to do quickly.
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Kyle K
Splat Wheeler
Joined: 27 May 2005
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Posted: 28 Jan 2010 at 8:47pm |
Swimming with a paddle works really well, although it can tire you out quickly, at least it tires me out. I used that technique to cross from river left to river right between the ledge below Behemoth and the next boulder garden on the UU Cispus. 'Twas one of my very first creekin' trips and don't ask where my boat was (OK, downstream around the corner. It, ummm, ran the falls without me... Go ahead, laugh while you can Kennnett!). Don't ever let anyone tell you the falls in unportagable; I did it by myself about 10 feet up the wall on river left. I traversed downstream (scary above the falls) to just above the ledge and jumped in. I wouldn't want to do it again though.
I agree, most of us don't practice throwin' the rope nearly enough, if ever, especially once it's been deployed. It's hard. This makes me realize I need to do some practice. Looks like Liquid Logic is going to market a wide mouth throw bag, with the idea that it can be stuffed in a hurry. I still think the loop method will be quicker in an emergency but I do like the idea. Check it out here...
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"I used to be somebody, now I'm somebody else." Bad Blake
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jP
Rio Banditos
Diddle Fuerte Diablo !
Joined: 15 Oct 2005
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Posted: 01 Feb 2010 at 4:19pm |
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when you swam tih your paddle, though- were you're legs and lower body dangling in the current beneath you? The technique I described involves turning your whole body into a boat. I could paddle almost as well as if I was in a kayak. Plane your body on the surface, toes forward in front of you. I'm sure I'd get tired eventually, but i found it to be pretty efficient. A great thing to play around with on warmer days. I plan on running some class III rapids on the Sky this way later this summer when it's warmer. Maybe even B.D. if the h2o level is right.
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Kyle K
Splat Wheeler
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Posted: 01 Feb 2010 at 8:33pm |
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I was doing the crawl, only using the paddle. Fast and powerful but tiring.
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"I used to be somebody, now I'm somebody else." Bad Blake
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Kyle K
Splat Wheeler
Joined: 27 May 2005
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Posted: 01 Feb 2010 at 8:34pm |
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I like your idea of feet forward and planing. Cool!
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"I used to be somebody, now I'm somebody else." Bad Blake
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jP
Rio Banditos
Diddle Fuerte Diablo !
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Posted: 02 Feb 2010 at 11:56am |
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yeah it's a whole different feeling - try it. I wouldn't want to run class IV that way but in open deep class III, I don't see why one really needs a boat with this technique.
The crawl approach tires you out for obvious reasons: your whole torso and lower body are dangling down in the current where it gets hung up on slower subsurface currents. Of course there are scenarios where the faster "trunk" of current is below the surface, the point being that if you are seriously attempting to use a paddle to aid your swimming, then you need to think and act DYNAMICLY to achieve what ever it is you are trying to achieve in the scenario. If the paddle is tiring you out there is no point in holding onto it. If you find this to be the case you are better off chucking it and swimming after it.Chucking it and swimming after it. Chucking it and swimming after i, ect.
I dunno- worth playing around with. Sure came in handy. I used it more in the scenario of trying to make down river progress after my boat. In heavey whitewater I'd be much less likely to mess with it. The pddle can get tangled up in different currents if you are'nt tuned in to what's happening.
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Kyle K
Splat Wheeler
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Posted: 02 Feb 2010 at 8:48pm |
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Actually, when I was doing the crawl thing, my body was flat on the surface, belly down, feet kicking, just like the regular crawl. At least that's what I was trying to do. I could move really fast that way for short periods.
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"I used to be somebody, now I'm somebody else." Bad Blake
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jP
Rio Banditos
Diddle Fuerte Diablo !
Joined: 15 Oct 2005
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Posted: 03 Feb 2010 at 11:22am |
like I said: I employed this technique in order to make Downstream progress because I had no boat. Catching eddies wasn' t the goal.
However, when I approached the top of an obvious rapid that I'd at least want to scout (I ended up walking around it), I turned my toes upstream and ferried across to the eddy just like I was in a kayak. Really, you should try it.
I mean I'm not gonna want to volunteer to run Icicle Creek this way or anything, but if you're in reasonably flat (I.E. less steep, low gradient) class III it should work for getting about.
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