Kayak Capsize Recovery System
A kayak capsize recovery system. It includes a paddle with a blade on each end; a paddle float for releasable connection to one end of the paddle; a pouch connected to the kayak to receive the other end of the paddle; and a strap with inner and outer ends for releasable connection to kayak and paddle float. The pouch and said strap connect to opposite sides of the kayak cockpit. The length of strap and depth of pouch enable the system to stabilize a capsize orientation of kayak.
Our related and copending Provisional Application No. 61/459,755 was filed on Dec. 20, 2010. That filing date is claimed for this application.
BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART INFORMATIONKayaking is a sport enjoyed by millions worldwide. It is relatively safe, but it is performed on water, and kayaks sometimes capsize due to paddler error, wind, waves and currents. Methods of re-entering a kayak have been developed for both solo and assisted rescues. Assisted rescues involve another kayaker or two kayakers coming to the assistance of the capsized and now swimming paddler. Some of these techniques are known as the T-Rescue, the H-Rescue, the X-Rescue, and the Scoop Rescue. There are also a series of techniques to re-right a capsized paddler who has remained in the kayak, holding his breath and awaiting nearby help. Two of these techniques are commonly called Eskimo bow rescue and Eskimo paddle rescue.
Kayakers are sometimes without ready assistance because they are either paddling alone, or in a group that has split apart, or because no one in the group is capable of assisting. It is therefore important for kayakers to learn and perfect one or more self rescue techniques.
Best known of the self-rescue techniques, probably because it is the most fascinating to watch, is the Eskimo roll, in which the capsized paddler remains in the kayak and executes a re-righting of the boat with body movement or, more commonly, body movement aided by use of the paddle. The problem with this approach is that it is difficult for most people to learn and once learned, it must be practiced regularly to be reliable. Because of the frequency of capsizing in rapids, whitewater kayakers generally have a reliable roll, and those that can't master the technique usually abandon the sport. But this is not the case for flatwater recreational and touring kayakers whose demographic is skewed to older, less agile people than that of whitewater kayakers. Only a small percentage of recreational and touring kayakers have reliable rolls.
Self-rescue techniques commonly taught are the Cowboy, the Paddle Float, and the Reenter and Roll (with Paddle Float). In the Cowboy Technique the kayaker rights the boat, pulls himself onto the stern of the boat and swings around to straddle the kayak with a leg on each side. Then the kayaker works his way forward until he can lower his butt into the seat and pull his legs into the cockpit. This technique requires, agility, balance, and flexibility, and it can be very difficult to perform in narrow boats, boats with small cockpits, in high winds, or rough water conditions.
The most widely used self-rescue technique is the Paddle Float Technique. The paddle float is either an inflatable bladder, a foam bead filled bag, or a rigid foam bag, capable of being slipped over or connected to one blade of a kayak paddle.
Even recreational and touring kayakers who are capable of Eskimo rolling a kayak often carry a paddle float as their backup plan should their roll fail.
In a paddle float rescue, the capsized kayaker performs a wet exit by releasing any spray skirt and pushing himself out of the overturned boat. He then rerights the boat, extracts the paddle float from its place, slips it over one blade of the paddle and inflates it by blowing into an inflation tube until the bag is substantially full and then closing the valve. Alternatively, if the paddle float is of the foam bead or rigid foam the inflation step is not necessary. When inflated, a paddle float typically produces about 15 pounds of buoyance. The kayaker, still swimming or floating beside the kayak then positions the kayak paddle over the rear deck of the upright kayak and at 90° to the keel line. In this position, the paddle float acts as an outrigger to stabilize the kayak as the kayaker pulls himself up and onto the rear deck and hooks a leg on the extended paddle shaft. At this point he is face down over the kayak. The kayaker next turns his head toward the stern of the boat and moves both legs over the paddle shaft and into the cockpit. The kayaker then swivels himself into an upright position and lowers his butt into the seat. It is usually necessary to pump water out of the cockpit area using a hand held, manually operated bilge pump or, if available, an electric or manual bilge pump built into the boat. The final steps are to remove and stow the paddle float, reattach any spray skirt the kayaker may be wearing and resume paddling.
The difficulty with the paddle float rescue is that it requires strength, agility, and balance. The paddle float only resists capsizing in the direction toward the float and does little or nothing to resist a capsize in the opposite direction. Limited upper body strength, bulky personal floatation devices (life jackets), large bellies, gear stored on the rear deck and high rear decks on some kayaks, often make the process of getting onto the rear of the kayak very difficult or impossible for some people. The movements required to move both feet over the extended paddle shaft and place feet and legs into the cockpit call for a high degree of agility and frequently the result of the attempt is a re-capsize. The step requiring the body to swivel and corkscrew into the cockpit requires balance and also often leads to a re-capsize. Finally, the steps involving pumping, reattaching spray skirts and removing and stowing the paddle float require at least one hand and sometimes both hands off the paddle, thereby leaving the kayaker little or no support from the paddle and more vulnerable to a subsequent capsize than if paddling forward.
The propensity for re-capsizing while attempting the paddle float rescue is so high that the failure has a universally recognized name—the Yellow Rainbow—alluding to the fact that the paddle float, typically yellow in color, arcs through the air as the kayak again capsizes on the unsupported side. Each attempt to reenter the kayak expends a certain amount of energy, and, if the water is cold, prolonged exposure leads to a loss of dexterity and the onset or aggravation of hypothermia. These factors combine to make subsequent attempts to re-enter even more difficult.
Numerous efforts have been made to rectify these deficiencies of the paddle float rescue or to propose alternatives. A stirrup sling is a commonly available accessory to facilitate the paddle float rescue. It includes a closed loop of rope and often a rigid stirrup. The sling is looped over the shaft of one end of the paddle, brought under the hull of the kayak and wrapped around the paddle shaft on the side bearing the float. A loose end hangs down as a stirrup, allowing the kayaker to insert one foot and boost himself onto the stern deck. This does nothing to alleviate the awkwardness of getting both feet and legs over the paddle shaft, the agility required to swivel into the cockpit, and the lack of support while pumping, reattaching spray skirt, and deflating and stowing the paddle float.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,129,600 discloses a triangular shaped float or a float with multiple fins to resist movement in the water as the paddler executes his various moves. This addresses only a minor problem with the general paddle float procedure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,248 discloses use of a large bladder having a handle and actuated with compressed air that the kayaker can deploy while upside down, and use to re-right himself. This is a bulky item and requires recharging or replacement of the compressed air cylinder possibly rendering it useless in a subsequent capsize.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,769,378 discloses a telescopic arm bearing a collapsible container that when extended and filled with water offers a counter weight to a kayaker using a ladder platform on the opposite side of the kayak. These items are large, heavy and costly.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,369 discloses a very large inflatable bladder with an attached stirrup that when deployed enables the kayaker to climb back into the kayak. This arrangement is bulky as it must be large enough to support a large portion of body weight without the advantage of any leverage and is very time consuming to inflate, subjecting the kayaker to prolonged exposure in the water.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn summary, this invention is a kayak capsize recovery system. It includes a paddle with a blade on each end; a paddle float for releasable connection to one end of the paddle; a pouch connected to the kayak to receive the other end of the paddle; and a strap with inner and outer ends for releasable connection to kayak and paddle float. The pouch and said strap connect to opposite sides of the kayak cockpit. The length of strap and depth of pouch enable the system to stabilize a capsize orientation of kayak.
In the accompanying drawings:
The object of this invention is to provide a compact, quick, and reliable apparatus and method to re-enter a kayak after a capsize and subsequent wet exit. This apparatus and method is applicable only to kayaks with adequate bow and stern floatation, usually provided by bulkheads fore and aft creating dry compartments in the bow and stern or by floatation bags, large shaped bladders filled with air to occupy volume in the bow and stern. A kayak with floatation in only one end will not lie level and a kayak without any floatation will take on too much water. For this apparatus and method to succeed, a kayak must be able to lie level on its side with its cockpit open to the water.
The apparatus includes two receiver fittings fixed to the deck of the kayak, one on each side of the cockpit, a pouch containing a set of straps with two clips for engagement with the receiver fittings, and an inflatable paddle float (rigid or semi-rigid). These items are all together in a compact rescue kit. Upon capsize and wet exit, the kayaker retrieves the rescue kit, unrolls and slips the paddle float over one blade of the kayak paddle, inflates the paddle float, pulls on the handle of the pouch to release its contents and places the pouch over the other blade of the kayak paddle. Elasticity of the strapping provides tension to keep the paddle float and pouch engaged with their respective ends of the paddle. The kayaker then attaches the two clips to the two deck receiver fittings and rolls the boat on its side. Strap length, which is adjustable, is preset to the configuration of the kayak and paddle so that when turned on its side, the kayak is held in this slightly over-center position with a lower strap in tension and the paddle shaft in compression. In this position the kayak is stable and on its side, with the cockpit presented to the kayaker such that the kayaker can easily wiggle into the cockpit, contact his lower leg with the underside of the deck or thigh brace, and right the boat by easily rolling the hips and exerting a small pressure on the paddle shaft. With the kayak now in the upright position, small straps affixed to the clips are connected over the paddle shaft on each side of the cockpit to clamp the paddle horizontally against the cockpit rim. In this position the paddle, with paddle float still inflated and attached, serves as a rigid outrigger to stabilize the boat. This frees the kayaker's hands to retrieve and use his bilge pump to remove water from the cockpit area. As long as the kayaker biases his weight toward the outrigger, the boat will be stable.
At this point, although the kayaker is back in the cockpit and upright, the recovery procedure is still in process, albeit in the “cleanup” stage. The kayaker now pumps out the boat, dismantles the paddle/outrigger, deflates the paddle float, and stores the apparatus. Now, during this cleanup stage, if the kayaker should for some reason capsize again, the cleated paddle shaft could interfere with his wet exit. In that event, the clips will disengage from the receiver fittings with a forward push on the paddle shaft. The kayaker can now free himself from the cockpit and repeat the recovery procedure. This self-rescue technique can be performed from either side of the boat.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION In which Certain Terms of Art May be Initial-Capitalized for Easy ReferenceApparatus pouch 30 is attached to the other end of strap 36. The pouch 30 is made of cloth, plastic, compression molded foam or other material. The pouch has fixed sides and a closeable top flap. The pouch serves two functions, first to contain straps and attached components for storage and, second to constrain one paddle end when the apparatus is deployed for reentry.
At about the middle of strap 36, cam buckle 42 is attached by a short strap 44 which is 1″ wide. It passes through cam buckle 42. It is length adjustable by depressing the cam buckle lever, repositioning strap 44 and releasing the cam buckle lever. Once set, the active length of strap 44 is fixed and will not slip. The effective length of strap 44 is about 20″, but is adjustable to meet requirements of boat and paddle. The proper length of strap is what is necessary to tilt the kayak just a bit over center as it lies on its side. It is intended that this length is preset prior to use but it is important that it be adjustable during a reentry attempt if necessary. This situation might arise if the kayaker has forgotten to preset it, or is using a different length paddle than the preset condition, or if he shares the apparatus with other kayaks of different widths.
The free end of the strap 44 is passed through clip 46a, folded back on itself, and sewn together to secure the clip 46a to strap 44.
Referring back to strap 36, clip 46b is attached to strap 36 about 22″ from the bottom of the pouch. This length should be enough to extend from the tip of the paddle blade to the throat of the blade where it joins the paddle shaft, or longer. This is not adjustable, so this dimension must consider the population of kayak paddles and determine the length based upon that population.
The length of strap 36 determines the maximum length paddle that can be used with the apparatus, and it depends on the dimensions of the paddle float 32 and pouch 30. For recreational and touring kayaks, paddles longer than 240 cm (90.5″) and shorter than 200 cm (78.8″) are seldom used. In general the relationship for the length of strap 36 is:
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- Strap 36 length is greater than or equal to 90.5″ minus paddle float length* minus pouch flap length**.
- *from bottom of float to point of connection with strap 36.
- **from open face of the pouch to point of connection with strap 36.
- Strap 36 length is greater than or equal to 90.5″ minus paddle float length* minus pouch flap length**.
An elastic band 37 extends inside the hollow strap 36 from the end loop of strap 36 at the paddle float to clip 46b, about 22″ from the pouch 30.
The elastic band 37 inside the strap 36 determines minimum paddle length to be used. Given a paddle at the short limit (78.8″) the elastic band must still provide tension to retain the pouch over the end of the paddle. The elastic band may extend from the paddle float end of strap 36 to the attachment point of clip 46b. The general relationship for free length of the elastic band is:
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- Elastic band free length is less than or equal to 78.8″ minus paddle float length minus 22″ minus preload length**.
- *from end of pouch to clip 46b
- **length necessary to subtract to provide adequate preload an the minimum length.
- Elastic band free length is less than or equal to 78.8″ minus paddle float length minus 22″ minus preload length**.
The elastic band must not be stretched beyond its elastic range when used with a long paddle. The general relationship for the minimum extended length of the elastic band is:
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- Extended length of elastic band is greater than or equal to the length of strap 36 minus 22″* minus pouch flap length.
- *from end of pouch to clip 46b
- Extended length of elastic band is greater than or equal to the length of strap 36 minus 22″* minus pouch flap length.
Summarizing for the stated conditions, the elastic band inside strap 36 must have a free length of no more than 32.8″ and be capable of stretching to 48.5″. This is an elongation of 48% and is achievable with available elastic materials.
It is the sole function of the elastic band to provide tension to retain the pouch on the paddle blade until the apparatus is fully installed and the kayak is rotated on its side.
It is the sole function of the strap 36 to provide a stiff (non-compliant) connection from paddle float to cam buckle, and from clip 46b to pouch flap. Other means to provide this function include a coiled leash similar to that used by stand up paddle boarders and surf ski paddlers.
Clip 46 and receiver fitting 72 cooperate to connect the associated straps to the kayak.
Referring again to
When the paddle with the inflated paddle float is secured to the kayak, paddle and float together act as an outrigger. The kayaker simply biases his weight toward the outrigger to obtain a very stable condition. Without this feature, a kayak partially full of water is much less stable and is more prone to capsize than an empty kayak. With this feature, the kayaker is secure and both hands are free to attend to getting settled in the kayak and pumping water out of the cockpit area.
In the following claims, any terms indicative of orientation (e.g. top, bottom; left, right; horizontal, vertical) are meant only to correspond with the illustrations thereby to facilitate an understanding of the claimed invention. Such terms are not intended as positive limitations.
The foregoing description of a preferrred embodiment, including any dimensions, is illustrative. The scope of the present invention is not limited by such details, but only by the following claims.
Claims
1-5. (canceled)
6. A kayak capsize recovery system for a kayak having a cockpit and deck, said system including:
- a paddle including a paddle shaft with a paddle blade at each end thereof;
- a paddle float for releasable placement on one of said blades;
- a pouch for releasable placement on the other of said blades;
- a first strap for connection to said float and to said pouch to releasably hold said float and said pouch in place on their respective blades; said first strap, at a portion thereof adjacent to said pouch, adapted for releasable connection to a first connection point on said kayak deck at one side of said cockpit;
- a second strap for operative connection to said float and for releasable connection to a second connection point on said kayak deck at the opposite side of said cockpit from said first connection point;
- said paddle, paddle float, pouch, and first and second straps, all together forming an outrigger to stabilize a semicapsize orientation of said kayak to facilitate kayaker reentry thereinto.
7. A kayak capsize recovery system as defined in claim 6, wherein said first strap is length-adjustable, thereby to secure said paddle float and said pouch to said paddle.
8. A kayak capsize recovery system as defined in claim 6, wherein said first strap is elastic to stretch over said paddle float and said pouch, thereby to secure said paddle float and said pouch to said paddle.
9. A kayak capsize recovery system as defined in claim 6, wherein strap connections at said first and second connection points are quick-releasable in response to thrust, lengthwise of said kayak, against said paddle shaft by a kayaker in said cockpit.
10. A kayak capsize recovery system for a kayak having a cockpit and deck, said system including:
- a paddle including a paddle shaft with a paddle blade at each end thereof;
- a paddle float for releasable placement on one of said blades;
- an apparatus pouch for releasable placement on the other of said blades;
- strapping including a main strap connected to said paddle float and to said apparatus pouch, and a branch strap extending from an intermediate point of said main strap;
- said main strap, at a portion thereof adjacent to said apparatus pouch, adapted for releasable connection to a first connection point on said kayak deck at one side of said cockpit;
- said branch strap adapted for releasable connection to a second connection point on said kayak deck at the opposite side of said cockpit from said first connection point;
- said paddle, paddle float, pouch, and strapping, all together forming an outrigger to stabilize a semicapsize orientation of said kayak to facilitate kayaker reentry thereinto;
- said paddle float including an inflatable air bag, said paddle float in a deflated condition thereof being packable with said strapping into said apparatus pouch.
11. A kayak capsize recovery system as defined in claim 10, wherein said first strap is length-adjustable, thereby to secure said paddle float and said pouch to said paddle.
12. A kayak capsize recovery system as defined in claim 10, wherein said first strap is elastic to stretch over said paddle float and said pouch, thereby to secure said paddle float and said pouch to said paddle.
13. A kayak capsize recovery system as defined in claim 10, wherein strap connections at said first and second connection points are quick-releasable in response to thrust, lengthwise of said kayak, against said paddle shaft by a kayaker in said cockpit.
14. A kayak capsize recovery system for a kayak having a cockpit and deck, said system including:
- a paddle including a paddle shaft with a paddle blade at each end thereof;
- a paddle float for releasable placement on one of said blades;
- a pouch for releasable placement on the other of said blades;
- strapping to secure said paddle float and said pouch to said paddle to form a temporary outrigger for said kayak; and
- first and second securing straps to releasably secure said paddle shaft to respectively first and second connection points on opposite sides of said kayak deck.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 20, 2011
Publication Date: Aug 30, 2012
Inventors: Kenneth W. Altfather (Fairport, NY), Craig A. Peterson (Penfield, NY)
Application Number: 13/331,601
International Classification: B63B 17/00 (20060101);