Capsize findings
Jake
Muddiford Harbour yesterday, I had my very own real life chilly March
capsize drill. I noted the following:
1) Seats sink. Mine had a closed cell foam pad taped to it and still
sank. This was financially annoying but not a critical matter in an
emergency situation.
2) People in other rowing boats passing within a couple of hundred
yards do not notice.
3) Sax boards are not strong enough to withstand a rower's bum
slithering sideways accross it.
4) A scull with nobody in it and a human being treading water
(vertically) in an ebbing spring tide and a breeze move at alarmingly
different rates, I had to swim flat out for a few strokes to regain
the boat. a weaker swimmer would not have done so.
However, I was aware of all the above before hand, just not
experienced it often. What was more worrying was that I dutifully
threw the handle (the one that had not been ripped out of my hand by
the bouy) away as I dismounted (as taught me, to prevent getting tied
up with the handles and to prevent pulling the boat over onto me).
Though I didn't know it at the time, the handle I had thrown away, at
about the time the boat was vertical, (as oposed to its normal
horizontal position) landed on the bottom of the boat's hull about a
couple of feet into the stern canvas area, punching a 6 inch crescent
shaped crack in the hull. I would imagine regaining the boat and
getting out of the head hurtingly, gaspingly cold water and back in
took between 5 and 10 seconds, as I have read enough on here about
survival times to understand the gravity of such a situation in March
and I am used to doing it in a coastal boat and a river boat is much
easier to slither into (lower to the water). It was a sunny day, so I
got rowing again immeadiately to start warming up. After a couple of
minutes, I noted that I was sinking at the stern. Fortunately I was
able to 'sprint' to the beach, seatless and foundering, before full
sinking ocurred.
Asking around in the boat park afterwards, the following came out:
I thought this damage was due to my boat being a very old, very light
construction and having a very fragile wooden hull, but fairly heavy
wooden scull handles. Not so! I met somebody who had the same issue
with the uphill handle punching through the hull in the same place for
the same reason in a modern carbon scull, with light carbon blades.
They too had been instructed to throw the handles clear on capsize.
Has this sort of damage happened to anybody else?
If we are teaching people to throw their handles away on capsize, are
we teaching them the right thing, if it can effect the hull integrity
and therefore have a knock on effect on the survivability of the
situation?
mruscoe
> If we are teaching people to throw their handles away on capsize, are
> we teaching them the right thing, if it can effect the hull integrity
> and therefore have a knock on effect on the survivability of the
> situation?
I thought that the only reason for throwing the handles away in the
capsize drill was to enable you to capsize in the first place.
donal...@gmail.com
>
> If we are teaching people to throw their handles away on capsize, are
> we teaching them the right thing, if it can effect the hull integrity
> and therefore have a knock on effect on the survivability of the
> situation?
I would think that we are only teaching people to throw the handle
away as we are looking to artificially capsize...in a rowing situation
we would not wanting to fall out of the boat so presumably would not
wanting to let go of handles at all...away from a drill if one blade
goes when you have hit something it is to be recommended first to try
and retrieve the situation without taking a dunking and even having
lost one blade this is quite often possible.
I would agree that capsize drills are a good way of wrecking equipment
and will reduce the life of equipment but I dont think that its
particularly avoidable. The drills are normally being done with people
new to the sport or those showing people new to the sport though we
all probably ought to practise more(selfishly I would rather with club
equipment than my own!!!)
Righting the boat will tend to bring one of the blades thwacking
down..hopefully on the water or the boat rather than your head and it
is something one needs to be aware about though is in practise fairly
difficult to control. Unless very confident and in good conditions
personally I wouldnt advocate taking the blade out first and popping
it back in after righting the boat as limiting your time in the water
is the critical factor.
Regards
Donal
Carl Douglas
I think we see here the problems of being instructed in safety "by the
book" & by people who do not necessarily know what it is all about.
Remember a past thread on how to make an emergency stop? We found a
wholesale incomprehension of how useless it is to press a skating blade
onto the water & a widespread fear of doing the only proper thing - to
make the blade perform a shallow dive below the surface by slightly
over-feathering to bury lots of shaft & then reverse squaring to
complete the stop. Such ignorance of a fundamental safety manoeuvre can
cost damaged boats & maybe damaged lives, yet such fundamental safety
procedures are either not taught or are widely mis-taught. And FWIW, a
quick search for advice on club & ARA websites on the topic "emergency
stop" has revealed nothing meaningful!
No one should ever deliberately release their blade handle in a tricky
situation, nor be fussing about so doing when actually in mid-flip. If
that's what you were instructed to do, then your instructor is a fool.
If they told you that by thus creating an uncontrollable blade handle
you would be less likely to get "trapped", they spouted idiotic garbage.
A fundamental problem is that safety procedures have been formalised at
institutional level "because we have to be seen to have the topic
covered", with the job done by people who do not properly understand
what they are talking about & see it as beneath them to actually test
their own advice. It is then taught by people with rather less
practical experience or grasp of the import of what they are saying than
the job merits. And the whole process is also open to corruption by the
process of Chinese Whispers.
Then again, we have no apparent mechanism within the sport in Britain
for feeding back information & improving doctrine in the light of
adverse experience. But you wouldn't expect that, would you, with an
NGB which still has no meaningful accident reporting mechanism & still
refuses to mandate that boats must be fully buoyant?
A wealth of expert & empirical safety information exists in RSR
archives, searchable via Google, etc., which should have been picked up
over the years & adopted by any concerned & even half-competent rowing
NGB. It is a scandal that NGBs, not just here in the UK, have
steadfastly maintained their preferred ostrich position.
Carl
--
Carl Douglas Racing Shells -
Fine Small-Boats/AeRoWing Low-drag Riggers/Advanced Accessories
Write: Harris Boatyard, Laleham Reach, Chertsey KT16 8RP, UK
Find: http://tinyurl.com/2tqujf
Email: ca...@carldouglas.co.uk Tel: +44(0)1932-570946 Fax: -563682
URLs: www.carldouglas.co.uk (boats) & www.aerowing.co.uk (riggers)
Charles Carroll
"Jake" <jake....@rya.org.uk> wrote in message
news:fef37f90-ce45-439e...@b64g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...
Charles Carroll
Please don't tell me that you broke the sax boards and punched a hole in the
hull of your 25 year old cedar Stampfli.
Cordially,
Charles
paul_v...@hotmail.com
wrote:
Having heard a couple explanations of how the "throw the handles away"
could have possibly bean _taught_, I'm still shocked that anything
like that has ever been uttered from a competent instructors mouth.
I thought Rule #1 was: Maintain control of your handles (period, full
stop).
It also sounds like the blade that may have cut into your hull, though
I suppose it could be either end after ignoring Rule #1.
But look on the bright side. You are alive and will be getting some
valuable experience with boat repair. Plus you have gained the
knowlege that previous beliefs were in error and now can correct them.
- Paul Smith
PS - Carls Seats float (At least the ones I have. I tested them first
thing just to be sure, as the boat they are used in does not stop them
at the ends of the tracks.)
Charles Carroll
Are we doing things differently on this side of the Atlantic?
Jake's post is the first I have ever heard "throw the handles away" as you
are rolling over. It seems to me this is just an awesomely silly idea. If
anything you want to hold on to the handles: first, because holding on to
them may save you from going over; and second, because once you are in the
water you are going to have to get them back in your hands before you can
climb back into your shell, or leastwise I do.
I remember the first time I really got the idea of how much a racing shell
is in the sculler's hands. I was in rough water and took a bad finish, and
as a consequence was doing one of those slow, sickening roll overs. My port
oarlock was already in the water when I said to myself "Not now! Not this
time!" I leaned hard into the starboard oarlock - just tried to push the
scull right through it. And voila! Not only did I manage to reverse the roll
over, now my starboard oarlock was in the water. This time I leaned a little
less hard into the port oarlock, reversed the second roll over, and the boat
came level.
There is probably a time when you are capsizing when you should let go of
the handles. But I just can't think of one at the moment.
If someone else can, I would love to hear why.
Cordially,
Charles
paul_v...@hotmail.com
wrote:
> Paul -
>
> Are we doing things differently on this side of the Atlantic?
Refusing to go for a swim willingly, I guess. [;o)
> Jake's post is the first I have ever heard "throw the handles away" as you
> are rolling over. It seems to me this is just an awesomely silly idea. If
> anything you want to hold on to the handles: first, because holding on to
> them may save you from going over; and second, because once you are in the
> water you are going to have to get them back in your hands before you can
> climb back into your shell, or leastwise I do.
>
> I remember the first time I really got the idea of how much a racing shell
> is in the sculler's hands. I was in rough water and took a bad finish, and
> as a consequence was doing one of those slow, sickening roll overs. My port
> oarlock was already in the water when I said to myself "Not now! Not this
> time!" I leaned hard into the starboard oarlock - just tried to push the
> scull right through it. And voila! Not only did I manage to reverse the roll
> over, now my starboard oarlock was in the water. This time I leaned a little
> less hard into the port oarlock, reversed the second roll over, and the boat
> came level.
Having had a similar experience except that we both lost our port oars
on the same stroke to lilypads, with water flowing freely over the
gunwale in a 2x, and thinking "we're swimming for sure", I can say
that it was better to keep/regain control of the handles. This
resulted in being seated up to our bums in water, but we did manage to
stay in the boat and row on in.
- Paul (Not a "real sculler", having never flipped.) Smith
PS - We did just have a beautiful w/e on the water, even started it
with a Friday evening row.
Mike Sullivan
"Jake" <jake....@rya.org.uk> wrote in message
news:fef37f90-ce45-439e...@b64g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...
> Muddiford Harbour yesterday, I had my very own real life chilly March
> capsize drill. I noted the following:
> 1) Seats sink. Mine had a closed cell foam pad taped to it and still
> sank. This was financially annoying but not a critical matter in an
> emergency situation.
This is very annoying to me as I've had to go diving for seats
after capsize drills. Seats have an amazing 'scatter' effect.
> 2) People in other rowing boats passing within a couple of hundred
> yards do not notice.
> 3) Sax boards are not strong enough to withstand a rower's bum
> slithering sideways accross it.
> 4) A scull with nobody in it and a human being treading water
> (vertically) in an ebbing spring tide and a breeze move at alarmingly
> different rates, I had to swim flat out for a few strokes to regain
> the boat. a weaker swimmer would not have done so.
Thanks for report.
One note on falling in. I teach basically to 'sell out' to the
water once it's inevitable that you are going in. If
you are going over, go over fully, relax, and count a couple
counts before recovering boat, put your hand up over
your head if you can, stay low, and don't turn quickly toward the shell.
If the boat comes all the way over, the rigger and oar
are coming right for your head, and jumping back
into it is a good recipe for getting your head knocked.
However, this is exactly the wrong thing to do if the water
is very very cold. If the water is cold, you want to do
what you can to keep your head from submerging.
Thus, fighting the turnover and clamboring over the boat
as it's going over, even if it causes contusion and boat
damage is better than full submersion of the head
in 40 degree water, which can cause one to pass out.
I was out on lake Saturday and an absolutely amazing thing
happened. I was sculling along shore and I could hear
a powerboat coming toward me directly to my bow.
I turned on the next stroke to see it's course - to make
sure the boat saw me, and the boat stopped and killed
his wake and putted past me before taking off.
Who the heck was that?
paul_v...@hotmail.com
wrote:
> "Jake" <jake.fr...@rya.org.uk> wrote in message
Well, Jesus would have just been walking past, so it must have been a
Saint. [:o)
- Paul Smith
Mike Sullivan
<paul_v...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:b75c145a-d1f3-4b72...@e25g2000prg.googlegroups.com...
On Mar 10, 10:29 am, "Mike Sullivan" <s...@slacSNIP.stanford.edu>
wrote:
> "Jake" <jake.fr...@rya.org.uk> wrote in message
snip
> Who the heck was that?
>Well, Jesus would have just been walking past, so it must have been a
> Saint. [:o)
Well certainly that is a more likely explanation than someone on that
lake being savvy......
Jake
1) Yes it was my 25 year old Stampfli, though as I bought it in a
practically snapped in half condition in the first place, I have
collected enough experience to know how to fix it and its value/
rowability won't be significantly affected by this additional small
knock. As it is a flap of damage, I'm hoping it will largely glue back
into position from the inside.The sax boads snapped in the samer place
they snapped last time. Fixing it will be a long job though.
2) Concerning regaining lost handles, retrieving the situation,
keeping hold of seats and keeping ones head above water. This was not
that sort of capsize. I have had that sort many times in the past. In
this case I was rowing along, doing a hard 10 strokes as part of a
warmup, there was a massive bang ,and I went head/ back first into the
water as a direct consequence of the force vectors which came into
play. Navigation bouys are pretty heavy immovable objects. I was in
the water with the boat rolling down on top of me when I threw the
handle away to stop the bot rolling onto me. I think the blade shaft,
just outboard of the rigger hit the bouy on the recovery while the
boat was going quite fast and it might have been the handle of that
blade that was torn out of my hand that bodilly smacked me out of the
boat. It's all conjecture though as it happened so fast. It really was
practically instantaneous. A further memory is that the woolly hat I
was rowing in rolled down over my eyes upon drenching, so even when I
regained the surface, for a second I knew not where I was, or where
the boat was.
3) Perhaps the 'throw the handles away thing is just my club'. Anyway,
don't do it. There's now two boats with battle scars in my club to
prove testament to this. I was told to do this only when there is no
way the capsize can be averted, and agree with all comments about
keeping hold of handles to the bitter end, just in case it can be
averted
4) It was definitely the handle, not the blade that caused the damage.
Without gettiing too phorensic about it, it has left a blue rubber
mark in the middle of the damage, I have blue rubber c2 handle grips,
wheras blades are red and white. How could a blue, rubber covered,
blunt handle end punch through a boat? I was absolutely flabbergasted
by this, until I heard somebody had had exactly the same thing happen
to them.
As an aditional comment, the only times I have ever capsized a
sculling boat have been during races and in this case making my way to
the start of a race. Talk about not having the 'big game mentality'!
Last time I did it was shortly after doing one of my gates up back to
front- after 5 years of sculling.
Mike Sullivan
> Answering all the above questions in no particular order.
>
> 1) Yes it was my 25 year old Stampfli, though as I bought it in a
> practically snapped in half condition in the first place, I have
> collected enough experience to know how to fix it and its value/
> rowability won't be significantly affected by this additional small
> knock. As it is a flap of damage, I'm hoping it will largely glue back
> into position from the inside.The sax boads snapped in the samer place
> they snapped last time. Fixing it will be a long job though.
Sax boards on wood singles are definitely not designed
for climbing back in. If I can get away without climbing
back in to the boat, I will choose to swim it to where I can
get in from shore.
Henning Lippke
> 1) Yes it was my 25 year old Stampfli, though as I bought it in a
> practically snapped in half condition in the first place, I have
> collected enough experience to know how to fix it and its value/
> rowability won't be significantly affected by this additional small
> knock. As it is a flap of damage, I'm hoping it will largely glue back
> into position from the inside.The sax boads snapped in the samer place
> they snapped last time. Fixing it will be a long job though.
Maybe this helps with the repair, a detailed report of a Stämpfli single
being built, with german texts but the pictures might be useful:
http://www.zahnarzt-online.hu/boot/
I'd like to back the 'don't throw the handles away' idea. I had one of
my gates opening while stopping to let powerboats pass by and ended up
with my port blade drifting towards the stern. I still held it with my
right hand so could put it back while balancing the boat with the left
hand. Throwing the handles away (even only the one I just lost) would
have commanded me into the water.
carolinetu
I hope I teach the capsize drill correctly - I always emphasise that
you "throw the handles away" to CAUSE the capsize. Of course you
wouldn't do it in a real situation - if it's inevitable that you're
going to go into the water then it's better to slide in sideways and
keep your head above the surface than to turn the boat right over. We
only do that in the drill so that the participants get practice in
dealing with the worst possible situation.
I did a drill last Sunday with a bunch of trainee coaches on the UKCC
L2 course and some of our club's juniors acting as guinea pigs. We
got all the participants to practice climbing onto the upturned hull
and paddling (which they found quite amusing). Then they turned the
boat the right way up and we taught them how to get back in - all but
one of them managed at the first attempt. The girl who didn't manage
to get back in was instructed to hook one arm over the bow of the boat
to get most of her torso out of the water and then swim to the side of
the pool. Then we demonstrated a "buddy" rescue.
That may not be the orthodox way of teaching it, but everyone seemed
happy.
Caroline
Carl Douglas
> On Mar 10, 9:23 pm, Henning Lippke <use...@my-boathouse.com> wrote:
>
>>Jake schrieb:
>
>
> I hope I teach the capsize drill correctly - I always emphasise that
> you "throw the handles away" to CAUSE the capsize. Of course you
> wouldn't do it in a real situation - if it's inevitable that you're
> going to go into the water then it's better to slide in sideways and
> keep your head above the surface than to turn the boat right over. We
> only do that in the drill so that the participants get practice in
> dealing with the worst possible situation.
A couple of comments:
1. If the boat is going to flip in slow motion, as can happen in a
collision, it will be best to relax & go with it rather than clutch bits
of boat. If, as often happens, you go in quickly then you have no time
to ponder how to do it
2. The mammalian diving response is a protective reflex activated by
head-first immersion (as in diving, of course!). It is less well
activated by a head-up entry. If the MDR is not activated, then that
first gasp of shock with but minimal intake of water may trigger "dry
drowning" - a closing of the airways followed by rapid death. This
suggests to me that it may not be a good idea to encourage pupils to try
not to immerse their head as they go in. (I'd welcome more expert
comments on that).
>
> I did a drill last Sunday with a bunch of trainee coaches on the UKCC
> L2 course and some of our club's juniors acting as guinea pigs. We
> got all the participants to practice climbing onto the upturned hull
> and paddling (which they found quite amusing). Then they turned the
> boat the right way up and we taught them how to get back in - all but
> one of them managed at the first attempt. The girl who didn't manage
> to get back in was instructed to hook one arm over the bow of the boat
> to get most of her torso out of the water and then swim to the side of
> the pool.
On that point I am deeply alarmed. No one should _ever_ be encouraged
to swim holding the bow of their capsized boat. They should be told to
get their body spread-eagled over the fat part of the boat. Swimming is
a mugs game.
It was that fatal "swim to the bow" ARA advice which was followed by
Sikander Farooq that cold January morning at Reading. It killed him.
At the bow you get scant support from the boat. When swimming in cool
or cold water (we never have water in the UK which is not in one of
those categories) the increased convection in a highly heat-absorbent
medium results in extremely rapid heat loss. Hypothermia can set in
very quickly. Its first significant consequence is reduced circulation
to the limbs (another protective reflex!). Swimming capability, & your
ability to hold onto the bow of a barely supporting boat, is highly
dependent on your circulation supporting full limb function.
Hypothermic swimmers will drown long before all limb strength is lost -
they swim ever slower & at ever steeper & less streamlined angles to the
water surface. Nor do those with creeping hypothermia necessarily
realise how rapidly their strength is ebbing.
Once your strength has been sucked away by hypothermia you'll be too
late to be able to swim back to the middle of the upturned boat, which
would have supported your weight, & in any case you're now far too weak
to clamber onto it.
So I most earnestly ask you to revise your advice in this matter.
Capsized scullers should not mess around with swimming & towing games.
Their _first_ priority, unless there's some looming danger which demands
they quit the boat & just swim for dear life, should always be to get
themselves draped over the upturned boat while they have the strength so
to do. In that position they are in complete command, able to propel
themselves more rapidly to safety by swimming, hypothermia will be
delayed & its onset far less dangerous, & they'll be easier seen &
rescued by others.
Then we demonstrated a "buddy" rescue.
>
> That may not be the orthodox way of teaching it, but everyone seemed
> happy.
>
> Caroline
>
The only meaningful proof of happiness comes only after the technique
you have used has worked by saving your life.
Cheers -
Carl Douglas
<snip>
Vital correction to my lousy proof-reading:
>
> Capsized scullers should not mess around with swimming & towing games.
> Their _first_ priority, unless there's some looming danger which demands
> they quit the boat & just swim for dear life, should always be to get
> themselves draped over the upturned boat while they have the strength so
> to do. In that position they are in complete command, able to propel
> themselves more rapidly to safety
THAN
by swimming, hypothermia will be
> delayed & its onset far less dangerous, & they'll be easier seen &
> rescued by others.
>
Sorry!
donal...@gmail.com
capsized ending up on the hull
with just one sock wet...in the summer he is going to try and do one
better and keep the boat rolling so that it rights itself....
Mike Sullivan
"Carl Douglas" <ca...@carldouglas.co.uk> wrote in message
news:fr5tiq$rk9$1$8300...@news.demon.co.uk...
> carolinetu wrote:
>> On Mar 10, 9:23 pm, Henning Lippke <use...@my-boathouse.com> wrote:
>>
>>>Jake schrieb:
> <snip>
>>
>>
>> I hope I teach the capsize drill correctly - I always emphasise that
>> you "throw the handles away" to CAUSE the capsize. Of course you
>> wouldn't do it in a real situation - if it's inevitable that you're
>> going to go into the water then it's better to slide in sideways and
>> keep your head above the surface than to turn the boat right over. We
>> only do that in the drill so that the participants get practice in
>> dealing with the worst possible situation.
>
> A couple of comments:
> 1. If the boat is going to flip in slow motion, as can happen in a
> collision, it will be best to relax & go with it rather than clutch bits
> of boat. If, as often happens, you go in quickly then you have no time to
> ponder how to do it
> 2. The mammalian diving response is a protective reflex activated by
> head-first immersion (as in diving, of course!). It is less well
> activated by a head-up entry. If the MDR is not activated, then that
> first gasp of shock with but minimal intake of water may trigger "dry
> drowning" - a closing of the airways followed by rapid death. This
> suggests to me that it may not be a good idea to encourage pupils to try
> not to immerse their head as they go in. (I'd welcome more expert
> comments on that).
I don't claim expertise.
1. MDR is activated by the face in the water but it is most often
accompanied by unconsciousness. The victim's system will
more properly shut down to protect brain function, but will be
incapacitated.
2. falling in the water is a slower than instantaneous process, and the
victim has a chance to prevent full immersion by falling back on to the
boat. I have seen quite a few scullers keep themselves dry above the
waist
by this struggle, the risk being contusion or damage to the boat.
3. When I teach people, the automatic reaction of most of them
is almost involuntarily to be jumping back onto the boat as they fall,
and I have to instruct most people to sell out to the water.
In my experience in cold water, I'm able to function well in water in mid
40s
but I swoon if my head gets under.
To be sure, comments you made about swimming the boat I assume you make
when you are talking cold water temps. In swimmable water, many people
should get practice on how to swim the boat most easily, you won't believe
how many will try to push it sideways, and in temperate climates it is a
simpler
self rescue and easier on boats than climbing back in.
I would welcome correction, as well, as I am teaching two ways
of self rescue.
Part of the exercise, though, is to underscore the seriousness of the danger
of cold water to the sculler. I would rather they choose not to row
if there is any doubt.
I sent a kid to Nationals in sprint kayak last year. While there he got
talked into doing this program where he paddles so many miles/week over
the fall. It was a nice idea, but I talked the kid's parents out of it as
the
mileage required would have had him paddling into November where lake
temps drop precipitously. Besides, most of it would be done on his own,
he'd end up boring himself right out of the sport.
I got him to join the HS cross country team instead.
Edgar
> Carl Douglas wrote:
> <snip>
>
> Vital correction to my lousy proof-reading:
>
>>
>> Capsized scullers should not mess around with swimming & towing games.
>> Their _first_ priority, unless there's some looming danger which demands
>> they quit the boat & just swim for dear life, should always be to get
>> themselves draped over the upturned boat
<snip>
Carl, again you mention upturned boat.
I seem to recall that you recently said that 'straddle and paddle' only
works if the boat is upturned.
Have I got that right? And if by chance the boat is right way up, will S&P
still work?
Stephen and Jane
> 2. The mammalian diving response is a protective reflex activated by
> head-first immersion (as in diving, of course!). It is less well
> activated by a head-up entry. If the MDR is not activated, then that
> first gasp of shock with but minimal intake of water may trigger "dry
> drowning" - a closing of the airways followed by rapid death. This
> suggests to me that it may not be a good idea to encourage pupils to
> try not to immerse their head as they go in. (I'd welcome more expert
> comments on that).
I wouldn't call myself expert, but here's what I know:
The MDR is triggered by immersion of the face - and the resultant breath
holding, blocking air getting to the lungs. It is more pronounced in
children than in adults, in whom the reaction is relatively weak. It is
also more effective in cold water. Since it is a reaction to cutting off
the air supply, I believe it only lasts as long as the face remains
immersed. Once the nose and mouth are free then air can be breathed in once
again.
The MDR involves a slowing of the heart rate and reduction of circulation to
muscles and and the less immediately essential organs, such as bowel etc.
This is in order to direct as much of the remaining blood oxygen to the
brain.
When falling out of a boat into cold water it is more immediately essential
to not let cold water enter the back of the throat either through the mouth
or nose, as this might trigger spasm of the larynx causing closure of the
airway (dry drowning). Entering the water feet first may make this more
difficult.
Jane
Stephen and Jane
> I hope I teach the capsize drill correctly - I always emphasise that
> you "throw the handles away" to CAUSE the capsize. Of course you
> wouldn't do it in a real situation.
Unfortunately we humans tend to remember what we actually physically do,
rather than what we just hear. You need a lot more telling/hearing to
counteract the deeper memory etched by the doing, especially when the memory
is automatically called upon in an emergency situation, with little time for
reasoning - as in Jake's case.
Jane
Carl Douglas
Edgar -
I'm working on the basis of the most usual case - boat inverted. Of the
unusual case - boat upright - I've no experience. I think that unless
you could also grab both handles you'd soon invert it by trying to
straddle, in which case you'd be back to the usual case with straddle &
paddle the proper option.
What do you reckon?
Cheers -
Mike Sullivan
> Edgar wrote:
>> "Carl Douglas" <ca...@carldouglas.co.uk> wrote in message
>> news:fr5ulf$sm7$1$8300...@news.demon.co.uk...
>>
>>>Carl Douglas wrote:
>>><snip>
>>>
>>>Vital correction to my lousy proof-reading:
>>>
>>>
>>>>Capsized scullers should not mess around with swimming & towing games.
>>>>Their _first_ priority, unless there's some looming danger which demands
>>>>they quit the boat & just swim for dear life, should always be to get
>>>>themselves draped over the upturned boat
>>
>>
>> <snip>
>>
>> Carl, again you mention upturned boat.
>> I seem to recall that you recently said that 'straddle and paddle' only
>> works if the boat is upturned.
>> Have I got that right? And if by chance the boat is right way up, will
>> S&P still work?
>
> Edgar -
>
> I'm working on the basis of the most usual case - boat inverted. Of the
> unusual case - boat upright - I've no experience. I think that unless you
> could also grab both handles you'd soon invert it by trying to straddle,
> in which case you'd be back to the usual case with straddle & paddle the
> proper option.
>
> What do you reckon?
We're assuming very cold water where straddle is first option, rather
than last resort.
Pick the closest deck and climb on, it's most likely going to be stern deck,
make sure your head is in direction of middle of boat. Once up, you can
adjust yourself toward middle or toward end for stability(and
tradeoff more or less submersion), as a racing single is not as stable
in upright position.
If you have time and energy to flip boat back over, then you have time and
energy for an attempt to climb back in.
Mike
carolinetu
wrote:
> "Carl Douglas" <c...@carldouglas.co.uk> wrote in message
>
> news:fr70cn$7ga$1$8302...@news.demon.co.uk...
>
>
>
>
>
> > Edgar wrote:
> >> "Carl Douglas" <c...@carldouglas.co.uk> wrote in message
>
> - Show quoted text -
I was also using my own experience of the last time I fell in (bowside
rigger got hooked over a buoy) - fortunately about 5 years ago,
unfortunately in January, water temperature about 7 degrees. I slid
in sideways (bum first not feet first), the boat stayed the right way
up. It definitely felt to me to be a good thing that my head didn't
get immersed.
So what to do, bearing in mind that I am on the large side, not
particularly fit and was wearing a lot of clothing?
Option A: turn the boat upside down and climb on the upturned hull.
Undoubtedly would have been the best option but I wasn't sure I could
do it. Brain not working particularly well anyway.
Option B: climb on the hull with the boat the right way up. Not
with my boat, which has soft canvases. And I reckon the boat would
invert itself anyway, dunking me back in the water. I'll try it next
time we do a capsize drill to see what happens.
Option C: go towards the bow and swim with the boat, which is what I
did - as described above with one arm over the boat to get my torso
out of the water - about 2-3 feet from the end of the boat. I
arrived at the bank (of Dorney Lake) safe and well, if not
particularly happy (I lost my seat).
Option D: try to get back in. No way! Not at my age!
Option E: hold boat as for lifesaving and paddle to shore on my back
with water up to my neck. You must be kidding!
I'm not sure how long I was in the water - how long does it take to
swim from roughly the middle of Dorney Lake to the bank, holding onto
a boat? Probably 5 - 10 minutes. It was unpleasant, but the bow of
the boat gave sufficient support for me to keep my body above the
waist out of the water, which I believe was enough to keep my
circulation going and limbs functioning. My brain even got going
again and I was able to share a joke with the safety crew who arrived
just as I was walking up the bank.
So that's why I teach this method to people who for any reason are not
able to climb into or onto the boat. I know it's the second best
solution, but life doesn't always let you choose the best option so
you have to have an alternative.
We can go on debating the fate of poor Sikander Farooq ad infinitum,
but my understanding is that he swam AWAY from the boat. Let's all do
what we can to make sure that nobody repeats that mistake.
Caroline
Carl Douglas
No, Caroline. Sikander Farooq was accused by others who were not
present of swimming away. That's a very different matter, but such a
convenient way for an uncaring sport to unload an inconvenient fatality.
Nor are we "debating ad infinitum". There is & has been no debate. But
before the inquest there had been a verbally agreed policy (admitted to
me by 2 well-placed informants), to "keep it simple for the Coroner" -
i.e. to hide the inconvenient facts.
There is the desperate need in rowing, which so likes to sweep its
embarrassing events under the carpet & so persistently refuses to get to
grips with its central safety deficiencies, to remind everyone of how &
why that self-rescue went fatally wrong.
According to reports:
Sikander _did_ follow the then ARA capsize drill, under shouted
instructions from the far bank. By that means he did get close to the
bank. But as he chilled he became desperate, due to the adverse
physical consequences of the slow progress he was making in very cold
water (your own clear account of swim-towing your boat across part of
Dorney Lake tells us how slowly it goes). When close to the bank he did
panic & strike out for safety, but panic is not something for which any
one of us, comfortable & warm in front of our computer creens, can
possibly blame a 15-yr-old kid who, at that moment, is in deadly fear
for his life. "Swimming away", at that late stage, was actually an
intelligent move, since by that means he did reach the bank & doubtless
sooner than while dragging his boat. Unfortunately, that bank was not
scalable by someone in his debilitating state of advancing hypothermia.
He attempted to extricate himself but slipped back. So weakened was
he that he was entirely incapable of swimming, went under & did not
resurface.
That's not, of course, what the bloody ARA tells you. The unpleasant,
unadulterated truth has always been too damned inconvenient for those
self-important & conscience-free folk. Both the club & the ARA, with
indecent haste, published highly prejudicial internet statements
directly after Sikander died. Those statements neatly blamed this
bright & skinny (please note) kid for causing his own death while
stating that the club had everything relating to member safety in place.
Well if it was there it didn't work, did it, so it wasn't fit for
purpose & it failed when it really mattered (& you know from my
comments yesterday of my views on such pompous, officialese utterances
on safety & rescue...).
They left those self-justifying statements out on the web, without shame
or pity & despite challenges & calls for their withdrawal, so that nice
unquestioning folk, including even yourself, would soak up & might
reiterate them "ad infinitum" as proof when anyone says "It ain't so".
No wonder everyone now leaps to blame the victim. And no wonder the
real culprits, those who dreamt up but couldn't be arsed to evaluate
that crummy & dangerous self-rescue advice, feel pretty good about
themselves.
Caroline, I'm sorry if I seem extra crusty today, but you know me well
enough to know that this comes from the heart & it isn't personal. What
may work for a mature, well-built (nay handsome!) lady such as yourself
can be a death sentence for a skinny teenager. It is the young in this
sport who mostn need our consideration & care. Yet rowing responds by
neglecting their best interests & then heaping the blame on them when
our bad advice kills them. It stinks. It stinks to the heavens & we
should be deeply ashamed of ourselves.
Mike Sullivan
"carolinetu" <carol...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:479006f0-a7a7-442b...@y77g2000hsy.googlegroups.com...
On Mar 11, 10:31 pm, "Mike Sullivan" <s...@slacSNIP.stanford.edu>
wrote:
> "Carl Douglas" <c...@carldouglas.co.uk> wrote in message
>
> news:fr70cn$7ga$1$8302...@news.demon.co.uk...
>
>
snip
> So that's why I teach this method to people who for any reason are not
> able to climb into or onto the boat. I know it's the second best
> solution, but life doesn't always let you choose the best option so
> you have to have an alternative.
Thank you for the account, Caroline.
In your instruction, the best thing to communicate to the other
scullers is not necessarily the method you used that got you
out of the cold water, but to point out how few choices you
seemed to have at that point.
I was coxing a learning group of sweep rowers on the lake.
We had one more guy that I put into a wherry(for his second time), because
he was pretty big and the boat was more stable, and he
had demonstrated ample coordination in the boat in the
first session. I asked him to stick to the shoreline in front
of our boat yard, and I kept the eight within a few hundred yards. The
sculler chased out after us, and seemed to be doing fine
so I didn't chastise him (yet) for disregarding my instruction.
Somehow he fell out of the wherry, I don't know how. Seems
impossible, you can sit in that boat without holding oars no problem
but he managed it.
The water is 74 f.
From the distance, I could tell he was ok, but was unsuccessful
at climbing back in, he was very overweight. I immediately
turned the eight and rowed to him. He was having a jolly time,
laughing at his fate but was making hardly any progress swimming
the wherry back toward shore. He was so out of shape, that
it was tiring for him to even hang on to the wherry, which has
pretty high stern, so you can't really rest on the boat, you have
to hold it with strength.
I had him straddle/lay on the stern of our eight(crumple crunch, sigh) and
grabbed the
bow handle of the wherry and rowed him in.
Odd lesson: The guy told me he was a good swimmer, and I
imagine he was very bouyant on his own, watching him in the
water he was quite comfortable and relaxed. Had he just been in
the water by himself, he could have probably swum himself the
few hundred yards to shore no problem. Any less bouyancy, and he was
way too out of shape to have done anything for himself. The
wherry, though, turned out to be a huge hinderance for him, as
he was trying to bring the boat along with him, and he didn't have
the athleticism to move the boat, or to hang on to it for any length of
time.
mike
Charles Carroll
Seven Celsius is 44.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Water this cold is really, really
cold. I am glad you are here to tell the tale.
I once jumped into a very cold river on a hot July day. I was with my tutor
from College and two of his friends. We were visiting Christ in the Desert,
a Benedictan monastery in Abiquiu in Northern New Mexico. As I say, it was
very hot and we had been at the monastery for awhile. I asked if it would be
all right if I left the party and went for a swim. Another man went with me.
This man had just gotten out of the Special Forces and was physically
similar to how I imagine Mike Sullivan must have been at that age - large,
strong, completely athletic and much trained. I myself had actually been
able to swim before I could walk. Neither one of us gave the river so much
as a second's thought.
The New Mexico sun was bearing down on us. We stripped, stood on the bank
for half a second, and just flat out dove in head first. Racing dives!
I thought I was going to die. And that is no exaggeration.
The first few seconds seemed like eternity. Instinctively I realized that if
I didn't get my head out of that water I might very likely drown.
I remember surfacing, trying to swim, and not being able to. It was
impossible to swim against the current it was so strong. I think this is
probably what kept me alive.
I settled on doing the breast stroke and tried to keep as much of my head
out of the water as I could. This was not because I had been trained in cold
water safety and knew I had to keep as much of myself out of the cold as I
possibly could. Instead I kept my head up because I was looking for
something - anything - to grab on to and pull myself out.
I noticed a piece of ice floating by. I cannot tell you how stupid I felt.
Obviously, without thinking about it, we had jumped into a mountain stream
carrying the runoff from the snowpack in the high mountains around us.
Luckily I was able to make it to a sandbar in the middle of the river, found
some branches and pulled myself out.
It was only after I was out that I gave any thought to my companion. It
turned out he was seconds behind me and had done the same thing for the same
reasons.
When we finally got hold of our breath, we burst into laughter. Not only
were we relieved to be alive, but neither of us could believe that we had
done something so stupid.
We spent about half an hour on that sandbar warming up and studying the
river. No one was going to come to help us and somehow we had to get back.
We decided to dive in and swim for the bank across from us. We knew how cold
the water was, and we had a rough idea of how fast the river was moving.
About 100 meters downstream were some trees with branches hanging down and
just over the water. Those were out target.
We did a few calisthenics to loosen up, smiled at each other, and went for
it. Being prepared for the cold, expecting it, seemed to make a world of
difference. We were there and out of the water in no time. The worst part
about our return was having had to walk barefoot so far back to find our
clothes. It seemed to take forever.
But I will never forget that shock of being unprepared and hitting really
cold water the first time we dove in. Never have I felt anything even
remotely comparable.
Cordially,
Charles
Jonny
wrote:
> "carolinetu" <carolin...@aol.com> wrote in message
>
> news:479006f0-a7a7-442b...@y77g2000hsy.googlegroups.com...
> On Mar 11, 10:31 pm, "Mike Sullivan" <s...@slacSNIP.stanford.edu>
> wrote:
>
> > "Carl Douglas" <c...@carldouglas.co.uk> wrote in message
>
> >news:fr70cn$7ga$1$8302...@news.demon.co.uk...
>
> snip
>
> > So that's why I teach this method to people who for any reason are not
> > able to climb into or onto the boat. I know it's the second best
> > solution, but life doesn't always let you choose the best option so
> > you have to have an alternative.
>
>
> it was tiring for him to even hang on to the wherry, which has
> pretty high stern, so you can't really rest on the boat, you have
> to hold it with strength.
>
> I had him straddle/lay on the stern of our eight(crumple crunch, sigh) and
> grabbed the
> bow handle of the wherry and rowed him in.
>
> Odd lesson: The guy told me he was a good swimmer, and I
> imagine he was very bouyant on his own, watching him in the
> water he was quite comfortable and relaxed. Had he just been in
> the water by himself, he could have probably swum himself the
> few hundred yards to shore no problem. Any less bouyancy, and he was
> way too out of shape to have done anything for himself. The
> wherry, though, turned out to be a huge hinderance for him, as
> he was trying to bring the boat along with him, and he didn't have
> the athleticism to move the boat, or to hang on to it for any length of
> time.
>
> mike
I can just hear the deck of your eight crackle, but it was the right
thing to do!
When I do capzise drills, I point out to people that they are much
more valuable than the boat. Sure, if you are within easy reach of the
bank you can just swim the boat over - but if you are not, or you are
struggling, then do what you have to in order to survive. If that
means damaging a boat by laying over it, fine. Broken saxboards on a
single from an ungainly re-entry, fine. Abandoned boat (not a
preferred option as the boat is buoyant) to save yourself, fine.
Boats can be repaired or replaced. I'd rather have a bent boat than a
dead rower.
Edgar
> Edgar wrote:
>> Carl, again you mention upturned boat.
>> I seem to recall that you recently said that 'straddle and paddle' only
>> works if the boat is upturned.
>> Have I got that right? And if by chance the boat is right way up, will
>> S&P still work?
>
> Edgar -
>
> I'm working on the basis of the most usual case - boat inverted. Of the
> unusual case - boat upright - I've no experience. I think that unless you
> could also grab both handles you'd soon invert it by trying to straddle,
> in which case you'd be back to the usual case with straddle & paddle the
> proper option.
>
> What do you reckon?
My thought was that, provided one could still function a bit, it might be
natural to turn the boat upright and straddle it right way up so that if one
felt up to further effort one might be able to regain the cockpit and resume
sculling, failing which one could S&P from the foredeck anyway. But I have
never had to try to do it I must admit.
Edgar
"Mike Sullivan" <s...@slacSNIP.stanford.edu> wrote in message
news:fr717n$446$2...@news.Stanford.EDU...
> Pick the closest deck and climb on, it's most likely going to be stern
deck,
> make sure your head is in direction of middle of boat. Once up, you can
> adjust yourself toward middle or toward end for stability(and
> tradeoff more or less submersion), as a racing single is not as stable
> in upright position.
>
> If you have time and energy to flip boat back over, then you have time and
> energy for an attempt to climb back in.
>
> Mike
>
once you were in the water and therefore the foredeck the most likely one to
climb out onto. and then, if you face amidships, you are well placed for an
attempt to climb back onto your seat if you felt strong enough to try it .
Facing amidships from the after deck would make it very hard to get properly
back in sculling position.
MarkG
First post after lurking with interest for some time - here goes.
Having become my club's water safety advisor, and having taken part in
several capsize drills and a couple of (thankfully warmish) capsizes
over the past few years, the throwing away of a hand to effect a
controlled capsize does seem odd. I would think (and I might be wrong)
that most capsizes in sculls would happen when catching crabs or when
upset by wash. If that is the case, the sculler's hands would probably
be somewhere between shins and torso when the boat rolls. And once the
boat starts rolling and it is still travelling forwards, the blade
handle on the capsize side is likely to get closer to the torso, or
even behind it.
If one were to advocate simulating catching a crab (i.e. take a gentle
stroke undersquared on one side) as a more realistic capsize in
drills, are there any pitfalls to this approach? Also, is there a
consensus of opinion on which way up the boat should be when
straddling and paddling? For myself (and I've not tried it), trying to
paddle a righted scull without the benefit of the steadying effect of
the blades sounds more difficult than lying on an upturned hull and
paddling. We can try both at our next drill (with an Edon), but some
advice would be appreciated.
Thanks, Mark.
Mike Sullivan
"Edgar" <ejc...@REMOVEonline.no> wrote in message
news:CaGdnRakG9d...@telenor.com...
If you've made the decision to climb on the decks to save yourself,
then you wouldn't attempt to try and get in rowing position,
but to hand paddle it toward safety.
a single paddled from that position can make very rapid headway, but
it is difficult staying balanced, the sculler may need to slide further to
stern for more stability and control.
I had assumed that since the boat is generally moving toward the bow,
that someone falling in the water would end up to the stern
section of the shell, but you've reminded me that the rigger and
oar get in the way. All of my teaching happens from the sculler
dropping himself into the water from a static shell, so my assumption
was poor.
wmar...@gmail.com
wrote:
This is more a reply to the group, rather than to you Mike...
Good reading for anyone who cares to listen (and I do NOT get a
royalty for this)
G.G. Giesbrecht and J.A. Wilkerson, 2006, Hypothermia, Frostbite, and
other Cold Injuries; prevention, survival, rescue, and treatment (2nd
ed.)
The Mountaineers Books, Seattle, ISBN 0-89886-892-0; RC88.5.H964 2006;
616.9'89-dc22
Giesbrecht is a professor at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg,
where the winters ARE cold - the river through Winnipeg freezes in
late October or early November, and thaws in April - Late April. The
ice floating downstream is sometimes a foot (about 30 cm) thick -
after it's melted enough to break up...
Giesbrecht has done a lot of studies on cooling rates of the human
body (as well as re-warming strategies) with his own body -
potentially bypassing the ethics committee for human subjects, by
chopping holes in ice and hopping in. In academia his nickname is
"professor popsicle"
Paul - Even though you haven't fallen in yet, it will happen. My
sculling coach was in the 1956 Olympics, but he didn't fall in until
about 1987...
Cheers
Walter
Mike Sullivan
<wmar...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:9ea2aaf4-15c4-41bd...@h11g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
> On Mar 14, 7:50 am, "Mike Sullivan" <s...@slacSNIP.stanford.edu>
> wrote:
>> "Edgar" <ejc...@REMOVEonline.no> wrote in message
>>
>> news:CaGdnRakG9d...@telenor.com...
snip
> This is more a reply to the group, rather than to you Mike...
> Good reading for anyone who cares to listen (and I do NOT get a
> royalty for this)
> G.G. Giesbrecht and J.A. Wilkerson, 2006, Hypothermia, Frostbite, and
> other Cold Injuries; prevention, survival, rescue, and treatment (2nd
> ed.)
> The Mountaineers Books, Seattle, ISBN 0-89886-892-0; RC88.5.H964 2006;
> 616.9'89-dc22
Thanks, Walter, very useful.
snip
> Paul - Even though you haven't fallen in yet, it will happen. My
> sculling coach was in the 1956 Olympics, but he didn't fall in until
> about 1987...
It was a common trick of mine that once I had a sculler get the
basics down and actually moving the boat ok, I'd trick them
into falling in if they hadn't already. It relieves that underlying
fear that you might fall in that inhibits really good rowing.
This would never be something I'd do on a cold day/water, of
course.
When we do water safety tests, I have scullers who have just
climbed back in the boat go row around for a little bit after
the test, and they universally report feeling more comfy and confident
in the boat.
Mike
Henning Lippke
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEe77ZpjLto
The guy needs about 90 sec in perfectly calm conditions to get hold of
both oars and start the re-entry.
Henning Lippke
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYFRWrLtA3s
??
What is he doing all the 60 secs before he starts pulling the bow? The
latter being absolutely stupid already, why bother with the oars all the
time?
And what is the meaning of tapping the hull while still submerged?
That's quite optimistic, I think.
... there's a some more on YouTube, eg.:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoClkc5PJAc
Doesn't anyone has a proper re-entry procedure filmed, or some of the
discussed alternatives?
Alasdhair Johnston
drill. The immediate purpose was to demonstrate that you were in control of
the drill and there was no need for the safety observers to leap in and fish
you out.
In a real life capsize there was some point to banging the hull: it drew the
attention of your companions (you were strongly advised never to paddle
alone) to your situation so that one of them could place their boat for an
Eskimo Bow Rescue, saving you from having to bail out...
Charles Carroll
Until I saw this video I did not realize what a wonderful incentive cold
water provides for getting back into your shell in all due haste.
At the Dolphin Club in San Francisco I have been told that you have to
sign up for a series of lessons before you are allowed to scull solo. In
the first five minutes of the first lesson you are given a summary of
the drills you will be taught. One of these drills, of course, is that
you will practice how to get back into your shell should you capsize.
But this particular drill will be reserved for one of the later lessons,
the instructor explains. He then explains the drill step by step,
advising everyone that they should never, never - but never! - let go of
their oar handles.
From there you watch a quick demonstration of the instructor capsizing
and getting back into his shell.
The water is cold. Everyone shivers and frets.
By this time the instructor is in his shell again and smiling.
"That's not so bad, is it?" the instructor asks.
Everyone grudgingly agrees. But the look of uncertainty on their faces
is unmistakable.
"Now," the instructor says, "everyone let go of their port oar handle,
the one in your right hand."
You know the rest. They are all in the water.
The fellow who told me this story said that he hates cold water.
"I don't know how I did it," he said, "but I have never moved faster in
my life. I was back in that shell almost before I knew what happened."
Cordially,
Charles
Edgar
"Henning Lippke" <use...@my-boathouse.com> wrote in message
news:64vv0jF...@mid.individual.net...
It seemed to me that it might have taken him even longer if the water had
been deeper so that one blade could not reach solid bottom to give him help
with some leverage.
Moreover, he made it much more difficult for himself by throwing away both
handles when he was fully forward. This allowed the blades to swivel out of
his reach and it took him several dives to recover. them.
Henning Lippke
> When I was learning canoeing, banging on the hull was part of the capsize
> drill. The immediate purpose was to demonstrate that you were in control of
> the drill and there was no need for the safety observers to leap in and fish
> you out.
I'd say you not in control until you lie on the upturned hull or
actually sit on the seat ready to go again.
Showing 'I'm alright' by tapping the hull should not happen before you
at least emerge again. That was what I was wondering about, 'cos the guy
in the video was still under water.
Carl Douglas
current capsize drill & NGBs' understanding & tuition thereof.
In cold water, distant from a friendly bank & without rescue to hand,
that lad would very likely not have survived. What a waste of time,
body heat & effort it all was! It bore no possible relationship to a
real-life cold-water capsize (all that insane diving back under the boat
was just 1 mad aspect) & it read from start to finish as an elaborately
choreographed way to preventing capsize survival.
Combine that with the film we saw some months ago from N America, where
in ideal conditions most of the scullers were again incapable of
regaining their seated positions, & you see how plain dangerous is the
general supposition that a sculler can, will & should always be able to
get back in, regardless of conditions, their physique & their current
state of fatigue & anxiety.
We should never, ever, stipulate - as the only self-rescue policy - a
method so far beyond most people's abilities, even in warm & safe
conditions, & then expect them to be able to perform such an exercise
when fatigued, shocked, alone & very possibly in cold & deep or
turbulent water.
Given the combination of circumstances that a sculler might often
encounter at the moment of capsize, the time window for extracting
yourself from the water & thus removing the necessity of swimming may be
much less than a minute, & every wasted effort will shrink that window.
That's why immediate policy for self-rescue whould _always_ be that
which gets you mostly out of the water & in control for minimum effort &
in least time. It's called "straddle & paddle".
Alasdhair Johnston
yourself when upside down is a little trickier than from a single: the taps
in the drill were to assure the attendants that the capsized person had not
succumbed to panic upon being submersed.