Make sure you bring (and know how to use) the Sea Kayaking Essentials.

In 1997 the book Sea Kayaker's Deep Trouble was published with the intent to convey important safety information to new and experienced sea kayakers. In keeping with that vein this page was developed in November 2000 to pass on to Mountaineer Sea Kayakers information related to safety issues and equipment. For questions concerning this page, contact the Sea Kayak Safety Subcommittee.

TOPIC LIST
(new topics will be added periodically)

• Transportation Safety Board of Canada report on multiple capsizings during a guided sea kayak trip. (posted November 2000)
• Variation of the all-in rescue.  (posted December 2000)
• Cold water paddling.  (posted April 2001)
• Kayaking in Canada - safety equipment.  (posted May 2001)

TOPICS

Report on Multiple Capsizing
In July 1993 a Canadian commercial sea kayak trip involving 9 clients and two guides encountered adverse weather conditions that resulted in a multiple capsizing and the death of one of the clients. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigated this occurrence and issued a formal report in November 1995. Although the report is five years old, lessons learned from it are as valid today as when the report was first issued. Amongst the items noted in the report were:

• misinterpretation of the weather forecast
• not dressing adequately for the conditions
• a breakdown of group discipline
• the head guide, preoccupied with rescue efforts, being unaware that four members of his group were missing. 

The events leading up to the capsizing are well laid out in the report and provide insight into how such an event can occur. The report, number M93W0008, can be found at the Canadian Transportation Safety Board web page.

Variation of the All-In Rescue
The "all-in" rescue concerns the scenario where all the paddlers in a group have capsized and done a wet exit. The problem faced is getting one of the paddlers back into a kayak so assisted rescues can be accomplished with the others. An article by Keith Attenborough in the November 2000 issue of Atlantic Coastal Kayaker titled "All-In, All-Out - Fast!" describes a variation on the usual method of getting the first paddler back in a kayak. The basic steps involved are:

• Two capsized kayaks are positioned perpendicular to each other in a T.
• The paddler who will re-enter first is at the junction of the T next to their cockpit, and the second paddler is at the stern of their boat at the bottom of the T.
• The first paddler tips their kayak on its side, slides feet first into the cockpit with the kayak still on its side, and then using the bow of the second boat hip snaps back upright.

The method essentially combines techniques from the re-enter and roll and Eskimo rescues. Once the first paddler is back upright, assisted rescues can be done on the remaining people and pump out of the first boat can be accomplished.

To obtain information on how to get a reprint of this article, contact: Atlantic Coastal Kayaker, PO Box 520, Ipswich, MA 01938 (phone: 978-356-6112 or email:ack@shore.net). Or to find out more about this East Coast sea kayak magazine, visit the Atlantic Coastal Kayaker web page.

Cold Water Paddling
What to wear for a day out kayaking can stir a lively debate among experienced kayakers. Viewpoints can range from "dress for the air temperature" to "dress for the water temperature". For club paddles the decision can already be made for you by trip leaders requiring participants to wear either wet or dry suits. In other cases, the decision may be left up to you with the trip leader perhaps recommending that wet or dry suits be worn.

In the Puget Sound area both water and air temperature can vary significantly during the year. When thinking about what to wear, keep the following concerns in mind:

• Hypothermia or abnormally low body temperature which can occur if inadequately dressed for the conditions.
• Cold shock or sudden cooling of the body which can happen if a capsize occurs in cold water.
• Hyperthermia or abnormally high body temperature which can occur if overly dressed for the conditions.

Recommendations on what to wear can be found in kayaking how-to books such as The Coastal Kayaker's Manual by Randel Washburne. And in-depth information on how temperature affects the body can be found in Hypothermia, Frostbite, and Other Cold Injuries by Wilkerson, Bangs, and Hayward. Both books are published by The Mountaineers and can be found in the Clubhouse book store.

Further information can also be found on-line at many sites such as Northcountry Kayak safety web page and links associated with that page.

Kayaking in Canada - safety equipment
If you're planning a kayak trip in Canada, keep in mind the need to comply with Canadian boating regulations. While most regulations are comparable to those for kayaking in the United States, there is at least one exception.

On April 1 1999 a number of changes dealing with boating safety were implemented in Canada. Among those changes that affect kayakers was the requirement to have a "buoyant heaving line of not less than 15m in length."

Information on this and other Canadian boating regulations can be found at the Safe Boating Guide page of the Canadian Coast Guard web site.