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Katherine

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    Low-probability/High-consequence Wet Exits

    in General Message Board

    Posted

    Okay, be kind to me all... I am positng in the hope that others can learn from my experience.

    A few weeks ago I was with a coach and another coaches, we wanted to work on entering and exiting eddies and work with moving water. We went to someplace on the South Shore (Cohasset? Hull? With the bridge that leads to Little Harbor. I imagine some of you know the spot.

    We got there late, damn traffic. The Coach asked if we were all okay with wet exits and issued a caution about the possibility of the current sweeping one to the back deck making exiting difficult. We didn't have the luxury of playing in the water from slack until we were no longer comfortable and, in my opinion, the water was moving at a pretty good clip.

    All was good... for a bit... We entered and exited the eddies and entered and exited the eddies.., The, the last time (it was supposed to be the last time) we were to enter the eddy and paddle down the bumpy water to where it fanned out and became calm once again. I don't know how far that distance was ~ it didn't look to far from the sides and felt like forever when I was on it.

    So I entered the eddy fine, began paddling down and the somehow went over. I leaned forward to pop my skirt and then tried to exit. I couldn't. I panicked, lost my paddle and thought "Is this how I am going to die?" Answered myself with a rounding "No" ND then thought "Air, I need air.". I hand scalped to the surface grabbed a gulp of air and water before I was under again. I did this 3 times. My thought was I only had to hang on until I hit the calmer water or I was rescued.

    I was rescued and the coach, after I had regained my composure very gently asked how my spray skirt had come off. So I had popped it but the mystery was why didn't I come out of my boat?

    The following weekend I went out with two friend and I practiced wet exiting, I still had a little panic with the first one. What I noticed was that I forgot to run my hands/fingers under the combing. I believe that is what happened the previous weekend. Some of you may know I am in a new-to-me boat with an ocean cockpit. And with this boat I am in my first neoprene skirt.

    Like Julie, I had developed a bad habit. My bad habit was with a nylon spray skirt I didn't need to run my hands around the combing, so I didn't. And when I needed to I forgot.

    On a side note... My birthday is Wednesday and I am having a part at my house, some how I feel like having an extra special celebration. If you know where I live just come over. If you don't know where I live PM me and I'll give you the address.

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