Here’s a variation on the solo canoe self rescue, this time with a paddle float. I have to be honest that whether it’s a sea kayak or canoe I find the paddle float to be much less effective than just using the paddle without it. Without the float the paddle stays buried in the water so it’s helpful to stabilize in both directions, with it you only have stability in one direction and it’s also just one more thing to manage. My personal goal is that any self rescue takes less than 60 seconds and I just can’t accomplish that with a paddle float. This rescue took two minutes but 30 seconds of that was explaining to a passerby that I wasn’t in trouble.
I did 10 self rescues total, and on two of them I got caught briefly on the support lines for the seat so that’s gonna need a redesign on the next iteration. I also found that the Mirage Drive box took up a little too much room in the cockpit for me to get my center of gravity nice and low while I sort out the aftermath. Fortunately, I have discovered that I can reduce the length of my seat which will give me more kneeling room, and also make the canoe significantly lighter on the next prototype.
This rescue relies on a special attachment for the paddle, (which I’ll see use for camera mounts, and my catamaran system) and also a lot of flotation along the inside of the gunwale. It can also work in a loaded canoe IF it is loaded with a single pack on a tether that you can toss over the side and then pull back in when the rescue is complete. With practice this can be effective in moderately choppy water, but not extreme conditions.
The only way to know whether any rescue strategy will be effective is to practice it repeatedly in the conditions, water, temperature, boat load, and state of exhaustion that you might be in if you were to actually need it. I used to teach kayak rescue that way, and the majority of people who had practiced in ideal conditions were unable to successfully complete the rescues in real world conditions.
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