On Sat 7th Dec Dittons PBC had organised a rescue training session in a swimming pool and invited Dave to assist in a bit of coaching due to Davepaddles being a multi craft club, and with the knowledge of rescues from all craft to all craft.
This was planned for Kayak, Canoe and Paddleboard but our plans changed to just a kayak and paddleboards as storm Darragh hit the UK and there was no way we were going to be loading a 14-foot Canoe onto or off of a roof rack of a vehicle in that weather.
There were 7 of us and an hour and a half of pool time, to practice and discuss the many rescues from craft to craft.
Many thanks also go to Tony C-M for being our photographer for the evening and also his great demo of a SUP-to-Sup rescue.
When it comes to rescuing someone from the water its usually a dynamic rescue, it’s not planned and very unexpected, being able to automatically assess the situation and act accordingly at the flick of a switch is a skill that takes practice.
It’s not only the rescuer that needs this skill, also any paddler may come unstuck at some point and needs to be rescued, its common sense to know what to do and assist your rescuer.
The best and safest way to start practicing these skills are within a club in a pool session, with likeminded people and qualified coaches and or instructors, then move onto very sheltered water in the spring/summer and advance from there.
There are many different types of rescues and not all of them involve getting wet, there are so many that instead of just meandering down a slow-moving waterway, why not spice it up a bit and ask your leader some scenario questions? and get involved in some demonstrations. It’s a great fun way of practicing.
Practice makes? I wouldn’t use the word perfect as any rescue is ultimately dynamic and different as well as outcome based, and everyone does something slightly different we are not all the same and paddle in many different environments, but the basics are there and can be tweaked as long as they work.
We had an hour and a half in the pool, this was plenty enough time to practice with 2 different craft.
Write up Dave
Such a valuable session! THANKYOU Dave for sharing your craft & knowledge ❤️ We at Dittons Paddle Boarding really appreciate it! Looking forward to practicing again soon.