In message .com
"peter" wrote:

ChipsCheeseandMayo wrote:
Hi there,

snip

Thanks very much for your help.

I can't help with the emptying bit, but regarding getting them back in
their boat...
Are you still using the method where you hold their kayak alongside
your own, facing the opposite direction, with your arms round/over the
front of their cockpit? After a number of actual and near back injuries
from using this technique at places that I've taught, we started using
an alternative method, whereby you hold their boat sideways in front of
you, on top of your boat, with you facing forwards, arms out front - ie
no back twisting. The victim then climbs onto the front of your boat
and into theirs. In my experience this is much easier for both rescuer
and victim, and requires less physical strength. HTH


I've used this quite a bit. It works well if you instruct in a playboat (not
too low volume though) as the front deck is flat enough for the victim to
get a purchase on. It seems to fail misreably if you instruct from a Dancer,
for example, with a high, rounded and long deck. The victim can't climb far
enough out of the water to start getting into their boat.

The downside of this rescue is if the victim is too heavy for the buoyancy
provided by the front of your boat - you then stand on end. It's not a major
problem, as you are holding their boat for support, but it dumps them back
into the water.

This technique works best if the victim has the strength/willingness/ability
to take a good part of their weight on their arms, applied to their boat,
thereby reducing the weight applied to your boat.

--
Alan Adams

http://www.nckc.org.uk/