Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
#11
posted to uk.rec.boats.paddle
|
|||
|
|||
kayak air bags & kit
In message
"RuFf!!" wrote: I've heard folks claim that having airbags helps them in white water by giving added bouyancy. I don't try to explain that they don't make any difference because it is too counter such myths. Physics should really be manadatory at school :-) Ewan Scott I'll second the physics at school motion, if this was true I'd be paddling quite funny, what with my single sided air bag and splits in the other. I paid £13 for my motion research airbag and it's fine, taken a beating this season since sept (...ahem) and still isn't punctured. As for Milk cartons, they work till the boat fills with water, then they give up on life and either pop the lids off or go wondering down stream. The air bags on the same side sounds as if it might work, if it fills with a large quantity of water it's easier to pull it up from the side to let some water out, then lift it on it's end (the one with the airbags in so they displace the water) and drag it onto your deck to empty. If it's just displace water while it's being towed to the side then I'd place two at the rear as this is the most common place to put them (unless it's a creeker then I'd also have some infront of the foot plate. Maybe this will help with re-surfacing...... *cough*) And this might be a suitable point to repeat advice I've seen elsewhere - when rescuing a boat, i.e. deep water rescue, lift the heavier end first. By heavier in this context I mean the end which floats lowest. It's harder to do initially, but as it usually results from one end of the boat having airbags, then the water will run from the end being lifted, and cannot run into the other end. Thus the second part of the lift, onto your boat, becomes much easier. If you lift the airbagged end first, you then end up with the far end of the boat full of water, and it's very hard to get it past the balance point. Of course, drybags with kit in work as airbags too, just not so well. I find a good system is to put the airbags in the back, uninflated. The drybags go on top, then the airbags are inflated. This locks the drybags in, and holds them out of any water in the boat, so they are less likely to leak. It doesn't keep them dry when you're swimming of course, but that shouldn't last as long. Alan -- Alan Adams, from Northamptonshire http://www.nckc.org.uk/ |
#12
posted to uk.rec.boats.paddle
|
|||
|
|||
kayak air bags & kit
And this might be a suitable point to repeat advice I've seen elsewhere - when rescuing a boat, i.e. deep water rescue, lift the heavier end first. By heavier in this context I mean the end which floats lowest. It's harder to do initially, but as it usually results from one end of the boat having airbags, then the water will run from the end being lifted, and cannot run into the other end. Thus the second part of the lift, onto your boat, becomes much easier. If you lift the airbagged end first, you then end up with the far end of the boat full of water, and it's very hard to get it past the balance point. On my CST (and subsequent rivers I've had to pull boats filled with water) It's easier to empty by lifting the side first then swing it over your deck. this reduces the lever effect the submerged boat has or yours and reduces the amount of stress you put your body under. alternatively if it's difficult to get the boat and swimmer out of the water on the bank then get them to drag their boat across your deck for you by using their legs on the hull of your boat then get them to hang on the end of the boat which will begin to empty, making it easy for you to finish it off and the swimmer has started to be warmed up again, takes their mind off of swimming. Mike |
#13
posted to uk.rec.boats.paddle
|
|||
|
|||
kayak air bags & kit
"kids won't go with shoddy ideas any more"
True, and a bit sad also. You need stuff which is fit for purpose (which milk cartons may not be...different debate !!!), but I think it's sad that the only worthy option is "buy it fom the shop". Making your own solutions can be good fun, and just as effective (and testing the effectivness is important... but that's the same for bought goods, as highlighted by so many regarding the thin poly airbags). I'm also involved in scouting, and always impressed at how skilled some of these kids can get, and yet how little creativity many of them have. There _was_ life before GPS, Gore-Tex and cell phones, and it was just as (if not more) fun. My opinion anyway ! MB |
#14
posted to uk.rec.boats.paddle
|
|||
|
|||
kayak air bags & kit
"As for Milk cartons, they work till the boat fills with water, then
they give up on life and either pop the lids off or go wondering down stream." Is that from experience Mike ??? I've tried popping the top off an empty milk carton by applying sudden pressure, and they don't fly off. + placed all together in a net, there's no way they'll ever get out, as they are larger than the gap when my back rest is in place (again the old physics thing kicks in !!!). I'm interested if you've tried this and it's been unsuccessfull. MB |
#15
posted to uk.rec.boats.paddle
|
|||
|
|||
kayak air bags & kit
"MB" wrote in message oups.com... "As for Milk cartons, they work till the boat fills with water, then they give up on life and either pop the lids off or go wondering down stream." Is that from experience Mike ??? I've tried popping the top off an empty milk carton by applying sudden pressure, and they don't fly off. + placed all together in a net, there's no way they'll ever get out, as they are larger than the gap when my back rest is in place (again the old physics thing kicks in !!!). I'm interested if you've tried this and it's been unsuccessfull. MB I was unsuccessfull with the milk cartons in my I:3, got a tiny bit of a working in a hole, i swam out and the boat stayed in for a few seconds, some of the lids had popped off which allowed them to go off down stream at their own pace. That was in my earlier days of paddling so it'd work for me now as I don't swim (or at least not untill I really really have to) and I have to carry kit, which milk cartons will hinder I think. Mike |
#16
posted to uk.rec.boats.paddle
|
|||
|
|||
kayak air bags & kit
MB wrote:
True, and a bit sad also. You need stuff which is fit for purpose (which milk cartons may not be...different debate !!!), but I think it's sad that the only worthy option is "buy it fom the shop". Making your own solutions can be good fun, and just as effective (and testing the effectivness is important... but that's the same for bought goods, as highlighted by so many regarding the thin poly airbags). A pal of mine who has /lots/ of Stars (up to 5 depending on discipline, and several disciplines) for both coaching and attainment, has been known to use Lilos from Lidls as effective canoe aitbags. And tested them thoroughly, before full on action and subsequently in anger. It's usually not that difficult to come up with quite acceptable home made options for all sorts of things. Including the boats themselves. Where home production generally fails to compete is turning out lots of identical things to a predicted standard, but that'snot generally necessary if it's just for your own use. Pete. -- Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/ |
#17
posted to uk.rec.boats.paddle
|
|||
|
|||
kayak air bags & kit
thanks. useful input.
MB |
#18
posted to uk.rec.boats.paddle
|
|||
|
|||
kayak air bags & kit
On e-bay at the moment there's a guy selling some airbags which double
as drysacks. I don't know how good they are, but it's an interesting idea. I've seenold lorry tyre inner-tubes used fairly successfully as diy airbags in the past. The difficulty is coping with the funny looks you get whilst standing with a kayak at the petrol station air hose! |
Reply |
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
rec.boats.paddle sea kayaking FAQ | General | |||
kayak plans second post | General | |||
rec.boats.paddle sea kayaking FAQ | General | |||
WTB Kayak plans | General | |||
rec.boats.paddle sea kayaking FAQ | General |