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*)

Mike

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/

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

"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

"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

thanks. useful input.
MB

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!