The Paddler Magazine Issue 64 Early Spring 2022 | Page 23

D I M I T R I ’ S

RESCUE training series ( part 4 )

In this series , we will share the first-hand experience , my NORTHSEAKAYAK team , and I gained while training together with the Coast Guard , search and rescue assets and other vessels that may come to aid when the need arises .

Before starting , it is of the utmost importance that every sea kayaker trains and prepares to avoid getting into trouble in the first place and learn to paddle selfreliant , responsible , and safe . How well prepared we are , things can get ugly , and therefore we need to know what to do when we cannot solve a problem ourselves . This is what the series goes about ; things are going south , and this is what we can do when we need external help . Each article in this series will highlight a specific rescue together with some top tips ! Remember , reading an article does not replace proper training .

MAYDAY-MAYDAY-MAYDAY ! We reached the final chapter in this RESCUE TRAINING series ! In all previous chapters , we highlighted our training with rescue services ( https :// paddlerezine . com / dimitris-rescue1 ); two types of lifeboats ( https :// paddlerezine . com / dimitris-rescue-2 ); and the rescue helicopter ( https :// paddlerezine . com / dimitris-rescue-3 ). But what if you launch a distress call and rescue services aren ’ t the first to arrive at the scene ?

During the past years , we gave this some thought . We heard and read stories about fellow kayakers in distress spotted and picked up by other vessels . Boats that aren ’ t equipped to perform rescues at sea , with crews that aren ’ t trained to rescue people out of the water . What can you do as a sea kayaker to aid to your rescue when it ’ s not the Coast Guard that arrives first ? Let ’ s share some insight !

During our sea kayak adventures , we got to know many people . The North Sea is known as one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world . So , we have many larger ships coming through . Also , every single year , our local harbour needs to be dredged . There is also a small hub for sand extraction in Nieuwpoort Harbour .

Hopper-dredgers extract sand from the seabed on the North Sea and then transport it to the harbour where the sand is loaded from ship to shore . We already surfed numerous times on the bow and wake waves of those big hopper-dredgers . It is also a fast way to get in or out of the harbour against the tidal stream when paddling close behind the ship in their wake . We don ’ t do this without knowing about the hydrodynamics of such ships .

ThePADDLER 23