Paddle Rescue

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Key Points

Another method of eskimo rescue which is very useful and which can be quicker than a bow rescue if you are in the right position where you would position your boat alongside the upside down boat and simply extend your paddle shaft over their hull. The capsized canoeist would then grab your paddle shaft (which you maintain a strong grip on) and repeat the technique detailed in the bow rescue.

The paddle variation is used when the two kayaks are parallel. The rescuer moves to the mid section of the your capsized kayak and puts the paddle across both kayaks so that you can reach up between the kayaks and pull yourself up by the paddle shaft. The rescuer must take care not to extend the paddle beyond the capsized kayak. If this happens, the capsized paddler may grab the end of the paddle shaft rather than the middle, and would not get adequate support for the recovery.

The capsized paddler (with suddenly limited sight range) will not immediately know which type of Eskimo rescue will be done and it should not matter. When you feel the bow or paddle of the rescuer, grab what is offered to you, support yourself and use a hip snap to get your boat under you. Be sure to take the time to get your arms in front of your body before coming up, to avoid shoulder injury.

The Eskimo rescue has limited effectiveness in real conditions because it is rare that a paddler will be aware, at the moment of unexpected capsize, that another paddler who knows how to do an Eskimo rescue is in position to do the job. Accordingly, a paddler who knows how to roll will roll and a paddler who does not roll will perform a wet exit. Even so, when conditions were right we have seen Eskimo rescues work wonderfully well (I'll never forget that time on the river).