Rescue Stirrup

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by Ralph Gardave

The rescue stirrup is a versatile aid to both solo and assisted rescues that I don’t see in many paddlers’ boats. It may just be that people are unaware of this piece of equipment. On the other hand, many paddlers who have solid rescue and/or rolling skills may simply feel that we don’t need it as they have several methods to get back into their boat should a mishap occur. Regardless of which category you fall into reading this article may have you considering a rescue stirrup.

If you have good self rescue techniques consider for a moment how you might benefit from a simple assistance device in the event that you are tired and have difficulty with one of your normal techniques. Some of the best paddlers I know have found themselves in exactly this situation. Also worthy of thought is how you would assist a tired, or heavy paddler back into their boat should they be unable to without your help. Although you could use a scoop rescue in this situation, it has its drawbacks. A scoop rescue is very difficult and has the potential to injure the rescuer due to the stain of trying to pull the other paddler up with their boat. Once the scoop rescue is complete, you need to pump out the water which can be an exhausting process in itself.

For a solo rescue the paddler first inflates and attaches their paddle float to one end of their paddle. The loop of the sling is placed over the paddle blade that does not have the paddle float. The paddle is then placed over the upright boat, behind the coaming, with the paddle float on the swimmer’s side. Throw the remainder of the loop over to the far side of your boat. By reaching under the boat you can usually grab the rest of the loop. If this proves difficult, swim forward pushing the boat slightly and the loop will become easier to reach. You then grab the loop end and wrap it twice around the paddle shaft and let the remainder drop down into the water. This creates the stirrup that you can now place your foot into to allow you to gain the height and leverage to get onto the deck. The rest of the process is completed using exactly the same techniques that you would use for a typical paddle float self rescue.

For an assisted rescue the technique is similar but the positioning of the paddle is under the boat, whereas the loop is over the boat. No paddle float is needed and the paddle ends up being place squarely be tween the two boats. The first step in the assisted rescue is to empty the boat of water using the typical methods of a traditional “T” rescue. The two boats are then positioned in the water with the sterns and bows of the two boats opposite each other. The rescuer and swimmer then position a paddle squarely underneath both boats with the loop of the stirrup around the center of the paddle shaft. The loop is pulled up from between the boats and is then thrown over the swimmer’s boat and similarly looped as in the solo rescue method. The rescuer then steadies the swimmer’s boat during the re-entry as they would do with a standard assisted rescue while the swimmer steps into the loop to easily get onto the deck.

A rescue sling is preferably made out of webbing and is a loop 12 to 14 feet in length. The preference of webbing material vs. rope becomes evident if you stand in the loop for any length of time. The loop is made with a buckle so that the length can be adjusted to fit various kayakers and their boats. You can make your own or purchase a commercially made one from companies such as North Water. (The retail versions cost around $18 to $20 dollars.)

If you are still skeptical about the need or value of this rescue aid then I urge you to try it out and compare it with your own techniques. Again for those of you with good self rescue techniques, think of this in terms of when you might be overtired, or required to assist another paddler. If you want to try it out for free, with gear that you already have, then read on. Take one of the kayak webbing straps that you use on the car, make a loop with the buckle and take it with you to a pool session. If you do this in open water I recommend that you attach a float to the loop so that if you drop it you can still recover the strap to get your boat home! If you do a scoop rescue first and fully pump out the water followed by the assisted stirrup rescue technique I believe that the benefits will become obvious. Comparing a stirrup rescue to a traditional paddle float self rescue will also reveal the benefits in reducing the effort that it takes to get you back onto the boat.

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RELEASE OF LIABILITY, WAIVER OF CLAIMS, ASSUMPTION OF RISKS AND INDEMNITY AGREEMENT (hereinafter the "Release Agreement") BY ACCEPTING THIS DOCUMENT YOU WILL WAIVE OR GIVE UP CERTAIN LEGAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO SUE FOR NEGLIGENCE OR BREACH OF CONTRACT OR TO CLAIM COMPENSATION FOLLOWING AN ACCIDENT

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