, 4 min, 638 words
Tags: alaska kayak-adventures
Remember how yesterday I said I wanted to work on underwater composure? My wish was granted today, with a series of rescue exercises. My favorite, and the one I struggled with the most, was the bow rescue, also known as a T-rescue.
The bow rescue is a way to help a flipped kayaker get back above water without having to flood their boat. And it isn't something we ever do with clients. But it does save a lot of time in training! We're all pushing our limits and trying new things, which means we're going to roll over on occasion. Avoiding the need to pump or dump water out of the kayak after every rescue saves a ton of time.
When I entered training here, I knew my kayaking skills weren't great. But I didn't anticipate how much I would freeze up underwater. I've heard the spiel a hundred times: if you flip over, remain calm, find your "oops loop", pop your skirt off, come up to the surface. It sounds like the easiest thing in the world. For me, it wasn't. The first time I rolled, I found my skirt but couldn't find the loop at the front, so I kicked my way free. Same for the second. Same for the third. Getting out this way works just fine, but I knew that I'd need to have more underwater composure for future drills. Plus, it was keeping me from really pushing myself, because I was afraid of going under.
As a result, practicing the bow rescue was frankly terrifying. What do you mean, I have to just hang out underwater until someone comes to help me? What allowed me to achieve it was the ability to try it out gradually. At first, I grabbed onto my rescuer's bow and just rolled myself most of the way in. Then I rolled myself in and tapped my hand on the opposite side of my boat. Next I did that again, and let go of the bow for a moment. Then I rolled myself over with the bow right there. Each time it grew a little less terrifying, a little more familiar. Focusing on the next step in this gradual process made the whole task more fathomable.
I'm still by no means comfortable being upside-down underwater. Cold water up my nose, brainfreeze, and the ridiculous disorientation are really overwhelming. But by the end of a lot of practice with an experienced guide (thanks again, Emily!), I now feel okay about it. I can now roll over, bend forward to tap my boat above the waterline, find the bow of a rescuer's boat, and get myself back above water. All that probably adds up to five or ten seconds underwater. But hey, it's a huge improvement over yesterday!
I also have to say, repeatedly confronting a very tangible fear is terrifying but also really rewarding. I could feel my pulse speeding up even thinking about going upside-down. Sometimes it took me a solid minute to muster up the nerve to do it. But I did it, and did it repeatedly, and came out of the water warm and dry every time. It's built a lot of confidence. I think that next time I roll, I'll be able to stay composed enough to actually find my "oops loop" and control my wet exit in the correct way. But more importantly to me, I feel more confident in my mental strength and my ability to confront the things that scare me.
Previously, I referred to this rescue as the "Eskimo bow rescue," as was common among kayakers despite its derogatory connotations to Alaska Natives. These days the terminology has thankfully shifted, so I've removed such references.