Staying in Your Boat
April-May 2003
This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
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by Christianne Wilhelmson
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Using the BackUp enables you to stay in your boat.
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We'd really rather not think about it. But for everyone who heads out on the ocean to enjoy some time kayaking, it's a question that lingers in the background: what happens if I capsize? No problem you say, I learned how to deal with this in class. Pull on the grabloop of your skirt, exit the boat, use paddle and paddlefloat to help get back in, and then I'm on my way.
Sounds easy enough.
But for most of us, the challenge of getting back in our kayak, bailing out water and resealing our skirt in weather that was bad enough to tip us over in the first place means re-entry could be much tougher than it was in class.
Most instructors will tell you that the first thing to do is avoid the dangerous conditions that could lead to a capsize, and know your bracing skills.
The second is to be able to effectively perform an Eskimo Roll, in all conditions.
But, let's face it, for most sea kayakers, a wet exit and re-entry is a more likely scenario.
This bothered kayaker and past instructor, Alistair Blachford.
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The CO2 powered BackUp is easy to carry on deck.
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"I was watching beginner kayakers leave my class, convinced they could deal with a capsize because they knew how to re-enter their boat," says Blachford, a kayaker for 22 years, "but I worried about having given them a false sense of security."
A paddlefloat self-rescue is by no means a sure thing in cold water, especially in conditions which cause capsize. It's far better to stay in your boat. But knowing that many kayakers aren't able to roll in rough weather, he decided to create something that would help.
In 1996, Blachford started selling the BackUP.
Aimed at all level of kayakers, the BackUP is an easy to use righting aid that lets you recover from a capsize without ever having to leave your boat.
It attaches directly to your kayak, either in front or behind the cockpit. "It's an easy, one-grab operation", Blachford says. Once you pull on the BackUP, it inflates, taking your hand - still holding onto the handle - quickly to the surface. You then push down on the inflated float and, just like that, you're upright.
"It's really that simple", he says.
Now improved for even faster inflation, the BackUP can get you upright in as little as 3 to 5 seconds.
Weighing in at around 1 lb, the BackUP can also be used as a paddle float in an emergency, taking up less space than traditional, pre-inflated products.
Blachford says, "This piece of equipment provides another way to avoid a wet-exit. You hope you never have to use it, but if you do, you want something simple that will quickly get you out oftrouble and on your way; that's the BackUP."
Information on the BackUP is available at www.roll-aid.com or by contacting Alistair Blachford at info@roll-aid.com or at 604- 224-4010.
© Christianne Wilhelmson is a freelance writer in Vancouver, BC, and the Georgia Strait Alliance's Clean Air & Water Campaigner. cewilhelmson@aol.com. 604-730-7166.
