The Sea Float

August-September 1997

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.

The Sea Float was based on native designs developed over the millennia

by Tim Ingram

Most classes in self and assisted rescue are held in calm water, or in pools, so many students are unaware these skills are much harder in rough water. Rolling at sea with a loaded boat is in fact so difficult that most kayakers have not mastered this skill. Estimates of kayakers who can roll range from 3% to 10%.

That's why it is so important to have devices which can aid paddlers who capsize, like the Sea-Seat (previous article). I understand a Greenland expedition years back had Sea-Seats inflated and bobbing behind at all times to re-enter in hazardous, cold conditions.

My Sea Float can be used similarly to help get you out of the water. Both devices give two floating objects to help you. The Sea Float, however, is smaller and was designed specifically for sea kayakers, whereas the Sea-Seat was really designed as a pocket liferaft for boaters.

The Sea Float was based on native designs developed over the millennia. As anthropologist David Zimmerly wrote in his book Qajaq about the Aleut: "..when a rider overturned... an inflated bladder... was extremely useful... because the rider could maintain himself on the water and get into the baidarka... (Veniaminov 1840:225-26)." (p.27)

My Sea Float sits partly inflated on the rear deck behind my cockpit, like an Arctic harpoon bladder (avataq). It deploys if I capsize and creates drag like a sea anchor until I can re-enter.

I grasp the Sea Float (without having to inflate it further) by both arms and pull it under my chest area, raising my body out of the water. An attached sling of webbing is long enough to step into. I simply push the float down toward my leg to step into it.

As I grip the cockpit coaming and reach over the kayak, my weight on the float reduces and it rises with my legs, helping me float up onto the kayak for re-entry.

The Sea Float obviously works with the kayak upright or not. An upside-down kayak, with a Sea Float attached, creates a stable platform like a life raft in a worst-case situation. This will at least get you out of the water and lessen hypothermia.

Although I market this device, I don't mind saying that a big dry bag tied on behind the cockpit is really an excellent alternative. I recommend you stuff a lightweight sleeping bag loosely into it, as I do with my Sea Float. There are inner airtight bags available to ensure watertightness and security of air/buoyancy within the drybag.

Only partially inflating the drybag enables you to grasp it more easily. You can tie a strap or webbing around the mid-section to make holding on and stepping up easier.

The key is grabbable volume, not tight inflation, as my web site describes. Dry bags at least 36" long would be best to help support the legs as the person lies over both kayak and float, to get out of the water.

Tim Ingram owns Georgian Bay Kayak Ltd. 231 Gordon Dr., Penetanguishene, Ontario L9M 1Y2. Ph: 705/ 549-3722.
Email: timkayak@bconnex.net
www.bconnex.net/~timkayak