A vital lpiece of gear every whitewater boater should carry is a throw rope. Throw ropes come in a variety of sizes, diameters, and strength ratrings. They also come in a wide variety of deployment mechanisms. Here is a great rescue example using a throw rope and why you need to practice this vital skill: waterfall rescue. Lets look at the two main deployment varieties:
Wearables
Wearable throw ropes usually fit in a PFD pocket or are waist monuted. They are almost always 1/4" in diameter in order to fit in such a small form factor and typically around 50' in length. A key advantage is they are always ready to use and that's a very big deal as it takes time to run back to your boat, pull a rope out and get back to the victim. 1/4" rope can be hard to grab but isn't the safest diameter for unpinning a boat, especially if made out of polypropolene. On the other hand, they can be quite handy for rescuing swimmers.
Boat Models
You can carry a much larger rope bag inside your boat, typically 70' - 75' and 3/8" thickness. This size rope is generally recommended for boat extraction, crossing wider streams/rivers, etc. 3/8" is easy to hold giving you lots of pullijng power.
Main Uses
The common uses for throw ropes are:
- Rescueing swimmers
- Boat rescues/extraction
- Small strainer removal
It's really important to practice throwing your bag (and other varieties as well). I highly recommend taking a Swiftwater Rescue Class where you will learn these skills and many more. For a more information, check out the aticles on Throw Ropes in the Level 4: Swiftwater Rescue (Page 3).
Common Uses
All Intermediate boaters should carry a throw rope either in their boat or one of the wearable models. Ropes are commonly used to set safety on difficult rapids or in an emergency to rescue a swimmer from shore. Whenever you leave your boat to scout a rapid, briong your throw rope just in case someone isn't paying attention. Ropes are also used for extration of boats from pin situations. Other uses are lowering gear, portages, shelter, and entrapment rescues. If you haven't taken a Swift water Rescue course, I highly recommend doing so. Rope work is just one of the topics you will learn.
