An original Whetman Equipment product.
Made in the Czech Republic. Assembled in Devon. |
Sea Guide TowlineDesigned to be used by guides, leaders & coaches.
The priority in making this device was functionality. The user is likely to deploy the device on a regular basis & needs a simple system which can be repacked in rough water and then be deployed again. The bag has two tows:
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Connectors for Sea Kayak Towing - be informed of the characteristics of this piece of kit - read the article at the base of this page
LEFT SIDE
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RIGHT SIDE
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LEFT SIDE: Reach on the left hand side to access the main towline connector stowed on the fixed loop.
RIGHT SIDE: On the right is the second ultra short tow with connector stowed on the right fixed loop.
RIGHT SIDE: On the right is the second ultra short tow with connector stowed on the right fixed loop.
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The two connectors are positioned further forward on the belt on large easy to locate fixed loops. There is a one way zip which only permits the main tow to be stowed in one position that is on the left side. Therefore the main tow can only be located on one side, keeping things simple. The zip pull is a red ball on a cord. There is a wide band of reflective element on the top & side of the bag. |
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Main Tow
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The 14metre towline is made of floating 19mm tape connected back to the stainless ring & elastic webbing which is connected to a central pivot point inside the bag. The tape is very light, easy to repack & dries quickly. The image here shows the full length deployed. |
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The image here shows a 7 metre tow deployed, given the connector returns back to clip into the ring. This system allows all the tow force on a 7m tow to be directed back to the main elastic webbing & central pivot point. This reduces the risk of a half tow pulling assymetricaly & causing the bag to rotate & the quick release to rotate out of its expected position.
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The float can be positioned anywhere on the line and will stay in position. This is an advantage when the connector must be fed under decklines in a raft situation then the float will remain outside of the lines. |
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Second Tow
The ultra short second tow is a separate line of tape which is connected directly to the central pivot point and exits out of a drain hole in the base of the bag. It is deployed without unzipping the bag.
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This second tow can be used as a contact towline. It has many other uses which includes to connect to the main line with a clove hitch enabling a shorter length of main line to be deployed. It can be used to cinch around a paddle shaft & allow it to float free, also useful should a throwline rescue be deployed into a gully; once thrown the throwline end can be clipped into the short tow & the rescuer is then hands free to prepare to tow out the casualty. Another application is should the wearer be assisting from the rocks on a rocky landing in swell he may wish to be held in position on a belay line connected to the short tow to prevent being washed into the sea.
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The zip teeth are robust & chunky to survive sand and grit from the sea. Both the slider & teeth are made of HD plastic. There is a taped stopper close to the end of the main tow to prevent the line escaping out of the closed zip.
The bag contains two hard floats to give positive buoyancy if dropped in the water. The bag material is waterproof and so does not absorb water & become heavy.
The size of the bag is generous to ensure ease of repacking the line whilst at sea in your kayak. To repack rotate the bag onto your spraydeck & slacken off the belt to allow the bag to sit forward of your PFD. The top will naturally open up and stay up giving space to repack the tape. Paddle away from the line and trail it over your shoulder. This allows you to repack it by pulling it down off the shoulder into the bag.
The belt is 50mm webbing with a cam buckle release & toggle. There is a slider to allow adjustment of the buckle position to be set central around your waist.
The bag contains two hard floats to give positive buoyancy if dropped in the water. The bag material is waterproof and so does not absorb water & become heavy.
The size of the bag is generous to ensure ease of repacking the line whilst at sea in your kayak. To repack rotate the bag onto your spraydeck & slacken off the belt to allow the bag to sit forward of your PFD. The top will naturally open up and stay up giving space to repack the tape. Paddle away from the line and trail it over your shoulder. This allows you to repack it by pulling it down off the shoulder into the bag.
The belt is 50mm webbing with a cam buckle release & toggle. There is a slider to allow adjustment of the buckle position to be set central around your waist.
Maintenance
Sea salt crystals can form & block up the karabiners springs and so we highly recommend rinse in hot water after use & spray with silicone spray.
Wash the bag occasionally in hot water to free up the zip from salt crystals.
DMM Carabiner Maintenance
The Argon is made by DMM. With this carabiner the spring is inside the gate in a tube and must be cleaned with hot water, allowed to drain to clear out any dirt and salt and then lubricated with silicone or oil. If the spring is not cleaned then it will become blocked and stiff; if the gate is then forced open the black retainer will be damaged. After washing hang the carabiner vertically to allow it to drain (see below). These carabiners do demand more care and maintenance and the benefit is they are bigger and easier to handle, and look really nice, compared with smaller stainless connectors. There is a trade off between being better to use and higher maintenance.
Sea salt crystals can form & block up the karabiners springs and so we highly recommend rinse in hot water after use & spray with silicone spray.
Wash the bag occasionally in hot water to free up the zip from salt crystals.
DMM Carabiner Maintenance
The Argon is made by DMM. With this carabiner the spring is inside the gate in a tube and must be cleaned with hot water, allowed to drain to clear out any dirt and salt and then lubricated with silicone or oil. If the spring is not cleaned then it will become blocked and stiff; if the gate is then forced open the black retainer will be damaged. After washing hang the carabiner vertically to allow it to drain (see below). These carabiners do demand more care and maintenance and the benefit is they are bigger and easier to handle, and look really nice, compared with smaller stainless connectors. There is a trade off between being better to use and higher maintenance.
Training & Practise
As with all rescue kit training & practise is essential before use to ensure correct & safe application of the device.
As with all rescue kit training & practise is essential before use to ensure correct & safe application of the device.
Connectors for Sea Kayak towing.
There are a variety of connectors used for towing sea kayaks and all have their benefits and pitfalls. There is not a perfect connector yet available for this task; each one has its limitations and it is up to the paddler to make an informed choice of what to use and then test and practise using it so as to become competent in its deployment & appreciate what it can/cannot do. This text is to assist in giving that information & we also suggest go chat to an experienced sea kayak coach!
Sea kayaking is an assumed risk activity and your rescue kit is there to help you manage that risk. However on rare occasions it may malfunction; therefore your exposure to risk should consider this & always have a back up. The connector or karabiner is a critical aspect of the sea kayak towing system. Regarding the connectors generally used they all are snag free with no hook on the nose which could snag the deckline. Most sea kayak coaches recommend clipping from underneath the deckline to reduce the chance of the clip disconnecting. All of these clips are snapgates hence they snap close on a spring and can be opened and closed very quickly; brilliant for a quick connection on a lumpy sea. This characteristic is also a potential cause of failure and can result, on rare occasions by chance, in the snapgate unclipping entirely from the deckline leaving the towed kayak at the mercy of Neptune’s wrath.
Snapgate disconnection can occur if the kayak is thrown around and lurches back and forward, up and down causing the connector & line to be tossed & twisted in all directions. With wiregate clips such as the Kraken stainless clip (and most other wiregate clips) if they run alongside the deckline on rare occasions the rope itself can catch on the gate and drag it open & disconnect. This is more prone to occur if the decklines are tight and made of cheap polypropylene rough braided lines rather than the smoother polyester decklines. So if you use these clip types practise clipping to the very front of the bow to prevent this. The benefit of wiregate clips is the spring is very simple and will not jam or corrode given it is created by eccentric loading of tensioned maintenance free stainless steel – clever stuff! Lets compare this to a connector with a solid gate. These clips have an internal tube with a traditional spring which can jam with dirt and salt crystals; so although these are less likely (still possible though) to disconnect from a line, they may jam open or closed when you need them most! Even when scrupulously maintained these clips can fail as a result of exposure to a marine environment. There are also some plastic clips used and issued on products; they are quite small & chunky with a leaf type gate and are light and relatively cheap. The maximum strength of these is much lower than a metal clip so consider what types of situations you will be in and make an informed decision. Some coaches will insist on these being replaced before launching!
In rock climbing snapgates are recognised as a risky connection and are not used for critical rigging; that task is for a screwgate connector; a threaded collar is screwed over the gate to stop it opening. The screwgate connector is another option to consider. If you intend to be in demanding high risk situations where a towline connection must be super reliable then a screwgate clip is the tool for the job. Stop! Its not that simple of course given the collar could jam with sand/salt/corrosion, and also the spring could fail, so if you decide on one of these be extremely vigilant with maintenance and lubrication.
So as yet there is no perfect connector and hopefully this information will help you decide what to use and recognise the limitations of your choice. My company is striving to develop new ideas for a more versatile connection system and we haven’t yet got the perfect design so watch this space!
Steve Whetman
Whetman Equipment
There are a variety of connectors used for towing sea kayaks and all have their benefits and pitfalls. There is not a perfect connector yet available for this task; each one has its limitations and it is up to the paddler to make an informed choice of what to use and then test and practise using it so as to become competent in its deployment & appreciate what it can/cannot do. This text is to assist in giving that information & we also suggest go chat to an experienced sea kayak coach!
Sea kayaking is an assumed risk activity and your rescue kit is there to help you manage that risk. However on rare occasions it may malfunction; therefore your exposure to risk should consider this & always have a back up. The connector or karabiner is a critical aspect of the sea kayak towing system. Regarding the connectors generally used they all are snag free with no hook on the nose which could snag the deckline. Most sea kayak coaches recommend clipping from underneath the deckline to reduce the chance of the clip disconnecting. All of these clips are snapgates hence they snap close on a spring and can be opened and closed very quickly; brilliant for a quick connection on a lumpy sea. This characteristic is also a potential cause of failure and can result, on rare occasions by chance, in the snapgate unclipping entirely from the deckline leaving the towed kayak at the mercy of Neptune’s wrath.
Snapgate disconnection can occur if the kayak is thrown around and lurches back and forward, up and down causing the connector & line to be tossed & twisted in all directions. With wiregate clips such as the Kraken stainless clip (and most other wiregate clips) if they run alongside the deckline on rare occasions the rope itself can catch on the gate and drag it open & disconnect. This is more prone to occur if the decklines are tight and made of cheap polypropylene rough braided lines rather than the smoother polyester decklines. So if you use these clip types practise clipping to the very front of the bow to prevent this. The benefit of wiregate clips is the spring is very simple and will not jam or corrode given it is created by eccentric loading of tensioned maintenance free stainless steel – clever stuff! Lets compare this to a connector with a solid gate. These clips have an internal tube with a traditional spring which can jam with dirt and salt crystals; so although these are less likely (still possible though) to disconnect from a line, they may jam open or closed when you need them most! Even when scrupulously maintained these clips can fail as a result of exposure to a marine environment. There are also some plastic clips used and issued on products; they are quite small & chunky with a leaf type gate and are light and relatively cheap. The maximum strength of these is much lower than a metal clip so consider what types of situations you will be in and make an informed decision. Some coaches will insist on these being replaced before launching!
In rock climbing snapgates are recognised as a risky connection and are not used for critical rigging; that task is for a screwgate connector; a threaded collar is screwed over the gate to stop it opening. The screwgate connector is another option to consider. If you intend to be in demanding high risk situations where a towline connection must be super reliable then a screwgate clip is the tool for the job. Stop! Its not that simple of course given the collar could jam with sand/salt/corrosion, and also the spring could fail, so if you decide on one of these be extremely vigilant with maintenance and lubrication.
So as yet there is no perfect connector and hopefully this information will help you decide what to use and recognise the limitations of your choice. My company is striving to develop new ideas for a more versatile connection system and we haven’t yet got the perfect design so watch this space!
Steve Whetman
Whetman Equipment