NYCkayaker Swim Support

[TomBrooklyn]

> > From: bonnie13 at earthlink.net

> I was at the north end of the tri with the barge at the end, trying to keep people
> from bashing into one of the mooring balls that was frequently submerged by the
> force of the current. 

Did the swim course run right over the mooring ball location?   Was the mooring ball
brought to the attention of the swim organizers by kayakers beforehand or did the
kayakers not think about it beforehand either?

> Nowhere near the mess that was happening at the barge at the
> finish line. That was another MKC person whose kayak went under-and I think she 
> bailed out as her kayak went under, what happened was one of the swimmers that was
> clinging to her popped her sprayskirts

Why was a swimmer clinging to her kayak?  Generally when a swimmer grabs a kayak,
they are disqualified from the race.    

What were the circumstances that caused a swimmer to be clinging to her sprayskirt? 
 (A known unsafe act and usually to be avoided at almost all costs by the kayaker.) 
Had the kayaker been trained or advised in the proper method to aid or rescue a
swimmer? 

What was the situation at the barge that caused the problem?    

Was it something the kayakers had warned the swim committee about and been
overrulled on, or were the kayakers taken by surprise as much as the swim
organizers?

> I think the organizers then started talking to Paul & Ralph & some of the other
> kayakers & the next year the whole course was rearranged according to what was
> recommended & a thousand percent safer. 

This seems to indicate the swim organizers were reasonable, safety conscious, and
respectful of the kayakers knowledge.

I'm still waiting for one of the many people who've complained about swim organizers
lack of safety to give one specific example of it. 

TomBrooklyn