The T-Rescue is a two-person method of righting a capsized kayak.
One of the reasons that you should never go kayaking alone is that if you are with somebody else, then there are a lot of other techniques that you can use in case something goes wrong while you’re kayaking.
For instance, you’ll have somebody to help you get back into your kayak should you capsize and need to perform the wet exit. One of these techniques is called the T-rescue.
In order to perform the T-rescue technique, you will need two people, one of whom stays in their kayak. Then, you should have the other person capsize their kayak and get out. If you are just learning how to do the T-rescue for the first time, then you should try to do it in a pool or a small pond that does not have a lot of wave activity.
After you learn the T-rescue in a pool or on flat water, then you should attempt it in a slightly less calm situation so that you can be sure you’ll know how to do it if you are ever in a realistic situation out at sea.
First you want the person who is still in their kayak to paddle up and coast until they are perpendicular to your capsized kayak. The bow of your kayak should be just even with where they are sitting in the cockpit of their kayak so that they can pull the kayak up into their lap.
This will allow the kayak to be drained. You should always make sure that you are holding onto the other end of your kayak for more support and control over where the kayak is going.
Next, the person who is still in their kayak should right your kayak and slide it back into the water. You should maneuver the two boats so that they are parallel, and so that the cockpits are even.
The person who is still in their kayak should lean over so that they are leaning all of their weight onto your kayak and hold it steady for you.
At this point, you should be able to get back into your kayak. This is actually probably the hardest part of the technique, so you should probably take some time to learn how to do this before you go on any lengthy kayak tours.
