captain
Contributor
Paddling a raft, especially against a wind or current would probably harder than swimming. A kayak is a better choice.
Inflatable raft?
- Thread starter blackvans1234
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DennisS
Contributor
An inflatable raft could make a good float, but paddling an inflatable against the wind is difficult. What size raft are you talking about, something big enough to carry you and your gear would present a lot of windage. Others who have made the suggestion that you try it out first, make a good point. In short it is not a good idea.
Paddling an inflatable raft does not beat swimming. If you stop paddling you go backwards if the wind is blowing.
Paddling an inflatable raft does not beat swimming. If you stop paddling you go backwards if the wind is blowing.
AfterDark
Contributor
My friend and I used a one with a 10hp OB on the motor mount. We went around Cape Ann with it on a good day.
He called it the Sea Slug, a big gray 4 man raft with molded rubber inserts for a motor mount. I couldn't dive from it today I was younger and more nimbel then but for a couple of young guys it worked.
He called it the Sea Slug, a big gray 4 man raft with molded rubber inserts for a motor mount. I couldn't dive from it today I was younger and more nimbel then but for a couple of young guys it worked.
I guess I was referring mostly to the inflatable kayaks we use on white water rivers. They paddle easy but have no keel so they do not track well in open water. They hold lots of gear and weight, are easy to get in and out of, are bomb proof, easy to repair, and portable.
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FLRiverDiver
Registered
An inflatable raft can sometimes be useful: Many years ago (long before kayaks) when I was younger, stronger, lighter (by ~40 lbs) and poorer, I used a rubber raft a number of times. While visiting relatives in Sarasota (FL) a time or two while out of class for the summer quarter, I would head down to Venice with my dive gear and a military surplus 4-man "rubber raft" I got from an Air Force buddy in a trade.
I inflated it with a tank dedicated to that purpose, hauled it down to the surf at the public beach, loaded my spare tank (sometimes two), suited up with gear for the first dive and swim out past the swimming boundary pushing the raft. When over what I thought might be a spot to dive I would drop a small anchor. The raft had a mount that displayed a flag.
This arrangement had a number of advantages---
It saved energy (and time) as holding on to the raft while swimming was much easier than just swimming out with gear and if the surf was a bit ruff it saved the air that would otherwise have been used swimming out along the bottom.
Having an extra tank saved the time (and again the air) comming back to shore to swap tanks.
Going out side of the swimming area boundary, the raft (with flag) presented a much better display for passing boaters.
If vis was reduced, not all that uncommon down there, you could work along with the small anchor, as even with a tank or two in the raft it was easy to pull along.
It comes in very handy if you find a larger item---like one time I found the ball from a ball and socket joint, probably of mammoth or mastodon origin, which was as big as a soccer ball---I simply surfaced and placed it in the raft.
Drinks and snacks could be on board, and it provided a resting place, if you were tired from a fighting a current.
I can think of a few more, but those should illustrate the point.
FLRiverDiver
I inflated it with a tank dedicated to that purpose, hauled it down to the surf at the public beach, loaded my spare tank (sometimes two), suited up with gear for the first dive and swim out past the swimming boundary pushing the raft. When over what I thought might be a spot to dive I would drop a small anchor. The raft had a mount that displayed a flag.
This arrangement had a number of advantages---
It saved energy (and time) as holding on to the raft while swimming was much easier than just swimming out with gear and if the surf was a bit ruff it saved the air that would otherwise have been used swimming out along the bottom.
Having an extra tank saved the time (and again the air) comming back to shore to swap tanks.
Going out side of the swimming area boundary, the raft (with flag) presented a much better display for passing boaters.
If vis was reduced, not all that uncommon down there, you could work along with the small anchor, as even with a tank or two in the raft it was easy to pull along.
It comes in very handy if you find a larger item---like one time I found the ball from a ball and socket joint, probably of mammoth or mastodon origin, which was as big as a soccer ball---I simply surfaced and placed it in the raft.
Drinks and snacks could be on board, and it provided a resting place, if you were tired from a fighting a current.
I can think of a few more, but those should illustrate the point.
FLRiverDiver
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