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Throw Bag/Line Storage - A Solution for you

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1K views 1 reply 2 participants last post by  martyg 
#1 · (Edited)
I'm not going to get into the specifics of throwing throw bags, recoil & rethrow techniques, etc. as that is something a good SRT/Pontoon Course/Raft Course may or will cover in greater detail that I highly recommend you take - only to say that you should learn how to use it properly, and practice throwing it from time to time so you are effective when the time comes (you should also learn how to receive & hold on to a throw bag as the rescuee as well). Skitter bug (Darren) and others can chime in, in greater detail if they wish however, but it is not just something that can be said/read, it should be demonstrated/taught, & practiced in a course.

I will say though that if you are floating rivers, you need a throw bag, and even if you don't float rivers, but wade rivers often, it is not a bad idea to have a throw bag on your person as you could save someones life, including your best fishing buddy, who may or may not be a family member, one day. Wading treacherous rivers like the Thompson, or even just the Vedder where I have seen my buddy fall in about 10 years ago and get swept downstream a little bit before he got into a calm eddy and swam to shore, could easily send an angler (and have) to their death as most shore anglers generally don't wear PFD's and/or aren't able to swim rapids. On rivers that are more commonly rafted like in Idaho, it is not uncommon for those who walk those types of rivers like your average dog walker to carry a throw bag on them and I've seen videos where these types of people have saved peoples lives.

I learned about a company called North Water, when I took my guide training with Kumsheen rafting this past June. Braden, owner of Kumsheen Rafting in Lytton who taught my course, really likes their products and after checking out and using the products he uses of which he has and supplies his guides with for their use commercially, and then stopping by their manufacturing facility in Vancouver, BC (near the Home Depot on Cambie) a month ago and spending some time with a salesman where I got to see lots of their products in person, I am thoroughly impressed with some of the unique products they offer. So I want to point out a product for you, that allows you to carry and quickly access a throw bag, that you can wear on your waist and is fairly out of the way.

This is their Quick Draw Belt ( http://northwater.com/collections/rescue-b...deployment-belt ). It is designed to carry any of the throw bags that they sell. The buckle has a hole through in it for a quick release pull bead/cord which they sell as well which I also bought ( http://northwater.com/collections/rescue-r...-with-tied-cord ) - if the belt or throw bag ever impeded you somehow or got caught on something you can use the pull bead to quickly undo the buckle and jettison the belt & throw bag. The orange buckle on the throw bags have a whistle built in. Now the red strap pictured on the quick draw belt threads through the loops on the back of the throw bag. If you need the throw bag, you quickly yank on the tag of the red strap which undoes the buckle, and firmly pull the bag out and the red strap undoes itself automatically out of the loop. Voila, an accessible throw bag ready to go.

As far as bags go, a I pointed out above, I'm pretty sure it is designed to work with anyone of their throw bags as most throw bags I have seen in person made by them have the loops on the back to thread the red strap through. In this case I bought oner of their higher end throw bags made with Spectra rope and a wide mouth for easier resting ( http://northwater.com/collections/rafting/...hrow-line-large - their Pro Throw line Spectra 2200 Small ). It has 75' of 1/4" Spectra rope, which is much stronger than your average polypropylene rope (their Spectra rope has a Polypropylene outer casing so it floats), in the event I ever needed it for something more than just a throw bag I have a bit more capacity with the Spectra rope. They also carry their Wedge throw line: http://northwater.com/collections/throw-li...-throw-line-pro which also has the loops for rigging on the belt, as well.





Now the prices listed above are actually their website prices which are in Canadian dollars. The salesman told me that their web prices are purposefully priced more than what they sell at their dealers to encourage people to buy from their dealers. Because I was a (rare) foot customer he gave it to me for the same prices as at their dealers which was quite a bit less. Also, they don't carry ALL their products at all their dealers. So you may want to talk to them on the phone about this potentially?

They do also carry a couple other products - their EDS belt, which is a higher end belt with a rescue loop, 2 places to strap stuff (2 throw bags, or a throw bag and a pouch with rescue gear in it, etc.) but this belt is quite a bit more money to the Quick Draw belt above ( http://northwater.com/collections/rafting/products/eds-belt ). They do also sell a cheaper waist belt their Quick-Click waist belt: http://northwater.com/collections/rescue-b...ck-waist-belt-1

Anyways - no association or gain for me from North Water, just thought I'd pass on this info for a local Vancouver BC company that makes some innovative products that could benefit you in saving someones life.
 
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#2 ·
This design / execution has actually been around at least two decades and previously had IP on it. The quick release feature is an adaptation from a swift water rescue PFD.

Note that if you are going to use spectra cord you had better be damn sure that you can cut through it - quickly.
 
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