I aim for the head.

Take a swr class

Practice throwing and repacking your bag like your best friends life depends on it.

 

I would suggest practicing with it before you actually really need it. It is also very important to educate your passengers on the proper use of the device also. Most people when in the water try to grab the bag, and all that does is deploy more rope.

Many videos on youtube and also NRS has something on their web site also.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6dxD-ttYAw&list=PLqAWcG4wIk6NaN1cOLKXd-a37HHRLAuyk&index=6

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcHoXpHi5yU&list=PLqAWcG4wIk6NaN1cOLKXd-a37HHRLAuyk&index=15

 

careful

throw bags can certainly help in some situations but they can also make situations much more dangerous, especially for swimmers, especially if there are multiple swimmers and if they don't know there's a rope or ropes in the water. IMO, throw ropes are used too much and too carelessly by people who are definitely trying to help but unaware of the dangers they are causing. Rule number one for me is to never throw unless the intended receiver is aware the rope is coming and in a position to get to it without the risk of entanglement, i.e. the receiver should be facing the thrower and ready. Desperate situations can get worse fast with ropes in the water. i'll probably get flamed for this post but to me it's the real deal.

 

I like semi's answer.

I'll add....For someone going downriver I always thought the throw should be right at or downriver of the swimmer so that they float to it. Isn't a swimmer in the current faster than a rope on top of the water?

Yes? No?

 

I like semi's answer.

I'll add....For someone going downriver I always thought the throw should be right at or downriver of the swimmer so that they float to it. Isn't a swimmer in the current faster than a rope on top of the water?

Yes? No?

That is what I was thinking as well do they drift at the same rate? I do know currents differ, that the shore and bottom areas areas of a river generally are slower than the middle and surface. Lots of factors to consider.
I'll look into k2's idea of taking a SWR class.

 

Knowing the swimmer is aware of you and the bag is a very important consideration before you throw, the rope does them no good if they don't see it and now you have a rope deployed to boot. Throw it directly over (not at) their head so that the rope pretty much lands on their shoulder. Yes you have to accommodate velocity and 'lead' the target, so there is no '8 foot' rule because it will be different in every instance.

Practice throwing at driftwood targets and reload the bag every time. After a couple reloads one friend likened it to playing 52 card pick-up, but the reload is a very important task to ensure a good throw the next time you need it.

Your post and datum suggest you finally bought a throw bag after 16 years of boating? Is that so?

 

Novice mistake I made years ago...had a swimmer at Wire Fence, clipped, ripped, swimmer knew it was coming...gave it a heave ho, and plink, dropped right into
the river by the cat...I had failed to give the rope any weight, either by dunking in water or by other means...luckily, our swimmer made it to the boat easily, laughing
her head off. Lots of feedback from the peanut gallery on shore, lesson learned.

 

Novice mistake I made years ago...had a swimmer at Wire Fence, clipped, ripped, swimmer knew it was coming...gave it a heave ho, and plink, dropped right into
the river by the cat...I had failed to give the rope any weight, either by dunking in water or by other means...luckily, our swimmer made it to the boat easily, laughing
her head off. Lots of feedback from the peanut gallery on shore, lesson learned.

That's a good idea.

 

I agree with Semi as well. Throw bags are often deployed when they shouldn't be. It's a tough call to make in the heat of a swim but a deployed rope in the water can be more dangerous than a swim IMO. I have a 70 footer and a 35 footer on my boat just in case the situation calls for a different rope length.

Best advice I can give is Practice, Practice, Practice. Go down to Golden Play park with a buddy and take turns swimming and throwing rope. This time of year you might even find a drunk tuber that needs a safety rope.

Re-Coil practice is just as important as throwing a packed bag. Good point made about dunking the bag prior to throwing, that will give it more weight to really clear a long distance.

What often gets people and it has happened to me before is not being prepared for the weight of a swimmer on the rope. I threw a perfect toss to a customer swimming below Phoenix holes and once they connected the rope ripped right out of my hands. I have made sure since that day to fully secure the rope prior to throwing.

Last item before I get off my soap box is to make sure of the "downstream swing?" I've seen safety ropers set up in a position where if the do hook a swimmer the rope will Swing them direct into a strainer, ledge, or other nasty feature.

 

What often gets people and it has happened to me before is not being prepared for the weight of a swimmer on the rope. I threw a perfect toss to a customer swimming below Phoenix holes and once they connected the rope ripped right out of my hands. I have made sure since that day to fully secure the rope prior to throwing.

What do you mean by "fully secure the rope" exactly?

 

There are so many complexities to consider when dealing with white water and ropes (used from shore, let alone from a raft on moving water) that it would take reading a full book or much more preferably take a swift water rescue class to decide the safest and most effective course of action for the particular situation. Tidbits from buzz posts can be helpful and potentially life savers so keep up the conversation but to ensure a solid base to add good advice to, take a class.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Mountain Buzz mobile app

 

Last year was my first year of boating, so I took a guide course down in Durango to learn some of the basics. My instructors advised to NEVER throw a rope from a boat, and that ropes were only to be used from shore. Any thoughts on where you should be when deploying a rope?

 

Lots of good points in the discussion here.

As others have pointed out, you should be in a stable position ready to get yanked around when throwing a rope. If the boat is a kayak, I can see the instructor's point, but I don't think this precludes lots of situations involving rafts.

I've always got a couple of throw bags on my raft and have used them to bag swimmers from an eddy with a raft passenger pulling the swimmer in. It's tricky throwing from a raft and the person on the oars should be ready and in position to work with someone else who's throwing or pulling in the swimmer. I think a lot of it depends on the character of the river / rapids and the judgement / skill of the person on the boat throwing the bag. It takes skill and teamwork but I don't see why it should be a "never ever" deal.

Flip/swimmer situations happen too fast to pull over and throw from shore. I can't imagine having to pull over below every rapid that may have a swimmer and set safety from the shore.

What do others with experience think about this?

-AH

 

Agreed

 

agreed also. i hope that the message that comes through is that throw ropes are an important part of a safety/rescue arsenal from shore or boat, but they require care, judgement, and practice to avoid their being useless or worse, dangerous.