I do not have much to add to the debate other than I agree with the posts above in regard to opposing the SL. I am looking to purchase a boat that may or may not exceed the current limit (have not gotten to that part yet). I am however a huge fan of anything fast be it bikes, cars, planes or boats. There is nothing I enjoy more than seeing a craft that can go fast, do so, within able hands at reasonable areas.
I need to know where the 5 seconds to dump and orient number comes from for a kayaker on a Lake. You are out in the open with ample ability to see craft approaching you, I understand that other situations may present less time for you to see a craft approach but your are fully aware of your location prior to dumping.
My example to why that number is completely made up, I paddled the Dead River on Saturday at a small 2400cfs release. I dumped in Spencer Rips (which for those that do not know is a wave track that is not very technical, but the waves classify as class III due to size. I was fully aware that I was going to dump entering the first wave, I was fully aware of my location at that time. I was out of my boat by the time I was at the bottom of that first drop, I entered the wave at the bottom and surface on the other side, I had hold of my boat by the time I entered the third wave and was fully self rescued before the group on river left had blown three shots of the wistle. For those not familar, self rescued means back in control of your situation with all of your belongings at your control and no longer outside of the boat by yourself. I was back on my boat and in control of it before exiting the rip. That entire process was within a span of 6-7 seconds (one wistle blast every 2 seconds). That is in fast moving whitewater, on a lake it would take you 5 seconds just to fall out of the boat and figure out your location? I think you need to adjust your number. If your agument is that experience plays a role in reaction ability your are right and that also means that the person in your senerio needs to stay far away from open water and practice closer to shore.
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