I installed a Micro PowerPole on the kayak. It has a rope to pull if something happens that the pole won't retract you can still get loose.

I've never seen anyone leash the pole itself. The old standby kayak statement is "rig to flip, dress to swim". So in the unlikely event that the PA 14 flips, I don't want to loose the "$100 stick in the mud". How do you leash the pole itself?

In all of the YouT videos that I have seen, I have not seen one where they secure the pole. Is this a non issue?

Thanks

Have you tested the pole to see if it floats? I was pleasantly supprised to learn that my 8' yakattack stake out pole floats.

I don't have the ultra lite pole, I have the standard pole with the T handle type top. That thing is crazy heavy, I would be surprised if it floats. I'm going to call PowerPole on Monday to see what they recommend.

If you hit the up button twice on the lanyard control, the pole goes all of the way up, then it goes down about 4". This looks like a good pole retention spot in the case of a flip. If you just bring the pole up with one button press and hold it until the pole is all of the way up, it does not go back down the 4" and is vulnerable to coming out in a flip.

These days I want everything leashed with the philosophy of "rig to flip, dress to swim". I'm shocked that I don't see any videos rigging the pole for flipping.

I'll pass on what I find out from PowerPole.

Talked with JL Marine Systems, Inc. (the manufacturer of the Power-Pole) this morning and they said that the pole shouldn't fall out and that I don't need to leash the pole. Scott told me that people run the on power boats at speeds with the pole all the way up and they don't come out so in a kayak it should have less of a chance to come out.

I asked about a roll over and he brought up the point that the pole won't fall out but if you are in shallow water the pole might hit the bottom. This would make a self rescue a little different than in a kayak without a Power-Pole. Looks like I just have to have a different plan to roll back over the PA 14 with a PP vs someone in a 60# kayak without a PP. Better to be prepared and know what you are getting into that discovering this stuff when you are in the water for the first time.