Re: [Paddlewise] Leader Requirements

Chuck Holst wrote:

> [Major snip]
> I believe strongly that groups need leaders and if they need leaders, they
> also need followers (or at least active participants). If a person wants
> to paddle as though they are by themselves when with a group then they
> should not be in a group.
> John Winskill

> Well said. [snip] No one, especially the slowest paddler,
> should be ever be left to paddle alone.
> 
> The flip side of this is that each trip participant must be honest
> about his or her capabilities. It is possible to ruin a trip for the
> entire group by abusing the "no group paddles faster than its
> slowest member" rule.

Used to be, in the mountains, the ethic was "stick with your buddies --
everybody stays together, and everybody leaves the mountain together." 
But, the rule also was that folks who misrepresented their climbing
abilities did *not* get invited back, at least until they had upgraded
their skills.  Seems like the same rules ought to apply on the water.

(Warning:  I feel a rant coming on.)  

This gets more difficult when leading trips for hire, however.  When I
taught X-C skiing classes for a local community college, a major problem
was dealing with exceptionally out-of-shape individuals and/or folks who
would not acquire and bring necessary personal survival gear (10
essentials, etc.).  The posture of publically-supported instructional
bodies re:  "refusing" anyone who signed up for a class, or, (heaven
forfend) "refunding their money" prevented me from removing folks who
were troublemakers or were so unfit they were a liability on the easiest
of beginner terrain.  Lack of support from gutless administrators,
fearful of "offending" anyone, eventually drove me out of the X-C
instruction hobby.  The problem people took up much time and energy
which could have gone toward enriching those who were prepared for the
experience. [Aside:  the guy who took over the program when I quit had a
woman sign up who "injured" her knee on a trip.  Turned out, in the
ensuing litigation, she had chronic knee problems, had had surgery on
the joint, and was NOT endorsed by her physician to be X-C skiing!  None
of this could be revealed in a mandatory screening during signup because
of "privacy" policy restrictions of the school (which were altered as a
result of this incident).  Glad it was not my headache.  Woof!]

I imagine, from what I've seen on the water in popular places, that
guided sea kayaking groups have some of the same problems.  I bet that a
guide who "rejects" a client as too unsafe or "unprepared" gets a ration
of "stuff" from the owners.  What say you, trip leaders?  (Not me, never
again.)

-- 
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR

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