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From: patrick.maun_at_duffy.com <patrick.maun_at_duffy.com>
subject: [Paddlewise] FW: 2 Newbie Questions
Date: 24 Mar 98 13:15:57 +0000
>#2 Does anyone kayak with their significant other fairly regularly? How
>do you find keeping pace with one another? Do you enjoy it more or less
>when you kayak with them? Do you prefer kayaking in your own kayak or a
>tandem?

Good question. I can't answer yet, but my girlfriend is taking her first class this coming May. I've discovered that there are just too many things experienced while paddling that I want to share. Plus, I miss her when I go out of town. I've thought about renting a tandem for Lake Superior until her confidence/skill increases. Anyone taken this approach before? 
Besides, maybe she'll stop laughing at all my gear once she gets a bit of the paddling fever.

-Patrick

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From: Gerald Foodman <klagjf_at_worldnet.att.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] FW: 2 Newbie Questions
Date: Tue, 24 Mar 1998 19:44:28 -0800
-----Original Message-----
From: Chuck Holst <CHUCK_at_multitech.com>
To: 'Paddlewise' <paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net>
Date: Tuesday, March 24, 1998 10:41 AM
Subject: [Paddlewise] FW: 2 Newbie Questions


>
>
>#2 Does anyone kayak with their significant other fairly regularly? How
>do you find keeping pace with one another? Do you enjoy it more or less
>when you kayak with them? Do you prefer kayaking in your own kayak or a
>tandem?
>
>Thanks all,
>Tee
>>>
>
>**************************************************************************
*
>

>I can't imagine paddling a tandem. It would be harder to talk to each
other on the
>water, we would always have to have a partner to go paddling, the tandem
would
>be less maneuverable in tight spots, and it would be harder to store and
load.
>Also, it would make it harder to learn advanced skills such as bracing
and rolling,
>which are a lot of fun once you know how, and one tandem typically can't
carry
>as much gear as two singles.
>
>Chuck Holst


My wife and I paddle a tandem on camping trips and it works great.  No issue
of staying together and more than enough room for 5 days or more, including
carrying fresh fruit aplenty.  We have no trouble talking together (we even
sing together as we roll along)unless the wind is howling.

Jerry

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From: Ron Johnson <rfred_at_atl.mindspring.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] FW: 2 Newbie Questions
Date: Wed, 25 Mar 1998 18:12:57 -0400
Tee asked:
>>#2 Does anyone kayak with their significant other fairly regularly? How
>>do you find keeping pace with one another? Do you enjoy it more or less
>>when you kayak with them? Do you prefer kayaking in your own kayak or a
>>tandem?

Here is a newbie response:  my wife and I paddle together and started by
taking a class together.  Although my paddling without her has been
limited, I prefer so far that she be involved, partly for the reason
Patrick gave (see below).  There is a speed difference, exacerbated,
perhaps, by the fact that my kayak is longer than hers and fiberglass to
her plastic.  Our arrangement in response is that I am responsible to
monitor her progress and either wait or play a little more than she does.
We tried paddling tandem early in our rental days, and enjoyed it.  We plan
to buy a tandem sometimes.  For now, we are enjoying paddling alone
together.

Patrick answered
>
>Good question. I can't answer yet, but my girlfriend is taking her first
>class this coming May. I've discovered that there are just too many things
>experienced while paddling that I want to share. Plus, I miss her when I
>go out of town. I've thought about renting a tandem for Lake Superior
>until her confidence/skill increases. Anyone taken this approach before?
>Besides, maybe she'll stop laughing at all my gear once she gets a bit of
>the paddling fever.

I share your reasons for wanting to paddle together.  As I said above, we
paddled tandem once and plan to do so again.  I think your interest in her
feeling safe is important because it will greatly increase the likelihood
that she will continue.  My wife and I recognize that I have a greater
interest in paddling, so it's fine with both of us for me to take primary
responsibility for seeing that paddling occurs.  Another part of that role
is for me to move us along in skill development and in paddling more
challenging conditions, but slowly enough that she does not feel pushed
beyond her capabilities.  I believe that mutual participation in an
activity like paddling can both challenge and nourish an intimate
relationship.

Most of all, we just like to be together.

Ron

Ron Johnson = rfred_at_mindspring.com

		"How every fool can play upon the word!"
		   W. Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice


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From: Richard Fawcett <mayberryrf_at_advi.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] FW: 2 Newbie Questions
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1998 20:42:29 -0500
Ron Johnson wrote:

> Tee asked:
> >>#2 Does anyone kayak with their significant other fairly regularly? How
> >>do you find keeping pace with one another? Do you enjoy it more or less
> >>when you kayak with them? Do you prefer kayaking in your own kayak or a
> >>tandem?
>
>

My wife and I started out together in a Wilderness Systems Pamlico last summer
after 20 years of tandem whitewater canoeing. We have since moved up to a
Wilderness Systems Echo (tandem), and I just bought a Sirius S for her first
single.  She was not a happy camper, but I was convinced that her skills would
never reach their full potential until she got in a boat by herself. (We do
most of our paddling on large Duke Power lakes in North Carolina and on the
intercoastal waterway). She has now spent about 6 hours in her new boat and
absolutely loves it. We plan on paddling all three days this weekend. I know
when we paddle the tandem again it will be even more fun than it was before she
got the Sirius.  Even though we were having a great time paddling the Echo,
gaining additional experience for each of us paddling solo will only enhance
our tandem paddling trips. My solo boat is an Anadyr.

Richard Fawcett
Mount Airy, NC


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