Re: [Paddlewise] Judgement

This has been an excellent thread.  For what it's worth, a couple of comments
on a program that the Chesapeake Paddlers Association (CPA) ran in Annapolis,
Maryland in the middle of January.

   -  we ran an awareness program indoors in the morning, with experienced
speakers highly qualified in cold water paddling, physiology, and equipment at
a local marina-restaurant.

   -  the afternoon sesson was an on-water program --- better stated, "in-
water", with air temps in the mid-40s (F) and a water temp of 38 (F) --- with
anyone interested in paddling first being required to swim his/her gear for
ten minutes or more.  A few lessons-learned: bad dry suit seals, dry suit
seals over thermal underwear, allowing wicking into the insulation layers, bad
drysuit zippers, loose neoprene hoods, neoprene in those temperatures --- lots
of stuff we should have already known but didn't.  Even the observers bundled
up in pile layers and windbreakers on the pier could see what a roll or wet
exit felt like from the look on the in-water paddlers' faces!

   -  spotters in the water in drysuits --- rotated with others on the beach
--- are a very important item.

   -  the local county Fire Department bent over backwards to support the
event, providing an ambulance on site with Advanced Life Support (ALS)
paramedics and a rescue boat with three more ALS paramedics in drysuit diving
gear in the water with us --- all "just in case", none called on for
assistance.  (Editorial comment: for any extreme or risky workshop, call your
local rescue people; they seem to really want to support activities like
this.)

   -  finally, if you freeze the water, they will come!  We figured on 25-30
local participants --- advertised a little and got 90 from up and down the
coast!  Had to turn a few late-reservations away.  And the comment on charging
for the event?  Yup, this was the first time the CPA had charged for an event
of this sort, and we were overwhelmed --- somewhat literally --- with
attendees!  (Might be interesting to see the elasticity of the supply-demand
curve on something like this.)

It worked.  We moved summer paddlers into extending their seasons, we hooked a
few fellow-crazies on the idea of winter paddling, we transitioned a few folks
from wet-suits to dry suits for these near-freezing temps, and we probably
took a few un- or under-prepared folks off the water for the cold season ---
which is okay, too.  Nothing like a faceful of winter water to catch your
attention!

Joq
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