Neil Harrison wrote: "if the lightning hits the water anywhere in the vicinity of your boat, you're still fried. At least, that's what they told us in the Wilderness Advanced First Aid class that I took.." Neil, this is very interesting, especially if the class instructors had any real-life data. Did they say what they based this on? I would expect the water to disperse the frying somewhat. But I also think we shouldn't kid ourselves into thinking these effects are precisely predictable. As someone put it, we're dealing with "likely to"'s, that is, phenomena that can be modelled only to the point of probabilities and not certainties. If I'm caught on the water and think lightning is about to strike, I want to take any steps possible to minimize the probability of being hit; worry about the absolutes later! Fought off any alligators lately? John *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
At 02:14 PM 5/5/98 -0500, John Somers wrote: >Neil Harrison wrote: > "if the lightning hits the water anywhere in the vicinity of >your boat, you're still fried. At least, that's what they told us in the >Wilderness Advanced First Aid class that I took.." > > Neil, this is very interesting, especially if the class instructors had >any real-life data. Did they say what they based this on? I would expect >the water to disperse the frying somewhat. But I also think we shouldn't >kid ourselves into thinking these effects are precisely predictable. As >someone put it, we're dealing with "likely to"'s, that is, phenomena that >can be modelled only to the point of probabilities and not certainties. If >I'm caught on the water and think lightning is about to strike, I want to >take any steps possible to minimize the probability of being hit; worry >about the absolutes later! > Fought off any alligators lately? > > John That raises a nother question. Is it better to get struck by lightning or roll over and get ate by a gator? Durn now thats food for thought, and gator. Dana *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
On 5/5/98 12:22PM, John Somers wrote: >It seems to >me that if a paddler observes any of these warning signs while caught on >the water, it would be a very good idea to roll and stay under as long as >possible, absolutely minimizing your height above water as well as direct >exposure of your bod. I'm not sure that this would work either as water is a great conductor of electricity-if the lightning hits the water anywhere in the vicinity of your boat, you're still fried. At least, that's what they told us in the Wilderness Advanced First Aid class that I took...I have no direct knowledge (and hope to keep it that way). ------------------------------------------------------------------- Neil Harrison-Houston, Texas email: nil_at_nol.net (_at_ _at_) web: www.nol.net/~nil/ ----------------------------ooO~(_)~Ooo---------------------------- 100% recycled electrons *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
On 5/5/98 14:14PM, John Somers wrote: >Neil Harrison wrote: > "if the lightning hits the water anywhere in the vicinity of >your boat, you're still fried. At least, that's what they told us in the >Wilderness Advanced First Aid class that I took.." > > Neil, this is very interesting, especially if the class instructors had >any real-life data. Did they say what they based this on? I would expect >the water to disperse the frying somewhat. They didn't qualify the statement, but I forgot to mention that they told us that the effect of lighting in water is usually mitigated outside of a 200 yard radius of a strike because of the dispersion of the charge in water, as I remember. This was a Wilderness Medical Associates course which was GREAT, so I'll take them at face value. The basic thing that I came away with was that lightning in a wilderness context is to be avoided at all cost! ------------------------------------------------------------------- Neil Harrison-Houston, Texas email: nil_at_nol.net (_at_ _at_) web: www.nol.net/~nil/ ----------------------------ooO~(_)~Ooo---------------------------- 100% recycled electrons *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
At 03:56 PM 5/5/98 -0400, you wrote: >> Fought off any alligators lately? >> >> John > > >That raises a nother question. Is it better to get struck by lightning or >roll over and get ate by a gator? >Durn now thats food for thought, and gator. > >Dana Umm, good point, Dana. Ah, but with the gator we could use Professor Inverberon's approach to other species and just give it a big hug! John *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Yummmm...Grilled Gator! > >That raises a nother question. Is it better to get struck by lightning or >roll over and get ate by a gator? >Durn now thats food for thought, and gator. > >Dana Bob Denton President Gulf Stream International Sink the Stink - The Water Sports Deodorizer That Works! Boynton Beach, FL http://www.flinet.com/gulfstream/scuba.html *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
At 04:20 PM 5/5/98 -0500, John Somers wrote: >At 03:56 PM 5/5/98 -0400, you wrote: >>> Fought off any alligators lately? >>> >>> John >> >> >>That raises a nother question. Is it better to get struck by lightning or >>roll over and get ate by a gator? >>Durn now thats food for thought, and gator. >> >>Dana > >Umm, good point, Dana. Ah, but with the gator we could use Professor >Inverberon's approach to other species and just give it a big hug! > >John > Will the Professor Inverberon's come show us down here in Fla. his approach to other species and just give it a big hug! We can be a little dense some times on certain things and do not understand and I think this should eer I mean is one of those times. Dana *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
> >Will the Professor Inverberon's come show us down here in Fla. his approach >to other species and just give it a big hug! We can be a little dense some >times on certain things and do not understand and I think this should eer I >mean is one of those times. > As much as I would love to come to Florida and show the crackers how to hug a gator I am otherwise occupied. I suggest a trip to the local Seminole reserve where they can show how it is done. It was there that I learned the art quite by mistake as it turned out. I was drinking in a local road house and heard some cracker say that you couldn't claim to be a man in Florida until you had made love to a Seminole woman and wrestled an alligator. Unfortunately I was rather drunk and misunderstood by getting the two challenges backwards. I lost the fight with the Seminole woman but they gave me extra points for the smile on the gator's face. Dr. Peregrine Inverbon, Ph.d., DD, LL.d, Ph.G Transcribed by his humble servant John Winters . *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
At 10:42 AM 5/7/98 -0400, John Winters wrote: >> >>Will the Professor Inverberon's come show us down here in Fla. his >approach >>to other species and just give it a big hug! We can be a little dense some >>times on certain things and do not understand and I think this should eer >I >>mean is one of those times. >> >As much as I would love to come to Florida and show the crackers how to hug >a gator I am otherwise occupied. I suggest a trip to the local Seminole >reserve where they can show how it is done. It was there that I learned >the art quite by mistake as it turned out. I was drinking in a local road >house and heard some cracker say that you couldn't claim to be a man in >Florida until you had made love to a Seminole woman and wrestled an >alligator. Unfortunately I was rather drunk and misunderstood by getting >the two challenges backwards. I lost the fight with the Seminole woman but >they gave me extra points for the smile on the gator's face. > >Dr. Peregrine Inverbon, Ph.d., DD, LL.d, Ph.G >Transcribed by his humble servant John Winters > >. Doc Crackers are in Georgia not Fla. but for you northerners I can understand the mistake .The Seminole woman you fought was my girl friend I think, don't know about the gator but there is a legend about a horny gator and a part of the big swamp that was bad medicine if you went there.By the way I lose most fights with her to.If you are ever free please feel free to visit and instruct. Dana *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Dana wrote; >> >Doc > Crackers are in Georgia not Fla. but for you northerners I can understand >the mistake .The Seminole >woman you fought was my girl friend I think, don't know about the gator but >there is a legend about a horny gator and a part of the big swamp that was >bad medicine if you went there.By the way I lose most fights with her to.If >you are ever free please feel free to visit and instruct. > How shameful of you to reject your heritage of Florida Crackerhood. Obviously you have not been to Cooks Hammock where crackers abound. Indeed, it is there that I have cursed, spit, and drunk beer in with some of the finest crackers of the south. Some of my best friends are crackers and, even though they may have a slightly over developed passion for black women they still refuse to allow their children to marry one. In short, they are all that is good and noble in a true cracker of the south. How provincial to assume that all crackers come from Georgia. One is incline to suspect that you are really a Chamber of Commerce spy from Waycross where they invented the practice of searching for illegal drugs up the skirts of Canadian female tourists. Far be it from me to condemn the practical aspects of strip searching jaywalkers but one must exercise some control. Dr. Peregrine Inverbon, Ph.d., DD, LL.d, Ph.G Transcribed by his humble servant John Winters *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Dana wrote; (SNIP) > > >That raises a nother question. Is it better to get struck by lightning or >roll over and get ate by a gator? >Durn now thats food for thought, and gator. > My understanding is that gators prefer their meat rare. I one plans on feeding gators it may be best to capsize well before lightning strikes or run the risk of being maligned in the saurian Gourmet press. Cheers, John Winters Redwing Designs Specialists in Human Powered Watercraft http://home.ican.net/~735769/ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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