[Paddlewise] more on Coast Guard rescues

I meant to add something to what I submitted just a few minutes ago and
following up more on the issue when to get the Coast Guard and other
services out.

My thought is that unless you are in a dicey situation with individuals
hurt, equipment damaged (your kayak holed and sinking), that kind of
stuff, you should not call for help.  We should not be rescue-call
happy.  I am afraid as more people get VHF radios they will be tempted
to call sooner than they may really need to.  I see this coming with
people who have strobes and are saying they will turn them on if they
are a bit apprehensive in making a crossing where commercial traffic is
moving through.  Having signaling and communications devices are a
two-edged sword in a sense.  You may take extra risks relying on these
devices to bail you out if things go wrong.  Or if you are in a jam, you
may press the panic button and seek help when other options are opened
to you.

I'll give an example of something that happened to two paddlers about a
dozen years ago in NYC harbor.  They were new to kayaking, had a brand
new Klepper, throw it over the seawall at the Battery and paddled
merrily along out toward the Atlantic not knowing that it was a
favorable ebb that was moving them along and not their muscles.  When
they decided to go back, they still had the major force of the ebb
stopping them almost cold.  If they had had a VHF radio (few paddlers
did back then), they might have called for help.  Instead they did the
smart thing.  They figured what goes down must go up eventually.  They
waited in the lee of a pier or point of land for some change in the
current and when it came, they got themselves back to Manhattan.

Of course, we have a situation developing here that may also be
happening elsewhere...unnecessary rescue calls by on-lookers with the
omnipresent cellphone.  At times when paddlers are practicing rolls and
rescues in this area, joggers, strollers, bicyclists will, upon coming
on to the scene, react hastely and call 911.  This gets the harbor
police and other rescue units out.  It's nice to know people are
watching out for each other :-).

ralph diaz  
-- 
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Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter
PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024
Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com
"Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag."
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