Re: [Paddlewise] New certification concept

John Winters wrote:
> 
> I am not sure if that opinion has any universality. On the other hand, the
> image of the hair shirt BCU coach sits firmly in the back of my mind. I
> suspect the image comes from impressions given by both instructors and
> writers that the British model of boat and the skills associated with it
> constitute "real" kayaking.

That is always something that has concerned me, the idea that only a
certain kind of boat was sanctified and worthy of the Holy Grail.  All
others were just for non-paddlers and lesser individuals.  For example,
discussions earlier on whether sit-on-tops were real kayaks;  they are
and they are real fun to paddle to boot.  For the most part, people who
knock them, have not tried them. 
 
> My perception on this gets coloured by my role as a designer of boats. To
> me the job priority of fitting boats to paddlers outranks fitting paddlers
> to boats. Folding boats, hard-shells, SOT's, and all the other
> configurations have validity and if they require some special skills or do
> not require others then instruction should (I believe) cater to that rather
> than insist upon a rigid hierarchy of paddling skills.

I bet there are all kinds of nuances and skills specific to sit-on-tops
that could be gleaned by any keen observer and then taught to SOT
paddlers to their safety and satisfaction with their kayaks.  I know and
have written about the specific skills for folding kayakers.  The SOT
and FK paddlers get only a limited value in the courses that rigidly
adhere to a certain approach.  For example the taught way of emptying a
swamped hardshell kayak (pulling it up upside down on the bow of the
rescuing boat to empty it) is superfulous and meaningless for a SOT
(s##t, it can't hold water!) and could do damage to a folding kayak (a
better way of emptying a folding kayak is to turn it on its side where
the sponson will lift the boat enough to get two/thirds of the cocpit
empty).  The technique taught for assisted rescue in which the rescuing
boat's paddler places his paddle across both boats to assist to raft and
lock both boats together is not that necessary if the folding kayak is
doing the rescue (the folding one is so stable and with soft sponsoned
sides that can take the banging around; all the rescuing paddler has to
do is grab the victim's cockpit and that suffices).

> There may be a message in the emphasis on rolling (perhaps unintentional).
> If rolling is an essential skill, then what of boats that cannot be rolled?

On a similar point, one guru was quoted in an article saying "If you
can't roll, you are not a kayaker.  You may be a nice person, but you
are not a kayaker."  I don't roll (although I certainly would like to
learn and have come close and certainly will play at it again because it
is fun), so I guess I am not a kayaker.  Maybe I should change the name
of my newsletter to Folding Nice Person. :-)

> 
> All of this disturbs me because I sense that people are being forced to fit
> a mold rather than instruction and boats being forced to fit people. No
> doubt many instructors and courses exist with a focus centred upon the
> person and that person's individual goals but I suspect that that may be
> the exception rather than the rule.

One guru/instructor used to insist that you must feather your paddle in
order to participate in his class; feather or leave.  This forced some
people into an unaccustomed posture that could be dangerous for them. 
That rigid mindset I think comes from a lack of imagination and
inventiveness.  I would think that a savvy instructor would welcome the
challenge of dealing with things unfamiliar to him rather.

> 
> Sorry for being so long winded on this.

You are not long winded at all.  Of course, if I didn't agree with your
premises, then you would be full of hot air. :-)  Actually, I am glad
that you bring these things up.  And you haven't done any defending of
canoes.  There was a comment here earlier about has anyone canoed
lately, a tongue-in-cheek statement as if canoeing was passe.  But, for
my money and observation, good canoeists (as opposed to the casual
banging around type at summer camp) have a far more sophisticated,
numerous and varied arsenal of paddle strokes than any kayaker. 
Watching a good canoeist in his or her paddle strokes is beautiful to
behold.

ralph diaz  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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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