Re: [Paddlewise] BCU levels (was: New certification concept)

From: <KiAyker_at_aol.com>
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1998 08:39:38 EDT
In a message dated 10/6/98 5:09:38 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 735769_at_ican.net
writes:

<< On another note,  Ari mentioned capsizing his Nordkapp while learning to
 paddle it. I find it interesting that capsizing seems to be an integral
 part in learning how to paddle a boat that is reputed to be so seaworthy.
 It would be interesting to start another thread that defines what
 characteristics a high performance sea kayak would possess. I wonder if
 ease of capsize is one of them and wonder if the rest cannot be achieved
 with more stable boats. >>

   I have often heard paddlers exclaim that they have paddled so many miles
over so many years without ever capsizing, like this is some sort of badge of
honor. I capsize on a fairly regular basis. However, these capsizes are not
exactly accidental. I believe in order to expand ones limits in a kayak you
need to first know what they are. I continually push my limits, and
consequently capsize, in order to test my boundaries and try to push my
abilities beyond them. This does not mean that I capsize every time I go out.
In fact, I can't even remember the last time I had a genuine "accidental"
capsize. But I believe that Ari was reflecting on a capsize which occurred in
a practice situation. It seems that I read a statistic some years back in Sea
Kayaker magazine where it was found that the paddlers of narrow "tippy" boats
actually capsized less then the paddlers of wider more stable boats. If this
isn't true, then it should be :-)

Scott
So.Cal.
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Received on Tue Oct 06 1998 - 05:41:15 PDT

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