Re: [Paddlewise] Chuck Holsts Poor Judgm

I don't think Paddlewise is the appropriate place for club politics,
so I will try to keep this short.

Bill Newman correctly inferred that I was thinking of reports of a trip
he was involved in when I asked my question. However, the opinion I
paraphrased in my opening paragraph was made before TCSKA existed, and
the Isle Royale trip Bill mentioned (if it is the one I think he is
referring to) happened several months *after* I posted the message. I
deliberately named neither the club nor any individuals in it, because
I wanted to keep the question general.

Regarding the hazards of a Sand Island crossing, experienced kayakers
disagree. Bill was practically born in a kayak, and I think he
underestimates the difficulties such a crossing can pose to a relatively
inexperienced kayaker. Several years ago I was the last-minute assistant
leader of a beginners trip to Sand Island that resulted in a capsize and
a return to the mainland. Fortunately, everyone had practiced group
rescues, and no one was injured or became hypothermic, but I put the
blame for that capsize squarely on the leaders (including myself), who
should never have taken the group out in the conditions we experienced
that day. A potentially far more serious situation than the capsize,
which happened to a reasonably competent beginner who was caught off
guard by a wave, was that of a woman who kept paddling out toward the
center of Lake Superior during the rescue because she didn't know how
to turn into the wind and waves. It was because of her that I canceled
the crossing for the part of the group I had control over. I learned
several lessons on that trip, including some important ones about
group dynamics, that I will never forget.

>From all the safety talk on Paddlewise, one could get the impression
that capsize is a normal, everyday event among sea kayakers. In fact,
most sea kayak trips (as opposed to practice sessions) occur without
any capsizes or other serious incidents, which is why I think it is
important to scrutinize those that do.

Chuck Holst

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