Re: [Paddlewise] Weather

I have seen a few people picking apart Ray K's post on the new
approaches to paddling instruction currently being researched by the
ACA.

As a neophile to the discipline, I feel that the ACA proposal of
increasing and expanding standards will result in actual demonstrable
goals for me to attempt to acheive.  This is a good thing and I think
that its a laudable enterprise for the ACA to attempt.  I would like to
be an asset rather than a liability to anyone I plan to paddle with in
the future.  It will be also good to know or understand the level of
training of those I am with for distinguishing who might need special
attention or who might be a reliable assist.  Many of the trips which I
see invites to on this list and others will be with total strangers, be
nice if you knew that they tried a wet exit.  Better if you knew they
could roll.  Best if you knew they could do an assist or recieve an
assist.

Through personal experience I have found that adverse weather is one of
the most basic criteria to a dangerous encounter.  I felt the advice on
the list to be very helpful in giving me a winter lesson plan in
forecasting.  I have bought and am reading the reccomended books and
have added a compass to my 'utility belt' of wallet, keys, digital
camera and cellphone(boy I hate that thing) and am trying the 'whats
going to happen in an hour game' by observing the elements and taking a
bearing with compass on cloud and wind directions (which I have found to
been going in opposite directions sometimes).

What was somewhat annoying to me was the critical tone of his posts
which seem to have inferred that Ray K was cavalier in his attitude of
safety.  I was told by 4 distinct sources that Ray and his wife were 2
of the best instructers in the area.  The conversations you'all were
having about cold weather clothing really confused me (there were a lot
of opinions out there) on the type requirements, so I thought that Ray
would be a convenient person to ask.  He knows the conditions of my area
(he is only about 15 minutes away). If I could email him exactly what I
had, I figured he could tell me when I should stop paddling in month x
and resume in month y.  Instead, I got a multi page dissertation on
hypothermia with the practical application of the clothing I had as well
as the ones I needed to increase my 'repetoire' based on my skill level
and conditions.  It was invaluable in my re-evaluation of my
capabilities and equipment.  Ray's emphasis on safety was apparent in
this generous letter to me, someone who 'out of the blue' needed some
help.

I think that every skill learned, from efficient stroke to accurate
weather forecasting, will contibute to being a 'trip asset' and I also
think that learning and perfecting a roll will be a blast (had a
terribly ineffective evening last saturday).  I encourage the ACA in
raising the standards of instruction and giving some acheivable goals. 
I also realize that after I learn the 'ACA or BCU way' there is another
version of a Greenland stroke to research or roll to acheive. 

But I am only a begginer...  


> 
> If weather and judgement are boring the instructors might ask themselves
> why. Instead of concentrating on the "right" way to make a forward stroke
> maybe they should concentrate on the "right" way to keep your butt our of
> trouble. Then, maybe they could learn the "right" way to present the topic
> so it would interest the students. Rolls etc. offer symptomatic relief not
> a cure to ignorance and a macho attitude towards paddling.
> 
> Sorry for the rant but if the ACA and BCU can't figure out what has more
> importance, avoiding having to roll or knowing how to roll,  then there
> will always be lots of subject matter for books like Deep Trouble.
> 


-- 
gabriel l romeu
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