[Paddlewise] Group Paddling

Hello All,

    I would like to get some feedback from other areas about group paddling.      There are a lot of 'pro's and con's' about paddling in with groups.    If it wasn't for the fact that I enjoy talking to other people I would consider being a solo paddler.      Around here not too many paddlers understand the fundamental goals of paddling in groups with the first and foremost being safety.    One of my biggest peeves are these so called experienced paddlers who think they know it all and don't think they should be part of the group but want to paddle with the group.    Most often it is these rednecks that put their boat into high gear when the weather gets nasty or when they are heading back to the take out.    

    One case that brings to mind is a trip I was involved with in the Gulf Islands several years ago.    I had mentioned that before we make the crossing that we should meet up in the lee of an island before crossing, which we did except one.    This one paddler decided not too and decided to take off on his own in a diagonal route to our destination.     The water at the time was getting choppy and to go the route this guy went might have been disaster for several of the novice paddlers.    So instead we stayed to the more protected water where we brotched the waves versus having a following sea.   This made the trip a somewhat longer but much safer.    When we finally got there I asked the guy why he took off like that, he thought that everyone else would blindly follow him.    

Since then I have never trusted paddling with this person.   Also, in general I have found that most paddlers in my area do not analyze the water before going out and just go with the hopes that the leader knows what they are doing.     I try to tell people to ask questions but most often they don't care.

   I am curious what other people do about these types of people or group paddling in general.

K.Stevens
Victoria, B.C.



Coastal Waters Recreation
Victoria, B.C.
Website: http://www.islandnet.com/~stevens/home.html

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