[Paddlewise] Group Paddling

This is response to the group paddling thread.
>From the trips I have organized for our club TCSKA, I 
have found that there should be an understanding of how 
the group will paddle before anyone leaves the beach. I 
feel that the group paddling speed is determined by the 
slowest paddler in the group. If the weather is calm and 
there is no expectation that the weather will change I 
usually allow a group to split off from the main group 
if some paddlers wish to paddle faster. This group that 
breaks away should have an experienced organizer who is 
comfortable in the conditions and who knows the area 
everyone is paddling in. In nice conditions everyone has 
to remain within sight and they have to look at the 
organizer every  few minutes to see if a raised paddle 
is sticking up in the air. I like to use a raised paddle 
to signal that we need to group up and talk.

If conditions are challenging then I think paddlers 
should be close enough to each other so that verbal 
communication can take place. This is also expected in 
areas where boat traffic exists. It is easier to see a 
group of sea kayaks than a single sea kayak.

My motto when paddling with a group is that you are part 
of a group, not a solo paddler paddling with other 
people.

Good Paddling,
Don Dimond 
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