Re: [Paddlewise] The Status of Kayaking

Julio MacWilliams wrote:

<SNIPPED>
> There are no better paddles or kayaks, but there are different styles.
> It is like skating; there is ice-hockey and figure skating.
> 
<SNIPPED>
> 
> Meanwhile, the BCU-ACA-AWA-etc are trying to tell everyone how to paddle,
> and the industry is selling expedition kayaks with olympic race paddles
> to people who hardly ever paddle more than one day every other weekend.
> 
> At the same time, the best sources for learning seamanship are still
> the Navy publications, the American Sailing Association, and other
> organizations that certify captains and other crew. And they will
> ever be.
> 
> But the kayaking industry is neglecting to teach newcomers
> the existence of those sources. As a consequence, knowledge about
> weather, safety at sea, and sea communications, is almost non existent
> in the average.
> 
> So, that is the status of our sport in a few paragraphs.
> 
> Anyone care to agree/disagree/comment ?

A couple of points while I procrastinate working on taxes (I bet you
hate being reminded...:-)):

1) Julio is right that there are no "best" or "better" kayaks or types
of kayaking.  I am often asked which is the best folding kayak and,
knowing all that I know, I can't answer that!  There is no "best",
perhaps there  are some more suitable for certain uses than others. 
When people ask what I paddle, I warn them that my choice is a
combination of accident, personal choice and circumstances.

People get hung up salivating for the Feathercraft Khatsalano when it
probably is not the best boat for many paddlers who would likely be
happier in another model.  Doug Simpson, owner and designer of
Feathercraft, was visiting with my wife and me last week.  I mentioned
someone I know who is so skittish in his Khats that he considers it his
fair weather, calm water boat.  Doug was stunned because it is a boat
that cries for going out into rough conditions BUT only if you do have
the skills for it.  I often hear people say that they want a boat that
they won't grow out of and so reach for something beyond their immediate
capabilities.  That works for some paddlers, who are stubborn and stick
to it and willing to put the hours in the saddle needed to get
comfortable with it.  But, like Julio says, there are an awful lot of
weekend warriors who are not going to advance in skills and don't want
to anyway.

I am not sure we can blame the manufacturers.  Just taking for example
Feathercraft.  It has other models that may be suited for people who
might feel skittish in the Khats...the K-1.  And, even at that, the
K-Light might be a happier choice for many people, than even the K-1.  I
am certain that analogous situations exist with hardshells or boat
models people might build for themselves.  A lot of people think that a
performance boat will make them a performance paddler when in truth
performance paddlers make performance boats perform.  In general, I
think people buy more boat than they need.  But then again that is a
tendency in society in general.  Down jackets that are meant to see you
through a night bivouac on K-2 when the fiercest winter you will face is
that of DC. 

2) I don't want to get into the ACA, BCU etc. argument about instruction
and standards.  A case can be made for setting goals, skills levels and
testing for them.  Judgment is, however, harder to teach and even harder
to measure. 

I understand from what Ray Killen has written on this listserver and in
talking with him that seamanship and judgment do work their way into
levels of the BCU package.  My understanding however is that it tends to
come in at later, upper levels of qualification.  I would argue that
they should come in a lot earlier...at the half star level or whatever
may be deemed the lowest.  I don't buy the argument that people don't
want it that early...I think they do.  In this geographic area, Ray and
others like Ira Rosenfeld are working on teaching some of these skills
early in introductory talks that have not even one star reward
associated with them.  The Atlantic Sea Kayakers club in New Jersey is
planning a trip next week to test signaling devices to see how they work
and how effective.  I still want to finishing pulling together a talk on
Dealing With Traffic, which I have lots of information on already. 
These are real hands-on stuff that should be gotten out to people more.

3)  It will be interesting to see what competition brings to the sport
at this juncture.  The industry is highly competitive...there are
legions of manufacturers despite the recent mergers of some of the
biggies.  Unfortunate competition means a fight for sales.  A fight for
sales means glamoring up aspects of the sports and downplaying the
risks.  More shops are opening up...how qualified are their sales
people?  The same with touring outfits...how many outfitters are there
anyway, a thousand?  Sales of gear and tours can lead to cutting
corners.  We already had a discussion about the K-Marts selling kayaks.

ralph diaz
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter
PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024
Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com
"Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag."
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