Mattson, Timothy G said > > Look, the foot pump and the elctric pump are in my opinion. leaning too > heavilly on equipment to save your ass. I like to use minimal equipment and > then build (and practice) the skills to safely enjoy my kayaking obsession. > > Its a risk-benefit game. I make the risk of a swim so small, that even > with the reduced capability provided by the hand pump, my aggregate margin > of error is well within my personnel comfort zone. So while Nick Gill and > the folks "down under" would fail me in their basic competency tests (or > whatever he called it), I feel that overall, I'm safer than many of the > equipment-dependent folk out there. > them's fighting words and I agree with them to a significant extent. Let me put my ststement about requiring pumps in context. I'll just personally point out that I have not come out of my boat in anger for about five years. I rarely capsize and I can roll reliably in conditions from flat water to big surf. I roll on every paddle i do just for practice. I personally have never HAD to use my pump but I like having one handy. I have only seriously needed my bouancy aid once, but I always wear it. on the NSW club here. We are a little sensitive about boat set up, education and leadership right now having had the possibility of legal action floated across our bows recently. We have an ongoing training program, with 3 big training weekends for beginnners and intermediates in the last six months. These are run by experienced paddlers - all volunteers. There are any number of other opps for training and building experience. We have a club paddle grading system that facilitates club paddles for all levels and enables all paddlers to know what sort of paddle they are going on. see http://203.147.209.230/calendar.htm, http://203.147.209.230/grading.htm at the skills weekends we do rolling, bracing, wet exits offshore, paddling techniques, rescues, surf work, bracing, boat set up, reading the weather, getting forecasts, reading the sea, .......etc. There is a big emphasis on the need for group support but also on the fact that the time may come when it is everyone for themselves and you need have to have skills and possibly the equipment to get through. There is also an emphasis on self vetting for paddles. For example, I know my fitness it down at the moment due an extended absence from paddling so I only go on moderate sea paddles that I know I can cope with. The Aust Canoe Federation proficiency award that I referred to is a benchmark that you can self vet (that's one of our aims at least), cope in a variety of condiitons, be part of a group and sort yourself out if the need arises. This award (http://203.147.209.230/mag/37/proficiency.html) requires a pump or self bailer capable of no hands operation. The club requires the award for certin paddles. If you turn up for a paddle and have the proficiency award paddle leaders and organisers can assume a certain level of competency and boat set up (with judicious checking) if they don't know you. After the legal issue we require it for club paddles graded 3 and above in our grading system. This is part of a wider system of training, specified responsibiities, waivers and insurance. Its a terrible thing but the other option was experienced paddlers going paddling only with their mates to avoid the possiblity of losing their homes, and the club and its capacity to help new paddlers dying in the arse. We have tried to develop a system that is not overly bureaucratic - we all just want to paddle - but which protects paddle organisers/leaders, club committee members, and those on club paddles as well, and allows us to get on with it. Our committee has worked very hard to develop all this, I can't take much credit for it. It's all new and we'll see how it goes. I might point out that the club is, of course , not the sole focus of paddlers here, many (most) often do their own thing as well. The term 'equipment dependent' is somewhat of an overstatement. The is no reason to assume from my contributions yesterday about one little aspect of sea kayaking that I and we are 'equpment dependent' and do not build and practice skills. Having said that I would endorse the sentiment of not being eqipment dependent and find it hard to fathom the inability of this woman who died to not have such a skill given the trips she seems to have taken on. nick *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************Received on Tue May 11 1999 - 21:34:11 PDT
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