John Winters wrote... > Why do you learn to roll? Because you will be able to get right side up > after a capsize. Why do you capsize? Because you might get caught in > conditions you can't handle. Why did you get caught in conditions you > can't handle? Duhhhhhhhh I don't know about this attitude. The open sea is always capable of producing a wave that can dump you without warning, learning to roll is simply an adaptation to allow the paddler to recover afterwards. > "I use all this gear and learn all these skills so I can paddle in > conditions where I might have to use them but no, I would never take any > additional risks just because I had a piece of gear or a skill." Whether it is circular or not depends on the objective of the paddler. I got a kayak so that I could pursue open ocen fishing according to my own particular and unique ethics of sportsmanship. But just having a kayak and a paddle does not imply that I have everything I need to go 10 miles offshore and drop a frozen mullet overboard. There is a lot of skill and knowledge that first needs to be acquired, such as rolling, diving, surf entry and exit, navigation, general seamanship, etc. Once these have been achieved, *THEN* does the kayak and paddle go from a small lake putt-about, to an open ocean boat. So yes, I learn to roll so that I can paddle in places which might require me to roll. I would also not likely take any ADDITIONAL risk just because I have a skill or piece of gear. It just happens that my base level of risk includes situations where a large wave could come out of nowhere and dump me upside down. I would just prefer to have the option of counting to 30 and then rolling up. Richard Walker Houston, TX http://www.neosoft.com/~rww/kayak_log.html *************************************************************************** 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 Wed May 12 1999 - 16:28:42 PDT
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