Maybe my memory is playing tricks on me again. I thought the original question of "how far offshore" one could safely paddle came from a person who was relatively new to the concept of paddling in the ocean, including the coastline. Do the answers which are coming in to the group address the concerns and limitations of such a person? - Bill Hansen *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> Maybe my memory is playing tricks on me again. I thought the original > question of "how far offshore" one could safely paddle came from a person > who was relatively new to the concept of paddling in the ocean, including > the coastline. Do the answers which are coming in to the group address the > concerns and limitations of such a person? - Bill Hansen I don't think so. I think preperation and training for doing the solo offshore thing is paramount. A beginner at ocean paddling is going to need to spend a lot of time learning stuff about their kayak first. I know I spent a whole paddling day just with the concept of surf launches and landings, even though in Texas there are plenty of places where there simply is no surf to speak of. I've spent several trips out specifically to paddle upstream against strong current; when I find eddylines worth noticing, I'll stop and spend a half hour or so, crossing into, turning in the current, paddling upstream, crossing out of the current back into the eddy, etc; even though I'd be amazed if I ever saw a current in our gulf waters strong enough to have a noticeable "eddy". I've also collected the appropriate gear, charts, radio, gps, strobes, flares, etc, etc, and practiced their use. All so that sometime, probably some reasonably cool day this fall, I can load up my kayak on the beach, punch through the surf, paddle 3-4 hours on a compass heading, and see, for the first time in my life really, blue water off the Texas coast. I might just sit and have lunch, I might bring my 10wt flyrod or my Penn snapper rig, I might bring freediving gear, who knows, but I will have accomplished one of my driving goals. Offshore, blue water, solo, on muscle power alone. I think the point of this is that no, a beginning kayaker probably shouldn't mess with offshore solo stuff. But you also have to train yourself in challenging conditions. Paddling across a flat lake with no traffic on a weekday is not useful training for going offshore. But I tell you one thing, every offshore kayak fatality I have heard of in our area could have been prevented easily simply by having adequate freshwater, and some sort of leash to keep paddler and boat together. Whether a paddleleash on a sit on top, or a strong, tight spray skirt and paddleleash on a conventional kayak. Being seperated from ones boat is how most non-hurricane deaths seem to occur; and that applies to the 28' sportfisher as well as the seakayak. 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.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> -----Original Message----- > From: Bhansen97_at_aol.com [mailto:Bhansen97_at_aol.com] > Maybe my memory is playing tricks on me again. I thought the original > question of "how far offshore" one could safely paddle came > from a person who > was relatively new to the concept of paddling in the ocean, > including the > coastline. Do the answers which are coming in to the group > address the > concerns and limitations of such a person? - Bill Hansen I don't know whether or not Darian Dunn (the original poser of the question) is new to paddling or a grizzled old salt, but his question was: "When you plan on paddling down the coast (or up the coast), how far off shore do you normally paddle? I was making the assumptions that most people would stay outside the surf, but how far out beyond the surf?" I interpreted this as a question about how "we" normally paddle when taking a trip along a section of coastline. I have no doubts that many in this group are well qualified and have made long open water crossings (Arthur Hebert might be the extreme example), but I don't think that's what the gist of the original question was. So how about it - how far off shore do you normally paddle when going from point A to point B? Or do most PW's prefer to drive from point A to B and reserve their paddling time for going places that you simply can't drive (crossings)? I agree with my fellow Southeasterner in Sitka that sometimes conditions will dictate extremes, but extremes are just that - not the norm. And lest I be misquoted ('cause it appears I have been) - I wrote: "That whitewater adage, "If you don't think you can swim it, don't paddle it" is always there in the back of my mind." When paddling WW I follow this rule almost exclusively, but sea kayaking is a different story with different dynamics and dangers (getting sucked into an undercut is pretty unlikely) and typically our greatest safety in a bad situation is with the boat. I just _normally_ paddle within a swimmable distance from shore while travelling. getting down off my soapbox Dave Seng Juneau, Alaska *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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