RE: [Paddlewise] JFK Jr. and Risk Taking

> Dave,
> 
> I like your idea of sharing our own "near death" experiences.  Here's my
> contribution....
> 
> -----------------------------------------------------
> 
> After paddling only a month, I grew frustrated at the difficulty of
> finding people to paddle with and started paddling on my own in my plastic
> Sea Lion kayak.  I was paddling upstream along the Mary's river -- trying
> to see how far upstream I could get when I had my first kayaking, near
> death encounter.
> 
> The river had a steady current and some minor class one rapids.  Punching
> through these rapids was hard, but a great workout and for the most part
> quite fun.
> 
> One rapid pushed straight into a bushy tree that had fallen into the
> water.  These are the deadly "strainers" that river-paddlers are supposed
> to know avoid at all costs.  As a stupid beginner, though, I didn't know
> this and plunged up stream next to the strainer.  Well, the current this
> time was a bit too much and I was swept backwards into the strainer.  As I
> hit the downed tree, I instinctively leaned away from the strainer ---
> which now with my greater experience, I know to be exactly the opposite of
> what one is supposed to do.  
> 
> With my lean away from the stainer, once my motion was slowed by the tree,
> the water built up on my upstream rail and immediately flipped me.  So
> there I was, upside down, all alone, with water pinning me in my boat and
> against the tree.  Fortunately, the tree branches had just enough give in
> them that I was able to struggle my way out of the boat and to the
> surface.  If the branches had been stiffer, I would have definitely
> drowned --- even the current in class I water is enough to hoplessly pin
> you against a stiff strainer.  I worked the boat free, sat at the rivers
> edge until my heart beat returned to normal.
> 
> I can only tell you this story 'cause none of you know my wife.  She would
> freak out if she knew how close I came to  a fatal accident.
> 
> Lessons learned:  Avoid stainers.  If you can't, then lunge on top of them
> --- not away from them.  This lunge technique works very well.  The second
> time I hit a strainer (while paddling in the dark last year), I lunged on
> top of it with such panic driven force that my body AND sea kayak rolled
> right over the downed tree.  
> 
> --Tim
> 
> 
> 
***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List
Submissions:     paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net
Subscriptions:   paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net
Website:         http://www.paddlewise.net/
***************************************************************************