Hi Jackie and all, I said, > OK, how do you define an "extremely experienced" kayaker blah, blah, blah, armchair paddlers blah blah blah... Jackie replied: >I'd say a kayaker with an extreme lot of experience kayaking in the conditions in question and still alive to pass along info to the rest of us :-) Ok, that's a good answer and I agree with it. To expand on that thought, I believe that there is more to experience than mere time on the water. Someone who has spent 20 year paddling under easy conditions is not necessarily an "experienced" paddler. That person might not be able to handle more challenging conditions. This is not to say that everyone should push harder and try more difficult conditions. We all have our reasons for entering this sport. The point is that when most people hear the word "experience" they equate it with various high levels of expertise or skill. It ain't necessarily so! I agree with you that we need to put the under "conditions in question" clause in there. There are expert beginners. Someone who has mastered all the skills necessary to paddle easy water in a safe and efficient manner would be such a person. Problems arise when this person doesn't realize his/her limits. By adding adverse conditions into the equation, you get a better idea of who is really "experienced". Some people can handle stress better than others. They could deal with adverse conditions through their strong will even if they don't have a lot of experience (the time on the water type of experience). They keep a calm head and use logic to analyze the situation. In light of this, I think we'd have a very difficult time labelling paddlers. We'd have to see how they reacted in actual threatening situations. We could certainly say that she/he has great boat control and superb skills. BTW, thanks for all the replies about getting in trouble in warm water under calm conditions. I thought I'd get some feedback on that. I agree that conditions can and often do change rapidly. We've got to be ready for those "what ifs"! A PFD certainly gives you an added bit of protection in almost all circumstances. I admit that I don't wear one all the time when I'm paddling with my buddies in calm conditions. It's always nearby, but I'm taking a chance. Hey, at least I admit it! Cheers, Dave Williams paddler_at_loxinfo.co.th http://paddleasia.com Phuket, Thailand *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Fri Aug 06 1999 - 22:34:40 PDT
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