Re: [Paddlewise] FW: When in Rome - I'd wea

On Sat, 7 Aug 1999 rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com wrote:

> > I still stand behind my statement that having gear is likely to be
> > oversimplacating the danger/risk of being out there, sometimes.
> 
> You're right.  Gear alone isn't going to help you necessarily except for
> that PFD.  And none of it, even the PFD on you, should make you feel so
> "safe" that you take risks that are beyond your skill and mindset to
> deal with without panic.
> 
> John Winters has often stated that the danger of equipment is that it
> might embolden individuals when weighing risks.  He is right. 

Can anyone out there give an example of someone who thinks the way James
and Ralph and alledgedly John says they do? My experience has been quite
the opposite; that people go out with too little or inappropriate gear and
get into trouble. I have never encountered anyone who said "I've got the
latest from Lotus; I'm invincible"

OTOH, I did pluck a woman out of the Nantahala (Class II-III) river in
North Carolina, USA) this morning who was wearing a fully unzipped PFD.
Usually I don't bother rescuing rafter fallout, but this was about 100
yds downstream from a recent drowining location. I don't think for a
moment that she thought she was invincible because of the PFD; she thought
she was invincible, period.

Evem assuming that these people exist, where does that take us? To
recommend _less_ safety gear? Huh?

Steve Cramer                     
Test Scoring & Reporting Services      Sometimes you never can 
University of Georgia                    always tell what you 
Athens, GA 30602-5593                      least expect the most.


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