Re: [Paddlewise] Saturation Point

>From: Doug Lloyd <dlloyd_at_bc.sympatico.ca>

>Does anyone think
>there are too many people participating these days? Who's worse,
>recreational paddlers or guide outfits (there was an earlier post on this)?
>Should we all stop encouraging new growth, boycott symposiums, stop
>teaching? Any thoughts, or is this not a valid question in the kayaking
>community, yet?
>
>BC'in Ya
>Doug Lloyd

A few disconnected thoughts on "sea kayak saturation":

I work for an outdoor retailer which sells sea-kayaks and paddling gear, 
among lots of other stuff. Since part of my living comes indirectly from the 
popularity of sea-kayaking, I'm certainly not going to adopt a 
"holier-than-thou" attitude towards kayak tour operators.

One aspect of the popularity of sea-kayaking that hasn't been mentioned is 
the benefit we all receive in the increased options available in kayaks and 
kayaking gear. Sure, you could argue that it's overkill and that everyone 
should paddle the same boat and wear the same gear, but judging from the 
lively debates on Paddlewise, most of us like being able to choose from 
hard-shell or folding, wide-beam or Greenland, ruddered or unruddered, 
feathered or unfeathered, wetsuits or drysuits, paddlefloats or s******s, 
etc. Plus we can buy most of the above in red, neon green, or paisley, which 
we couldn't do unless there was a large enough market to support a variety 
of manufacturers and retailers.

A kayak unquestionably has a smaller "environmental footprint", both in its 
construction and its operation, than say, a Pestilent Water Craft or a power 
boat, but probably not as small an effect as many imagine. I've visited a 
few (hard-shell) kayak plants in my time, and they range from Dickensian 
"dark satanic mills" to modern, well-ventilated plants. But even in the best 
of them, your nose and lungs will tell you that a witch's brew of chemicals 
is being used. I've never been to the plants where they coat the fabrics 
used for folding boats, but I can't believe they're utterly benign either.
And though responsible kayakers minimise their impact on the immediate areas 
in which they travel, this minimum impact is to a certain extent being 
subsidised by impacts made elsewhere: we paddle a carbohydrate-powered 
craft, but in many cases we bring it to the put-in via hydrocarbon-powered 
means; we carefully eschew a campfire, but do so by using a 
petroleum-fuelled stove; we don't build a lean-to, or cut tree boughs for 
our beds, because we have high-tech tents and spiffy inflatable mats - all 
of which were made somewhere, with some effect on the environment. So am I 
saying we should all give kayaking up, and wear hair shirts? No - I find my 
polyester fleece top a lot less itchy, thank you. But let's not pretend we 
have no effect on the environment - just less than many others.

Regarding concerns that the newest generation of kayakers - regarded as 
arrivistes and dilettantes by many of the "old salts" - will trash all the 
good kayaking spots. Read or re-read "The Tragedy of the Commons". Much as I 
enjoy the independent and solitary aspects of sea-kayaking, it appears we 
may have to get organised and take "ownership of" - in the sense of 
"responsibility for", not merely "rights to" - a lot of public lands.

Philip Torrens
N49°16' W123°06'


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