RE: [Paddlewise] Rental Boats

At 05:37 PM 10/14/99 -0400, Robert Woodard wrote:
>Jerry wrote:
> I've been in the store when
>people who say they are experienced wanted to rent, but the shop operator
>would make them go down to the water and demonstrate a wet *entry* before
>renting to them (anyone can do a wet exit).

I think that this is going a little too far.   If someone isn't going to be
paddling
far from shore a wet entry isn't necessary, however, if someone capsizes 10'
from shore and doesn't know how to release a spray skirt, or doesn't know
enough to make sure the grab loop isn't tucked under the skirt, the results
can be deadly.   I took a class at the LL Bean symposium a couple of years
ago.  They had allowed several beginners to join the class (they had taking
a beginning class the day before).  It was clearly obvious that they hadn't
done a wet exit because when one of them capsized he thrashed around
for quite awhile before one of the instructions dove out of his boat and pulled
him out of the cockpit.

Last year a friend of mine started a kayak business and opened a shop in
the spring.  I was down there about every weekend and often a couple of
other days helping with rentals and lessons.

When he rents kayaks he won't give them a spray skirt unless they know
how to do a wet exit.   The shop is on an inlet that is fairly narrow.  If
someone capsized it would be easy to swim to shore towing the boat.   The
main lake is about a mile or so from the shop so many of the renters never
get out in rougher water.   

When beginners rent boats we also spend a few minutes giving a safety spiel
and basic paddle technique.   One of the things we also do is have them rock
their kayak back and forth, keeping their upper body straight, to make sure
that their hips are loose.   The ones that look like they're going to capsize
any second are the ones that are usually afraid of tipping so they're really
tight.  Getting them to loosen up makes all the difference in the world.

Probably the best service the shop offers is lessons.   It also has turned
out to
be one of the most successful parts of the business.   The lessons are 
affordable, fun, and strongly encouraged.   One of the other real nice
activities
run through the shop is something that I organized last year.  Every Thursday
at 5:00pm we met at the shop and paddled out to the lake to practice a variety
of skills.  It was open to anyone that had at least a little experience.
There
were lots of wet exits and rescues, some people learned how to brace, and
some how to roll.  A few weeks ago I spent about an hour standing in the water
helping a woman learn how to roll.  A couple of weeks later she went out on
a six week solo trip circumnavigating lake Ontario.  (Is it still called
circumnavigation
if you paddle the shoreline of a large lake?)

***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not
to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission
Submissions:     paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net
Subscriptions:   paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net
Website:         http://www.paddlewise.net/
***************************************************************************