RE: [Paddlewise] My first trip in the Harbor

Hi Tom,

> 	It took me a little over 30 minutes to get my stuff
> together, to get
> dressed in my drysuit, put my skirt on, etc...

I find a half hour to get ready is pretty typical for me. Seems like it
takes longer and longer though.

> 	I put out for a trip around Gig Harbor.  Thanks to this list, I did
> remember to put my watch on the OUTSIDE of my drysuit, and that helped...
> it also "humbled me" a bit.  About 30 minutes of paddling was about all I
> could manage.

It'll take a while to get back into it. My first trip I managed 5 miles and
felt like I had gone 50. I could barely lift my boat back onto my truck.


> 7mm's...  I will be more careful to ensure my poly underwear more
> completely covers ALL of my body, and gloves?  Yea, better get

My last trip my polartec jacket, polartec farmer john, and poly shorts all
bunched up around my waist to make a very painful few minutes on the water
until I managed to get it all flattened out. Is there a trick to getting
your clothes back into the right position after tugging the dry suit on? An
extra set of hands might be a big help.

> F.  Though I dared not lean the boat too far [because I did not get my
> skirt on properly] I did manage to lean a little, and that helped my
> turning somewhat.

Spray skirt: if you are having problems getting it on, what kind of problems
do you think you might have getting it off? Does it pop off pretty easy?
Nylon is what I recommend to folks who may have difficulty with spray skirts
as that type seems easier to remove. It doesn't stay on as well, but you can
sometimes fall out without even releasing the skirt when inverted, which is
more important for you at this point I would imagine.

> 	That trip was a challenge, and for a while on the trip
> home, and on the
> days since then, I have thought, "this is too much for me now..."  I know
> that in the pre-bonk days, it was nothing to do it however, and so I have
> been going over alternatives to "ramp me up..."

I really admire your determination to get back on the water Tom. Hopefully
you have found someone to paddle with you as your descriptions of "brain
hikes" on your web site worries me greatly if you are paddling alone.

Keep up the progress and just ease into everything slowly. And DO paddle
with someone else, at least while you re-learn the self rescue stuff.
Balance everything with a good strong dose of safety, even if it means
slowing down your progress onto the water.

Woody


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