[Paddlewise] a small world indeed

One thing I really enjoy about PaddleWise is hearing from individuals
who, because of their location, are on the geographical fringes of the
sea kayaking world.  I am thinking of Fernando down Argentine Way and
Joshua in Israel, who today described his third kayaking lesson in a
post to PaddleWise.  It has been harder for them to get first hand
information and gear.  And, yet in their search for info, they give us a
different way of looking at what is so familiar to many of us on this
listserv.

I feel somewhat privileged in being less than 20 minutes subway-n-walk
from a great dealer right here in town where I can see the latest in
gear.  And earlier when I first started paddling, I was fortunate that
Klepper had a shop in Manhattan that not only sold gear but was a mecca
for paddlers.  Any trip there would almost invariably coincide with a
visit by someone from somewhere else or local to chat with about places
to go and compare gear and experiences.  Or you could talk to the people
running the shop, including Dieter Stiller and hear about the glory days
and exploits of earlier folding kayakers.

Our friends, Joshua and Fernando, earlier would not have had that level
of enrichment at their fingertips but now thanks to PaddleWise, they
do.  PaddleWise has the definite feel of that old Klepper shop in Union
Square, Manhattan.

Again, I think it is a two-way street.  They learn and, in the questions
they ask, so do we all.

ralph diaz


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Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter
PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024
Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com
"Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag."
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