Re: [Paddlewise] Risk vs Natural Selection

Dave,
    I meant no offense and certainly did not mean to suggest that the safety 
tips should be axed. My point is that we collectively seem to obsess on the 
obvious hazards of our chosen sport for the sake of non paddlers. How may 
times does an intelligent person like yourself need to be reminded that 
hypothermia can kill? Or that wind and waves can blow you off course?  Or 
that the lack of a roll in rough conditions means that you'll probably end up 
swimming? 
    My tirade was not intended to keep you from valuable information but 
rather to screen out the ceaseless rehashing of the obvious and to give a nod 
to the elite paddlers to continue to educate us with their tales of life 
close to the edge.
    I am a new paddler myself, just starting my third year and rest assured I 
had very little knowledge or skill when I started. But being the reckless 
person that I am, I took a lesson, of all things, to teach me the basics. 
Then I joined a club and subscribed to various news groups and mailing lists 
and I paddled and paddled and paddled. Mostly alone because it was alone or 
not at all. I knew I was taking chances paddling solo, so I studied the sh*t 
out of every spec of safety info I could find and I learned to roll like a 
pro.
    And now, two years later, I'm still no expert but I am a competent 
paddler who has yet to find his limits, and who because of postings by and 
discussions with elite paddlers, has *safely* reached my third season with a 
head absolutely full of well intentioned safety advice. At my level I need to 
experience vicariously through the elite paddlers just where the line is. But 
these people are being censored because a non paddler might misinterpret the 
information and charge off to cross the North Sea. I say let him go, it's a 
free ocean. Please don't deny me the sources of information that I seek.
    I too welcome safety info but we seem to have lost our bearing. I don't 
need another source of safety info, thanks very much, I need information on 
tide races and wind effects and rolling tips in rough conditions, etc., etc. 
Maybe your newness keeps you hungry for the basic safety information, for me 
the hunger has been satiated, now I'm being force fed and I don't like it.
    I wish you all the luck and good fortune the world has to offer. Enjoy 
the journey, your kayak is the perfect vessel for what ever destination you 
have.

Jed


In a message dated 2/24/00 5:40:56 AM, davea_at_pop.nwlink.com writes:

<< being new to the sport of sea kayaking my self i appreciate the safety 
tips in

this list.  im not a drone with a death wish.  that is why i like the saftey

tips.  not every one subscribed to this list is a vetran paddler.  i guess 
from

the first time you got in a boat you were an expert and nobody ever had to 
give

you any saftey tips.  everytime i get a saftey tip whether from this list or

from any other source i listen to it and do what i need to do to integrate 
that

saftey tip into my kayaking.  and thanx to all of you have given out saftey

tips.  it really helps this newbie.  

dave >>

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