Re: [Paddlewise] Nearly Fatal

Shawn W. Baker wrote:
> Even if the dealer is simply told,"Hey, this guy could have died.  The
> situation could have been prevented if he'd had positive flotation, a
> paddlefloat, and a pump.  Oh yeah, and a sprayskirt."  Then, the dealer
> tells the next potential buyer who has greenbacks burning a hole in
> their pocket for a bright, shiny kayak, "One guy almost died because he
> didn't have positive flotation, a paddlefloat, and a pump.  Oh yeah, and
> a sprayskirt."

I know of one dealer around here who once was selling a bulkheadless
polyethlene kayak to a fellow and tried to get him to also buy flotation
bags.  The guy would have none of it; felt he was spending too much
already with the PFD, paddle and sprayskirt.  The dealer finally just
said "Here, take them," giving the guy the float bags free.  The
dealer's wholesale cost was probably at most $15 for the set; and he
bought himself a lot of peace of mind and a measure of
lawsuit-protection were the guy to have done something stupid while
using the boat.

>From time to time, I hear of dealers who won't let you take the boat out
of the store unless you also buy such basics including a paddle float. 
I think that is laudable and a step in the right direction.  But having
a paddle float and actually having experience in using one depends on
the paddler.  Same with the flotation bags; if the paddler doesn't use
them, they won't work.  There is where the responsibility falls on the
paddler and all anyone, including the dealer, can do is to point the
person toward instruction and informal learning from more experienced
paddlers while on the water.

BTW, to any one who thinks I am advocating that the industry remove all
risk and that the individual paddler be absolved of all responsibility,
I assure you that I am not; if anything I say gives you that impression,
it is not my intention and please purge it from your mind.  And to
anyone who says I am advocating legislation, regulation and penalties or
licensing of paddlers or any of that, please do the same, i.e. purge it
from your mind because I am not calling for regs.

>From some of the response postings I am seeing, I think I may have to
put a version of the previous paragraph into my SIG as a disclaimer.

ralph  


-- 
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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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