Re: [Paddlewise] Unreasonable fear

John Fereira wrote:
> That was your first mistake.  If you were uncomfortable in the boat that
> you were "assigned" you should have said something.   As a customer,  you
> should dictate which boat you want to paddle or which you would prefer not
> to.
> <snip>

Hmmm, I'm not so sure about this. Many of us taller or bigger folks are
uncomfortable in the boats found in an outfitters' fleet. Often, there
just isn't much choice for someone who is considerably taller or heavier
than average. If a person is 6'5" tall, and is not extremely slim, it
can be difficult to find a boat to fit. If that person is even slightly
on the heavier side, it can be extremely difficult finding a boat. Many
of us have used uncomfortable boats for classes and rentals. And it is
considerably worse for whitewater or surf kayaks. 

I know that if I was a beginner in that situation I would probably try
to keep quiet deal with the boat that a guide or instructor had assigned
to me. I would assume he or she had chosen a boat that I would at least
be able to use for that day. It is not easy for someone (especially a
beginner) to say, "Hey, I think I'm too big for this boat, it feels
tippy, do you have a bigger one?" How is a beginner even going to know
how tippy it is supposed to feel anyway?

<snip>
 > Something nobody has mentioned so far is how your fear and the kayak
you
> were in being tipsy and unstable might be related.   When you sensed that
> something was wrong, did you by chance start to feel anxious and tighten up
> a bit.   If you did, that probably had as much to do with the "tippiness"
> as the design of the hull.  
<snip>

True, tightening up will add to the feeling of tippiness. But this won't
help much if he was too heavy for the kayak to begin with. At 6'5" tall,
he could have problems feeling stable in some kayaks even while relaxed.
If a 6'5" person is a little heavy for his height, he will need very
good bracing skills in many kayaks, at least on anything but flat water.

Frank
Who obviously has learned this the hard way. No more trying to squeeze
my XXL body into those little British boats for me!  :-)
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