>But how many kayak shops advise, or newbies > consider, that a boat without proper equipment is just a floating coffin? > > - -Nick I have to chime in here and say that the one I sometimes work in does. We don't use such frightening terms, but we do tell new customers what is what in clear, unadorned language that cannot be misinterpreted by anyone the inherent dagers of paddling small boats uninformed, in cold water, wind and currents. We sell them pumps, skirts, floatbags and wet or drysuits when possible, as they are comitted to purchasing the kayak or canoe already in their minds and consider these accessories, like the paddle and PFD once they hear our safety talk. We tell them that we are not trying to make more sales, but want to be assured that they will return to their families at the end of a day out, not show up on the evening news. If they are wanting to demo a boat and the water is cold, we give them a rental drysuit and tell them exactly why they are to wear it. Some stare at me wide-eyed (deer-in-the-headlights) and get what I'm saying, are grateful for the candor and concern for their safety. Some wear the Invulnerability Armor, which I sometimes poke holes in with my Terror On The Hudson story, some of you may remember told here two years ago. After hearing it, those macho-types usually think twice, if not cave and just buy the safety gear. At the minimum, we hand out bright orange flyers with every boat sale, or inquiry that seems serious, or to anyone asking for a store brochure, too, and that orange flyer is all about cold shock and hypothermia written in unmitigating terms. These are also in the brochure rack at the front door. I don't know which dealer sold that Loon, but I can guess, as there aren't that many around, esp. near Debbie to get demo boats from. They are much bigger than we are and it seems to me if a customer dies they stand to lose more than a settlement in a lawsuit, there's the bad press and reputaion, too. I see people in cotton street clothes a lot on cold water, many times without PFDs. I assess them as I get near, sometimes I give them the talk, sometimes I paddle on saying nothing. It's not an easy choice to make, the latter, but there are people who will react with hodtility no matter how you couch your advice and concern and I can see that it'd be a waste of my time. Darwin Awards contestants... Paul Hollerbach, survivor of his own stupidity (but just barely) __________________________________________ NetZero - Defenders of the Free World Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Hi all, The wet one hopefully learned his lesson. Without proper equipment he would have been a candidate for a fine by the coastguard or whoever is in charge. Bad for him that nature stroke first. >From my experience dealers try to sell you as much as possible - telling you more or less good reasons why you need all that stuff-, but shouldn't manufacturers outfit boats like the loon, i.e. made without bulkheads, with at least on floatbag installed ? That shouldn't increase the price significantly, what is probably the concern of dealers if they sell only outfitted boats. Most of you mentioned safety equipment like sprayskirts, paddlefloats, bailer, flares, vhf radio...... At least the last two are out of question for most "once in a while boaters". In some parts of the world you need even special permissions and certificates to carry them in your boat (another problem if you travel and smuggle flares on aircrafts, you might break local firearm laws). But what is all safety equipment good for if people don't know how to use it. You read in a book about the paddlefloat rescue, are you able to do it? I doubt that! You wouldn't be successfull in a pool (no waves, no wind, not cold) within the first 2 or 3 attemps. And who can do a paddle float rescue in moving water? For sure not somebody like the wet one. If you never did a wet exit, how likely is it that you panic because you feel trapped by the sprayskirt (ripcord under the coaming) in a real life "head lower than your butt" situation? Maybe that was the reason when I rented a Loon last summer and had to ask for a spray skirt. To solve this kind of problems a driver's licence for paddlers would be required..., but nobody would like to see that happen. BTW: Could I rent a seakayak in, lets say BC, without proofing somehow that I have experience to handle boat and conditions? If the answer is NO, what would be such a certificate? BCU level whatever certificate or a on site demonstration of paddling skills? My two cents Ulli (who was the first time in a kayak during a self rescue clinic -I wanted to know what to do if....) Ulli Hoeger Dept. Physiology and Biophysics Dalhousie University Halifax, B3H4H7, Nova Scotia Canada Phone I : 902-494-2673 Fax: 902-494-1685 Phone II :902-488-6796 http://is.dal.ca/~uhoeger *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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