Re: [Paddlewise] The Ocean is Big, Our Impact Bigger

From: Kirk Olsen <kolsen_at_imagelan.com>
Date: Thu, 4 May 2000 11:06:31 -0400 (EDT)
On Thu, 4 May 2000, Christine Allison wrote:

> Paddelsports may go the course of Windsurfing which collapsed due to a
> Hi-tech mania and it's media conspicuous testosterone/macho pumped up
> proponents.

I think windsurfing slid to it's current location because of the learning
curve and the lack of entry level gear.  You basically need to spend $1000
to get started and then spend about 12 hours falling in before you could
move.  

I've still got the windsurfing gear, it's gathering dust in the garage.  I 
got good enough that I only wanted to windsurf if there were 25+ knot 
winds.  I also got "skunked" regularly windsurfing.  I would drive 2 hours
to where the wind should have been blowing only to find flat conditions.
If I had been planning to paddle it would have been great.

With a kayak nearly anyone can paddle, I took our son out in a canoe 
when he was 3 weeks old, I also took my 92 year old grandmother out paddling.

At my great aunts house in Maine there's now a collection of keowee's down
on the beach,  roughly 8 of them.  It's common to see all of them out on the 
water at the same time, with a wide range of occupants - infants through 
grandparents.  All just puttering around.  For some that's all they seek in
a paddling experience, paddle 20 yards off shore and float amongst the 
lobster bouys.  They only need enough boat to stay dry - 2 keowees for $500
is perfect for them.  

kirk


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Received on Thu May 04 2000 - 08:49:25 PDT

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