RE: [Paddlewise] the "bombproof" roll

From: Rob Cookson <rob_cookson_at_mindspring.com>
Date: Wed, 31 May 2000 08:49:30 -0700
Hi Doug and All,

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net
> [mailto:owner-paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net]On Behalf Of Doug Lloyd

Doug said a bunch of good stuff but I snipped all but one meager sentence.

> Whatever you do, _don't_ be
> bound by fanatical favorites of just one person or geographical
> location. Learn and practice the best from "all" worlds.

Man do I love to hear this.  Don't get me wrong I'm stubborn and opinionated
(gee, who would have guessed?) but I try to impress this upon students. I
teach what I have found to be the methods that work the best for me and that
I have seen work for others in a variety of conditions.  I strongly
encourage students to learn all of the rescue methods they can and then pick
and choose from the great rescue technique buffet.

The most important survival skill is attitude.  Will to survive.  Will to
survive and flexibility will take you a long ways in bad situations.  Keep
trying to solve the problem until you do.  Never  give up or doubt that a
rescue will be successful.  Complacency kills.  Be creative, experiment,
have fun with rescue practice.

I had the privilege of doing some training for a Special Forces Maritime Ops
team once.  These guys were a blast and it was because of their attitude.
Not accomplishing a task simply wasn't a part of their comprehension.  If
the goal was x then x was going to be achieved.  This is the attitude all
paddlers need when it comes to rescues.  I knew I was going to have fun with
these guys from the beginning.  The first thing their captain said to me was
"you can't drown these guys no matter what you do" yahhoo, playtime!

The weather cooperated perfectly and we had a day with steady 40 not winds
with gusts over 60.  The wind was so strong that it was blowing Kleppers
with some gear in them (not much) down the beach if they weren't staked
down. Anyway,it was fun but I'm once again rambling off topic.

Cheers,

--
Rob Cookson
"I like a little rebellion now and then. It is like a storm in the
Atmosphere." Thomas Jefferson in a letter to Abigail Adams, February 22,
1787.





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Received on Wed May 31 2000 - 08:49:34 PDT

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