At 08:15 AM 7/31/00 -0400, JCMARTIN43_at_aol.com wrote: ><3. How much rescue recovery training should people get in general for an >outing like this? we got none, and I don't know yet if my friends would >have liked some or if ignorance was bliss?> > > >Any commercial outfitter that knowingly puts first-timers in decked boats >on open water without some comprehensive wet exit and group and individual >rescue training does not, in my opinion, deserve to be in business. It's >an accident waiting to happen, and the company is displaying >unconscionable behavior. I kind of agree with Jack on this, although my position is a bit more moderate. I rarely guide sea kayaking trips, but when I do, my company (the Kayak Academy) requires that all participants practice the wet-exit. This can be very effective for people who are scared of the water or scared of tipping over, or scared of being trapped. I would suspect that at least half of all new paddlers have this fear. The way in which we practice is by having them flip over and then hang out for a bit. When they are out of air or out of patience, they tap the side of their boat, and I flip them upright while they are still in the boat. We do that once more, and then they do a wet-exit for real (after several reminders on technique). For a large group, this can waste an hour of paddling time, and its worth is questionable to some. However on the most recent trip, there was one person who couldn't swim and was very afraid of the water and tipping over. After the wet exit, she was totally unafraid and had a great time. I would be willing to wager that she would have had much less fun without that practice. The participant's comfort should be a factor on any guided trip. Still, the arguments put forth by Rob and others why actual wet-exit practice is not necessary are good. I think it comes down to the group's time constraints and the outfitter's preference. Since my outfitter stresses safety above all else, wet-exit practice is something we always do. But the Kayak Academy is not really in the business of guiding trips; our business is teaching kayaking in a formal class setting. I mainly teach whitewater, which is my favorite kind of kayaking to teach. Kevin Whilden Your Planet Earth http://www.yourplanetearth.org (206) 788-0281 (ph) (206) 788-0284 (f) *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Mon Jul 31 2000 - 18:40:06 PDT
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