In a message dated 7/13/00 7:17:55 PM Central Daylight Time, robm_at_udl.com writes: << Every half hour, the bunch at the front stop and wait for the rest. >> I try to make sure that after each stop that the slow group starts out first. If I have an idea of who is slow and who is fast I even try to get the launch organized so that the slower paddlers (with an experienced paddler if they need one) get launched first. Same thing after a shore stop. Lots of times the faster paddlers are the more experienced and tend to get themselves launched much quicker. This just compounds the speed difference problem. I'll usually ask the more experienced paddlers to help get the slower ones launched and then take off. The worst thing that can happen in this stop and wait system is for the lead group to stop, get water, get a snack, and then just as the slow group gets near take off again. When I first started kayaking, two of us in short sit-on-tops chased 5 glass touring boats for 4-5 hours. We repeatedly got just close enough to see them replacing the caps on the water bottles and then they were gone again. We kept trying to catch up and went without water or snack breaks for quite a while. Finally we just gave up and finished by ourselves. We did not know our route, missed an opening through a series of oyster reefs (we could see the kayaks on the other side), and wound up wading in alternating stretches of thigh deep mud and razor sharp oyster shells. I try real hard to make sure slower paddlers do not go through that sort of thing on any trips I lead. Of course I am so slow anyway that it usually is not a problem. Mark J. Arnold MJAkayaker_at_aol.com *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
MJAkayaker_at_aol.com wrote: > > In a message dated 7/13/00 7:17:55 PM Central Daylight Time, robm_at_udl.com > writes: > > << Every half hour, the bunch at the front stop and wait for the rest. >> > > I try to make sure that after each stop that the slow group starts out first. > If I have an idea of who is slow and who is fast I even try to get the > launch organized so that the slower paddlers (with an experienced paddler if > they need one) get launched first. Same thing after a shore stop. Lots of > times the faster paddlers are the more experienced and tend to get themselves > launched much quicker. This just compounds the speed difference problem. > I'll usually ask the more experienced paddlers to help get the slower ones > launched and then take off. > > The worst thing that can happen in this stop and wait system is for the lead > group to stop, get water, get a snack, and then just as the slow group gets > near take off again. When I first started kayaking, two of us in short > sit-on-tops chased 5 glass touring boats for 4-5 hours. We repeatedly got > just close enough to see them replacing the caps on the water bottles and > then they were gone again. We kept trying to catch up and went without water > or snack breaks for quite a while. Finally we just gave up and finished by > ourselves. We did not know our route, missed an opening through a series of > oyster reefs (we could see the kayaks on the other side), and wound up wading > in alternating stretches of thigh deep mud and razor sharp oyster shells. > > I try real hard to make sure slower paddlers do not go through that sort of > thing on any trips I lead. Of course I am so slow anyway that it usually is > not a problem. This is pretty standard stuff for a good group leader and I am happy to see you doing it. Same is true of hiking groups. The faster ones get to the summit, rest up and hydrate. The slow ones just get there and the whole group takes off again without the late comers getting a break. Make certain that slow ones get their break and let them lead off. ralph -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
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