Re: [Paddlewise] Paddling Formations

Possibly, keeping the diamod formation, but with the "light flags" then?...it
would let you keep a compact formation, which would make the group visiblity
less of a problem, and still let you see them since the "flags" would raise the
lights...

Hmmm...more thought required... :)

In  a bigger formation, what about doing what herd animals do...move the
slower/less powerful/less experienced kayakers to the center of the diamond, and
have the points of the diamond "rove" more, since they woudl (in theory) be more
powerful paddlers?

Aaron

"Dickson, Dana A." wrote:

> Aaron,
>
> I appreciate your thoughts.  I certainly found it easiest to see the right
> and left flank boats when they were in positions like what you suggest.  The
> problem I see with your formation at night is that when we need to bunch up
> quickly to present a large mass of light the ends of the wing have to make a
> direction change and move a long way.  We did have a problem with pulling
> together quickly with the diamond formation because the lead boats out paced
> the slower paddlers.
>
>    >-----Original Message-----
>    >From: Aaron Cunningham [mailto:acunning_at_seanet.com]
>    >Sent: Friday, August 04, 2000 2:01 PM
>    >To: Dickson, Dana A.
>    >Cc: 'PaddleWise_at_lists.intelenet.net'
>    >Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Paddling Formations
>    >
>    >
>    >You run into similar problems when conducting dismounted
>    >patrolling operations
>    >in the military...the only visible thing are glowing"cat
>    >eyes" on the backs of
>    >helmets/caps, so from the front...
>    >
>    >I think that in this situation, where you need all around
>    >visiblity like this
>    >using a broader wedge might work better.  Something like :
>    >
>    >                                ^
>    >                                ^    Direction of Travel
>    >                                ^
>    >
>    >                                XX
>    >                        XX           XX
>    >                XX                            XX
>    >
>    >where you can look over each shoulder and see the other people...
>    >possibly using the flag idea from the visiblity thread,
>    >with a chem lite
>    >attached to the top would work better (one color for
>    >leaders(s) and another for
>    >everyone else, or possibly 2 chemlites attached to the hull
>    >on either side of
>    >the cockpit, arranged like a plane..one color on left,
>    >another on right, to
>    >confirm orientation...
>    >
>    >Obiously the broad wedge is situationally dependent, based
>    >on terrain, etc...
>    >
>    >Just a thought...
>    >
>    >Aaron
>

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