Re: [Paddlewise] Safety and "Canoe & Kayak" Magazine

From: "735769" <735769_at_ican.net>

> I never realized how dangerous paddling was until I started paddling sea
> kayaks and reading Paddlewise.
> 
> Makes you wonder how the Inuit survived as a race. They didn't have this
> stuff ( many still don't use it)  and they had to go hunting in their boats
> that weren't even made of Kevlar or Polyethylene and didn't have bulkheads
> or flotation much less SAR. You would think the whole damned lot of "stupid"
> "idiots" would have slowly drowned away to extinction leaving the women
> ashore to make out as best they could with European whalers who also didn't
> have these things but did have boats big enough to walk around on (when they
> weren't sailing around the Pacific in open rowboats like Captain Bligh -
> also a "stupid" "idiot".

A few points.  

1) Estimates I've seen were that anywhere from 30% to 50% of
   Inuit and Aleut kayakers died at sea.
2) They did use flotation aids (sp*ns*ns) made of seal skins,
   bladders etc.  In rough conditions they tied them to the
   sides of the kayaks.  In good conditions they tied them to 
   the harpoon lines.
3) They knew how to roll.
4) The Aleuts wore breathable, waterproof drytops.  (Not Gore-Tex,
   stinky whale intestines).

Mike

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