Re: [Paddlewise] Double fatality

At 12:14 PM 9/24/00 -0700, Dave Kruger wrote:
>
>> One thing struck me...their ages.  The two guys were 20 and 22.  I have
>> been scratching my head to recall _anyone_ I know under the age of 25
>> who sea kayaks.  I have hardly run across anyone under 30 in the sport.
>> Most paddlers that I have run across are in their mid-30s and up.  The
>> sea kayaking community on the East Coast, at least the many hundreds I
>> have met, are an older lot.

It does seem as if it's a sport that has an older appeal. We do have a few
Paddlewisers in their 20s -- but most are considerably older, if I remember
the "who we are" type posts correctly. I'm not sure why that is, although I
have a few theories.

>That's true out here, also, I suspect, if the crowd makeup at the West Coast
>Sea Kayaking Symposium last week is representative.  I think the investment
>needed to get started puts off folks who are struggling with a mortgage,
etc. 

I don't quite buy that. A $2000 or $3000 sea kayak may seem expensive, but
I see a lot of people in their 20s screwing around on the lake with a pair
of jet skis that have to cost $7000-$8000 each, or more. I can think of any
number of other examples, but that's the one that happens to come to mind.
If you want to do it, you'll spend the money, and there are cheaper ways to
kayak than a brand new, top of the line boat.

>Also, when I was in my twenties, I probably needed more of an adrenaline rush
>in my out of doors activities than I do now!

Yeah, me too, I guess, thinking of the ways I used to treat airplanes at
that age. But there's plenty of adrenaline available in sea kayaking, too,
if you look for it -- not that I do, any more. But think of all the kayak
surfing and storm paddling discussions we've had.

-- Wes

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