Re: [Paddlewise] Soft Water (was?)

Doug et all,

I don´t want to polemize here, but I would like to clarify and maybe, give
my excuses ...

----- Original Message -----
From: "Doug Lloyd" <dlloyd_at_telus.net>

| Fernando said:
| <snip>
|
| <<<I´ll suggest you to try surfing "Doug's" stormy seas. There's no
| holes in
| the sea, waves can be huge, but sooner or later they collapse and die.
| And
| as long as you're not in a rock garden or a coral reef, there´s no risk
| of
| hitting a rock. I´ve been surfing 10 mts waves without fear, and I love
| and
| have fun being rocked, shacked, and pushed up and down.>>>
|

Doug said:

| I'll try and get to my post about the two kayakers who got into trouble
| last week off the BC coast. The fellow with the most experience phoned
| me tonight, but i was on the internet and missed his call. Basically,
| they were out looking for some fun, and got waaaaay more than they
| bargained for. You gotta know your area and limits. And as the details
| will provide, shoulder dislocation and attendant difficulties ensuing
| are a real enough hazard. The ocean may be soft, but the lessons can be
| hard.

Totally agree with you Doug.

When I read Jack's original message, I´ve seen myself reflected, and I
simply wanted to express it, and let him know he was not the only one.
Discovering you won't be able to do something you've been used to do, is not
a nice experience. You feel a part of you is gone forever, and somehow you
feel you are less than you were before. This is the reason why I told him
how did I find stormy seas as a good ( and in my opinion, safer )
replacement for class IV rivers.

I know the dangers we are exposed while entering the sea, but my message
should be interpreted as sent from a class III whitewater kayaker to a class
IV whitewater kayaker, and either to run class III or IV whitewater safely,
you must know how to perfectly read the rapids, measure the risks, and know
your limits and your partner's limits. Whitewater rodeo and playboating
involves more risks than seakayaking stormy seas ( except if you are
thinking to ride a Tsunami !, .... smile :) ), but this doesn´t mean you
can´t result severely injured, and even die. I recognize Doug as a person
who is well aware of the risk, and preaches words of care and safety in all
possible manners, and I thank him for this.

Said that, then I may have to give my apologizes, because I now realize that
when I said " "Doug's" stormy seas ", I may have sound rude to him. Saying
"stormy seas" would be graphical enough. The image I have of Doug paddling
among huge waves may be only in my imagination, but it's a very good picture
of a kayaker enjoying an extreme adventure plenty of most of the ingredients
found in class IV rivers. So by saying "Doug's stormy seas" I simply wanted
to transmit this image. And I remember a mail from Jackie begging us to
avoid naming each other if not necessary. So sorry Dog, sorry Jackie, and
everybody, I learned my lesson.

I love fun, I love emotion and adrenaline, but I´ve already been hurt bad
enough to never want to suffer again. I know my limits and there's some I'm
willing to cross and some I'm not. So I measure the risks and take the
chances, and I never do it if there's no "chicken's way" to escape. But we
all make mistakes and no matter how experienced I am, I am not the
exception. This is a risky sport, I know that, I do my best.

Please, no bad feelings nor bad interpretations. Just trying to give a
positive message.

Have fun !

Kayak Argentina - Sea Kayaking Mailing List
Fernando Lopez Arbarello
kayak_argentina_at_uol.com.ar


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