<I have a related dilemma to pose: a guy I sometimes paddle with regularly wimps out on easy crossings. He is so paranoid about capsizing he often will alter the angle he takes across a half-mile channel, just to keep the chop/swells off his beam.> This is similar to the person who is thrown into whitewater too soon, one tough swim and that is their last trip to the river. My approach is to start the person over and work up. In my case, take them swimming in easy rapids, then tandem canoe in easy III, but with me allowing the boat to flip in non-dangerous situations. In all cases explaining what and why I am doing it. Also, giving the boater the veto right over any proposed action or maneuver. Maybe you could try similar things, but without having to go off shore. Eg, find moving water with some easy waves. Have your friend practice rescues, rolls and braces. With both the shore and you in sight, he may feel more comfortable taking these risks. Once he feels good in the river he can then try them in the open water. JKL *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
----- Original Message ----- From: John and Donna Looze <looze_at_gemstate.net> Subject: [Paddlewise] Paranoid Paddler > <I have a related dilemma to pose: a guy I sometimes paddle with regularly > wimps out on easy crossings. He is so paranoid about capsizing he often will > alter the angle he takes across a half-mile channel, just to keep the > chop/swells off his beam.> Well...this is exactly what I do in an open canoe, in crossings greater than 1000 meters!! I'd rather paddle 2500 meters across a channel (and we did just that on the Arctic Ocean/Bathurst Inlet) this summer, "quartering" rather than being "beamed" by swells. Perhaps HIS early water experience comes out of canoeing rather than kayaking? What is appropriate for one craft , can be inappropriately transferred to something more "seaworthy", simply because it "was" appropriate in the beginning. Rich Dempsey ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ See our canoe tripping website http://communities.msn.com/RichWendysAwayFromHomePage ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I paddle where the average wind speed over a year is 17 miles per hour so we have lots of waves. I use a plastic Necky Looksha IV, just so people know what kind of kayak I am talking about. I have found that the kayak will tell me what direction it wants to go in. Usually this is upwind quartering the waves if I am not ballasted and I never ballast unless I am carrying gear. Why paddle a bunch of extra weight around. I could sit out there and force my kayak to go directly to my landing point or I can let it go to the left or right of my destination on a course the kayak actually wants to travel. I find it is less strenuous and ususally quicker to paddle the kayak in the direction it wants travel. What happens is at some point I can turn my kayak towards my final destination with the waves to my stern and surf into the landing. I actually find this to be quicker and take less effort than trying to force the kayak to travel directly to the final destination. I do not use my rudder, even though I have one, which would help me hold a course but would also slow down the kayak through increased drag. I guess what I have found is that for me a straight line is not always the quickest course to my final destination. <Bill> Brought to you from beautiful Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, Alaska. N 53°51.140' W 166°30.228' *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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