Re: [Paddlewise] weather wimp, or just cautious?

Kathleen wrote:

-snip-

>>here is the question.  it's 50 degrees air temp today and a bit 
windy, and i don't have a wetsuit.  guess what i don't want to do?  
that's right:  kayak.  well, i DO want to kayak, but i don't want to 
go swimming, and i have found that if i "can't" capsize, i am afraid 
of capsizing, leaning, edging, etc.,  brace ineffectively,and i 
paddle badly.  i have to be able to safely, confidently capsize  and 
rescue or self-rescue to be free to paddle well.  that just seems to 
be axiomatic to my learning curve.

got to call the wetsuit -making lady (at liquidfit.com).

so, am i being a wimp, or am i being responsible?

i don't really care if i'm being a wimp, btw----all i know is that my
intuition is a very valuable guide and i respect its promptings.<<

-snip-


Hi Kathleen,

First - you are not a "lowly" anything, so get over it.  Even "rec 
boaters" are allowed to live.  And... perhaps "wimpiness" isn't the 
best scale on which to measure oneself, as it really only counts in 
relation to *someone else's* over inflated ego as they sneer at you - 
and is not really of concern to you.

While it's a good idea to stay within your limits (I even try to do 
that - sometimes), and having at least the skill to perform a paddle 
float re-entry and perhaps an assisted rescue or two (if you're 
paddling with someone) are pretty important, you don't have to know 
how to roll right away before you venture into interesting waters.  I 
know many casual paddlers who don't roll.

However - in the Bay area, the water is pretty cool, so immersion 
clothing is important.  Do get the wetsuit, and perhaps some fleece 
insulating layers, and a paddle jacket - and gloves and/or pogies.  
Someday, when you simply can't get yourself to stay off the water no 
matter the temperature/conditions, a drysuit may be desired as well.

And then there's this...  It's quite true that as you develop your 
skills, you'll feel more confident in varying conditions, and you'll 
be spending more time on the water - which is a very good thing.  For 
me, and probably for many others, learning to roll gave me the single 
greatest leap in confidence of any particular safety technique.  
Having such confidence does much more than just assure you that you 
can right yourself if you invert.  In some ways even more important, 
it allows you to relax.  When you're relaxed, your learning and skill 
development will accelerate greatly, and overall enjoyment will be 
heightened.

I remember when I couldn't roll, but I was still so crazy about 
paddling that I went out in conditions well beyond what some might 
have considered to be my "limits".  I would sometimes find myself 
saying to myself as I paddled madly back to shore, "what kind of an 
idiot am I anyway?" - and other similar (but more graphic) 
sentiments.  I was fortunate enough to have a pretty good sense of 
balance, and was able to force myself to relax in spite of myself, so 
until I learned to roll and began venturing into heavy surf, my only 
capsizes were done intentionally for practice.  Or perhaps it was 
just dumb luck.  

Slowly though, this type of irresponsible behavior did build some 
confidence for me, and I would continue to push myself to the point 
of the internal "idiot question" again and again.  However - when a 
friend finally gave me a rolling lesson (which turned out to be much 
easier than I thought it would be), and I practiced it enough to feel 
pretty confident, the conditions that used to strike terror in me 
were suddenly just fun play conditions.  

Having confidence in one's self and assisted rescue skills - and good 
immersion clothing - are probably the best things to help all other 
aspects of one's paddling skills.  It is the relaxation that comes 
from confidence on the water that will allow you to develop a fluid 
and beautiful technique in general.

So... let's not have any of this "lowly rec boater" and "wimp" stuff. 
 Instead - just think of yourself as a "gnarly boater babe" in the 
making, and enjoy whatever type of paddling you love to do.

Happy holidays and beyond to all!

Melissa





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