[Paddlewise] Introduction etc.

Hi, my name is Gary Palmer.  I've been lurking on the list for a while and
decided to go ahead and decloak, even though, being a newcomer to kayaking,
I 'm sure I have nothing to add to the discussions.  There are a lot of
experts on this list and I stand in awe of the combined experience
available.

I live in Yreka, California, about 25 miles from the Oregon border (a town
which, it seems, everyone on the west coast has "driven through.")  I'm
working toward my second retirement, and am finally getting around to trying
some of the things I have missed over the years.  I've spent years on the
water.  I've surfed and paddled about everything there is to paddle, except
a kayak.  I'm real comfortable on the water but never felt the need to
paddle anything so skinny.  Now that I'm older, I'm looking for some more
sedate excitement and touring and camping sounds great.

 I recently bought a kevlar touring boat and after weeks of snow, frozen
lakes, 55 mph winds, etc., finally got it on the water today.  After getting
used to the "stability,"  I was able to paddle 3 or 4 miles on a local lake,
and managed to stay dry.  (I know I will have to get used to wet exits,
rolling, reentries, and all that but with the water temperature in the mid
30's, I was happy to stay dry today.)

Paddling the boat reminded me a little of learning to hover a helicopter.
In a helicopter, it is like you are balanced on a ball that is floating in
the water.  It is impossible for a new pilot to maintain a steady hover and
the helo will be all over the sky until the pilot learns to anticipate
movement and counter it before it actually happens.  What starts out as a
racing mind and large, rapid control movements, eventually becomes
imperceptible pressures that are not even thought about.  It seems that
learning to kayak must follow the same process, or else you'd all be doing
some other sport.  I know that after about an hour and a half on the water,
I was fairly able to control the boat with knee pressure rather than
flailing around like I was fighting off sharks.  I just hope the learning
curve is shorter than the 30 hours or so it takes to develop a decent hover.

I will now recloak and stand back and listen to you guys while I learn to do
this.  Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Gary Palmer


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