RE: [Paddlewise] Safety Warning

In the interest of looking at this from all angles, let me add what I'll
call a "humane insight" to this discussion.  I'm one of those "instant
panic" folks, and remember well how hard it was for me to learn to roll.
Took me 2 years, 30 years ago, and I still feel it whenever I turn over.
I'm near 100% in the swimming pool, closer to 50% "in the wild" - panic, and
not technique my biggest problem.

Rather than forcing a panicked person to do this over and over again, how
about giving them an alternative of lower-panic move of starting with the
boat upside down, without them in it, and have them learn the re-entry and
roll maneuver from this start point.  I.e., have them do a reverse
somersault, in the water, to get their feet and legs into the boat knowing
if they got in that way, they can easily get out too.  This is perhaps
oversimplifying, but it's a technique I've seen Peter Kennedy use in
teaching kids and adults how to roll.  I.e., rather than feed the panic
reflex that many of us have, teach to a solution rather than set up for
failure (panic).

yes, I realize your interest here is in simply seeing that people have a
safe and workable wet exit, not necessarily moving on to the roll.  Just
adding a proposed technique here to help with the panic folks...

Natalie Wiest
Galveston TX

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net
[mailto:owner-paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net]On Behalf Of John Fereira
Sent: Thursday, March 08, 2001 9:40 AM
To: Robert Woodard; PaddleWise_at_paddlewise.net
Subject: RE: [Paddlewise] Safety Warning


At 08:28 PM 3/7/01 -0500, Robert Woodard wrote:
> > From: "Matt Broze" <mkayaks_at_oz.net>
> > Subject: [Paddlewise] Safety Warning
> >
> > I recently learned of two separate incidents where paddlers were
> > trapped in
> > their kayak upon capsizing because they were wearing neoprene gloves.
>
>Thanks Matt for this insight. Teaching safe wet exits is one of my
>obsessions within our club. While it seems a no brainer 99.999% of the
time,
>all it takes is one entrapment to take your life if you panic, or haven't
>thought through the possibility.
>

Thinking about anything besides "I've got to get out of this boat and
breathe" probably helps.  As a member of our local college outdoor club
I am often called upon to witness the mandatory wet exit at pool
sessions before new members are allowed to paddle the clubs kayaks
(actually, they're not given a paddle until a wet exit is demonstrated).
If the new members are first time kayakers I'll explain the sequence of
events in great detail, then demonstrate a wet exit.  When I demonstrate
mine I make
sure that I am very deliberate with each step and really take my time
getting out.  Then I'll ask each of the new members to describe the
sequence verbally.  I'll make sure that they repeat each step back
to me before they demonstrate their wet exit.

Inevitably, what happens is someone will tip upside down and forget
everything
I said, and I'll witness a mad scramble to get out of the boat and
breathe.  When that happens, I'll make them do it again. [snip]

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