RE: [Paddlewise] Too-eager wife and in-laws (was: two kayakers mi ssing)

SNIPS

> Rick, I think your action of clipping incident reports for her to read
> is a good start, and it appears to be having some effect.  As for the
> in-laws, perhaps you can educate your wife, and let her educate them. 
> Or, have a paddling partner relate the precautions to your wife and
> in-laws (remembering the old adage about preserving domestic 
> harmony by
> never trying to teach your spouse any sport).
> 
 
I also got a great back-channel suggestion - to buy her a gift of a
begginers course from my local outfitter.  The GREAT part is that I have a
birthday at the end of this month (ahem.... 39 for those who are curious).
After graciously receiving a gift from her (assuming I've been a good boy
this year), I can announce that my gift to myself is the comfort of my wife
having professional kayak lessons, and thus I'm buying her the begginers
class.  It's "my" birthday, so how could she refuse to accept "my" gift to
"myself"???  :-)

By the way, I'm borrowing the "Scared Straight" theme, and am trying to get
her to read DEEP TROUBLE, but she refuses on the grounds that it will take
all the fun out of getting into paddling, if she decide to do so.  Plus, she
says,..... she's not going into the wilderness.....just into the Cheseapeake
Bay.  My mistake..... there must be some "no accident" law around here that
I'm not aware of.  

Incidentally, in showing her the story about the guy last Fall who was found
in his Kayak, upside-down, near Richmond, VA (1 hour drive from here), she
and my in-laws were speculating on what happened.  I said it could be any of
a million things.  As an example, I said maybe he was wearing plain ole
tennis shoes.  They gave me the much hoped for puzzled look, so I continued
that if a shoe lace loops around the foot brace, it could effectively tie
him into the Kayak and greatly hinder or prevent his escape, and if he
couldn't roll for any reason, his only option would be drowning. I got no
indication that they were beginning to "see", but on the other hand, they
shut up for a while, which was a good sign.

Rick - Poquoson, VA

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