RE: [Paddlewise] Paddle Tethers

From: John Fereira <jaf30_at_cornell.edu>
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 08:38:32 -0500
At 05:04 PM 3/27/01 -0500, Rick Sylvia wrote:

> > Her answer is that she has practiced wet exits and reentries under
> > extremely challenging conditions so many times that she knows
> > exactly how
> > the tether will behave and how to deal with it.
> >
>
>Hummm... I'm certainly no expert, and I may have missed the spirit of the
>statement, but it sure sounds like a case of complacency, which is a
>catalyst for an accident.  As soon as she knows "exactly" how the tether
>will perform, it may  suddenly surprise her - at that point, will she have
>the "wherewithall" to rapidly adjust and survive?

She believes that she will because of the amount of practice she does
with her equipment.  She doesn't just practice in a heated, flatwater
pool, but in challenging conditions as well.  That includes 15' swells and
25 knot winds.  I don't think there is anything complacent about the
preparation she does for her trips.  She said that when she *did* capsize
off the coast of Alaska it took her 28 seconds to get back in her boat.

>In my short history of paddling, my assumption is that I *NEVER* know
>exactly how something will perform, and am therefore constantly vigilant and
>thinking through potential mishap scenarios.

She does more than just think about them.  She practices under conditions
that might cause them.

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Received on Wed Mar 28 2001 - 05:38:51 PST

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