RE: [Paddlewise] No protection

> From: 	Craig MacKinnon[SMTP:elroca_at_earthlink.net]
> 
> I don't know who this guy is; maybe he has an answer; maybe he's some type
> of adrenaline junky who feels he has a right to kill himself; I don't
> know.
> I worry about the rescuers and the message this guy sends to non-kayakers
> and kayakers alike if he every becomes the proverbial "bird falling of the
> limb".
> 
This past weekend I was on the water Saturday.  The water temp was 46, the
air temp was 42, overcast and threatening rain but no wind.  Upon returning
to the area of the put-in, I spied 2 kayakers quite a distance in front of
me.  They stopped, then got out of their boats on a sandbar in the middle of
the bay, hung out for a few minutes, then reentered their boats and started
progressing in the direction I was headed.  I assume they were unfamiliar
with this tidal area during low water because it is pretty shoaly.  If you
are there at the wrong time, you either get to walk your boat a distance or
'crab' along until near exhaustion.  They were still a good distance to the
NW of me (I chose to stay in the deeper water), but at this point I could
recognize the following:  1)  both were paddling Sit-On-Tops, 2) neither had
on PFDs, 3) neither had on cold water gear (generally you can tell by color
and fit).  I could tell they were headed to the same launching spot I was.
I really didn't want to deal with this situation but knew there was no way I
could just ignore it.  I pulled up to watch the second boat be carried from
the water and set on the car which was located in a different area than
mine.  The paddler appeared to be wet in spots (legs, back).  Both guys
disappeared for a few minutes to reappear a few minutes later in different
clothes.  There was a bystander on land that engaged the two paddlers in a
seemingly inquisitive and happy conversation which I intreputed to be about
how to kayak, and then they drove away.  

The good news is it would appear that these two learned a cold water lesson
on their own in a survivable situation (close to the launch, close to a
change of clothes, close to home).  The bad news is that the bystander (and
others boaters there) has now learned that it is fine to go paddling in a
SOT at the end of March with no special gear, just get out of the car and
go.

I hate this time of year even though I love spring.  You know what I mean.

Debbie Reeves
Sandy Hook, NJ

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