Re: [Paddlewise] Sandal/foot pedal entrapment?

From: John Fereira <jaf30_at_cornell.edu>
Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 12:38:39 -0400
At 11:08 AM 5/29/01 -0400, ralph diaz wrote:
>Hi, folks
>
>[a bunch of stuff snipped]
>
>I think that best thing would be not to have a blanket statement about "no
>sandals" but rather a warning that the paddler check  (on land!) to see if
>his or her sandal has a possibility to catch on the foot pedal of the kayak
>they paddle.  It may be that the person's type of pedal and type of sandal
>are a recipe for potential disaster and he/she should know about it in any
>event, whether they plan to paddle with the Trip or not.

I like this approach.  When there are too many blanket restrictions about
what one must wear,  the kind of boat that is paddle, or a specific set of 
skills one must achieve before being "allowed" to go on a trip, I think 
both the trip leaders and the people going on the trips start to forget 
what the sport is all about.  It's supposed to be fun.  What's important is 
that everyone is aware of the risks, and if a trip leader notices that 
someone is wearing sandals, or a pair of levis when the water is very cold, 
pointing out the risk will make the paddler aware of the risks and it's up 
to them whether
they want to remove their sandals, or wear clothing that isn't going to 
retain water.  Depending on conditions, even wearing a PFD might be negotiable.


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Received on Tue May 29 2001 - 09:40:42 PDT

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