>> Shawn said... >> Oh yeah. I know a retailer who probably sells 40 or 50 boats per >> year, and maybe sells 2-3 paddlefloats per year. Maybe one set of >> float bags, 4 or 5 pumps, 10 whistles. --- Rick.Sylvia_at_ferguson.com wrote: > I hear and understand your point, but I think the example is a bit > misleading. How many P'Wisers own more than one boat and transfer > floats, pumps etc between them depending on which boat they will be > paddling that day? Very good point. Okay, considering that probably half are repeat customers, but half are new kayakers, it's still quite scary. This is the same retailer who also told me I was doing my students a disservice by teaching the roll. He thought I'd instill a false sense of security. It's not like I don't teach self- and assisted-rescue skills first. He's primarily a C-2 and K-1 racer, not a ww kayaker or sea kayaker. I also know of two other retailers who sell those safety accessories to closer to 85-90% of their new customers. And those people come back for more, so safety must not be all _that_ scary. Both these retailers are serious sea kayakers and sometime ww kayakers. Another general sporting goods shop doesn't even have paddlefloats or pumps available with their rental fleet. They think that by offering that type of safety gear, and the information it requires, that they will incur more liability. The retailer's background makes a BIG difference. However, that's not an easy thing for the newbie kayaker to understand; the safety information they receive is biased on the retailer's paradigms. We can steer newbies we meet in the directions they will receive the most positive information--if the information they receive from a retailer jives with what we as instructors, trip leaders, club members, and friends, they will be more apt to believe all the safety information as gospel, rather than the ravings of a depraved safety cop. Shawn Great stuff seeking new owners in Yahoo! Auctions! http://auctions.yahoo.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Fri Jan 25 2002 - 09:02:13 PST
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