Re: [Paddlewise] Rescue Practice Report

----- Original Message -----
From: "Matt Broze" <mkayaks_at_oz.net>
> doubts about its origins, I see in the 1984 third edition of "Sea
Canoeing"
> Derek claims credit for "devising" it "some years ago, after having the
> problem thrust upon me in the middle of Lake Windermere".  (It is unclear
to
> me if this means it was during a real emergency rescue situation--or a
> "problem" thrust on him during a BCU training session). Maybe he forgot
just
> how he did it when he was back in his study writing about it or possibly
he
> "devised" it and someone else took care of the execution. It is hard to
see
> why he keeps repeating the same "elbows" misinformation in each subsequent
> edition.
>
> Looking up all these references lead me to read Derek's (apparently off
the
> top of his head) history and description of the Paddle Float Rescue. Gads,
> Derek just seems to have a penchant for not checking his facts and for
> getting things wrong (even if he once knew the reality). He got a couple
of
> things right.

Not to pick on Derek but there is another story involving him and his
touting the seal launch idea.  He was at the LL Bean Sea Kayaking Symposium
in the late 1980s or early 1990s (I was there but can't remember the exact
year).  Some people started questioning him on seal launches and they got
the impression that he had never done one (or so I was told; I wasn't in on
that conversation).  To prove something, Derek decided to do a seal launch
off of a diving board in the indoor pool at the symposium site.  LL Bean
staff tried to talk him out of trying it.  He went ahead anyway and his
kayak flipped on the way down and he wound up hurting his back; was pretty
much out of action for the rest of the symposium.

ralph diaz

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