On Thursday, April 17, 2003, at 11:54 AM, Dave Gorjup wrote: > <snipped a lot of discussion on kayak certification> > > <sigh> What's next? Classes and certification for inner tubes and air > mattresses. Where does this stuff stop? > > We have more than enough laws trying to protect people from > themselves. I certainly don't believe that more in this area will > significantly reduce death and injury. As much as some would like to > think, there is no way to make this sport/hobby significantly safer > than it already is for those that make the effort to educate > themselves. As for the others, well, Darwin rules.............. > > All of my outdoor hobbies, former and current, seem to be coming under > some regulator's finger. I want it to stop. Last year the bill proposed in Connecticut would have covered inner tubes and air mattresses. People told the sponsor it was stupid so this year he made the lower length limit 8'. I want this all to stop also. Unfortunately, the fact that the whole concept strikes me as kind of stupid has not made it go away yet. So last week I organized a for our government boating safety official and the local Coast Guard guy in charge of recreational boating to talk to our local kayaking club. By doing so we have opened a line of communication with the people in charge of regulating us. We learned what their plans were, why they were thinking of doing what they want to do. It gave us an opportunity to tell our opinion of their ideas. And not being experts on paddling they are happy to listen to people who are. If we are not willing to talk to the people who would regulate us, we will not have any right to complain when they do things we don't like. People are dying while paddling. Something can be done to keep that from happening. The government will come up with an idea they thinks makes sense and they will implement it. Maybe this seems like government interference, but we are happy to accept government interference when we want their help. If they do something ill advised it is probably because they were ill advised. If we give them good advice, they are happy to accept it. If we can convince them regulation is not required, they won't regulate. The states are short on money. It is cheaper to add a section on paddling safety to existing boating safety classes and require people pay to take the class than it is to organize free, open-to-the-public safety seminars, print brochures, and create public service messages. But cheaper yet is to enlist committed paddlers to do that sort of thing for them. In Maine the Coast Guard has help organize retailers and commercial guides to create a basic safety brochure that can be given to new paddlers. This sort of effort may go a long way to holding off the regulatory urge, but it needs the cooperation of the existing kayaking community. Nick Schade Guillemot Kayaks 824 Thompson St Glastonbury, CT 06033 USA Ph/Fx: (860) 659-8847 http://www.guillemot-kayaks.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 Thu Apr 17 2003 - 10:35:29 PDT
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