Nick Schade wrote (re: the overweight new paddler in a recreational kayak with flotation in only one end): <<What is the easiest thing to teach a casual paddler so he or she can deal with a capsize...A casual paddler will not take the time to practice sophisticated self rescue techniques...If you had his attention at a demo for 3 minutes, what would you show the guy that could potentially save his life? >> I don't think the best approach is to pre-educate him on re-entry techniques. Before any of those techniques will seem important, he has to have a reason to know them: he needs to be motivated. Then he might take on the responsibility to learn some. If I only had three minutes, I'd swim him (in his PFD) into the water fifty feet off a safe beach, with the kayak in swamped, Cleopatra's Needle position, and tell him, "This is what will happen if you capsize. Now what?" Once he has floundered back to shore, then he might want to know more, and he might be asking you questions. That would be the time to hand him Deep Trouble (or, a precis of similar case histories), and a few pages on ways to self-rescue. He might even want you to get in the water to demonstrate some of the techniques. At the very least, chances are he'll be trying to keep close to shore while he paddles around that day ... and that might be just enough to save his bacon. If the experience of floundering back to shore does not motivate him, then I'd say we'd best document the refusal to learn how to rescue himself, let him go a long ways offshore ... and try to claim salvage rights on the boat [grin]. BTW, good use of a "teachable moment" Nick. You've certainly got the PW gray matter going! -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** 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 - 21:10:55 PDT
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