Some fears keeps us from taking risks, while others are not connected with any actual danger. Some fears pose an actual threat. Allow me to demonstrate: A member of my club has been paddling for at least 10 years, maybe 20. He leads groups of kayakkers, mostly on calm, small waters but also on WW I and II and on large, cold Swedish lakes. He's done an assisted rescue just once, about ten years ago, with himself as a victim. This was not a practice situation, it was an actual rescue. Since then, he gained 20 kilos in weight, but he's convinced he can still do it. It seems the man is so afraid to get his head under water, that he completely dismisses the possibility and does not concern himself with anything afterwards. I had a serious talk with him: I think a groupleader should be able to perform a rescue. I invited him to a rescue session in the swimming pool, but he said it scared him too much. I told I was ready to believe he could capsize, no need to demonstrate that. Just practice the part after that. He had no answer and never showed up. The man has formed a group of followers within the club with about the same skill level (zero) and various fears of different kinds of water. Like the lady that beats her fear of waves by paddling as fast as possible. Whenever the group enters a lake with some whitecaps, off she goes, never mind the plan or the group. Or the man with the balance-disorder, that paddles the tippiest seakayak in the club and gets scared on waves more then 10 centimeters high. Or the 10-year-kayakking lady that asked me "Hey, you're giving instruction, right? What should I do when I capsise?" I told her swimming would be a good idea, and if she wanted to know more, she could get the instruction anytime. Never saw her again. Every summer this group loads a couple of cars and sets off for a three week trip down some river or through Sweden. So far they always return with the same number of people that left. Amazingly enough, it seems they consider me "irresponsible" for paddling solo. It's not safety that makes them paddle together, it's the fear of being alone that makes them paddle in a group that is asking for trouble. I've given up on teaching them. I can't beat their fears, only death can. Niels. *************************************************************************** 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 Sat Apr 19 2003 - 13:42:14 PDT
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