Re: [Paddlewise] Opinions on Perception's Umiak

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I too have a daughter, though she's now 15.  If your daughter is anything
like mine, getting her interested in something like paddling is difficult.
If your daughter has her heart set on an Umiak, maybe you should just buy
it.  If it was my daughter, she'd have convinced herself that it was cool,
and that wouldn't change easily.  It would be a big head start towards
getting her to enjoy paddling.  However, if I said, "That's nice, dear, but
let me show you something that would be better for you based on MY
judgement," she'd be liable to decide that paddling wasn't so great.  (Ah,
daughters.)

As far as her being able to paddle that boat, I think it would be fine.
I've taken around 10 groups of 50 6th graders to Catalina Island.  Some of
them are as small as your daughter.  The camp we take them to has Scupper
Classics by Ocean Kayak.  It would seem to me that the Umiak would be at
least as easy to paddle as a Scupper Classic.  (Paddlewise people, am I
right?)  If so, your daughter should be able to paddle the Umiak just fine,
because even the smallest 6th graders have managed in the Scupper Classics.
It may be a little large at first, but not impossibly so.  The Umiak is
advertised as being for paddlers up to 120 pounds, so your daughter could
grow into it for a few years.

Now, as for how to get her to enjoy paddling and not get discouraged, here
are some strategies you can use.

1. Start out easy.  When we take the kids paddling at camp, the first time
out we paddle for very short periods.  Paddle 100 yards, then stop and talk.
Paddle another 100 yards, stop and talk, etc.  Gradually they stop thinking
about it being hard.

2. Play games.  We play follow the leader through mooring cans, whisker
poles, etc.  Maybe set up a course with floats (gallon milk jugs?) on
anchors and time it.  We play tag at camp.  The kids tag each other by
bumping the nose of their boat into other kids' boats.  It doesn't seem to
hurt the plastic kayaks, and the kids absolutely love it!  The kids who were
whining about their arms being tired and their backs hurting suddenly become
animals with incredible tenacity as they either try to "tag" someone, or try
to evade being tagged.  Here's how we play.  We have 15-20 paddlers.  We set
boundaries for the "field of play".  Two kids start out being it.  Whenever
they tag someone, that person is also "it".  Eventually everyone is it
trying to tag one or two people.  This makes it so that the bad paddlers
don't get discouraged.  If a bad paddler was it alone, chances are he/she
may never catch the skilled paddlers.  By having everyone become "it",
eventually even the most skilled paddlers (including me) get tagged.  Of
course, the chances of having 15-20 people in plastic boats to play tag with
is slim, but I thought this might give you an idea for ways to make paddling
fun.

3. Don't expect her to like to paddle distances the way you do.  To me, a
1-mile paddle across the bay and back is a short jaunt.  To my daughter (and
my 12 year old son) that's a LONG way.  When we take the kids to camp at
Catalina, after the kids have gone on short paddles a couple of times, we go
on a day trip.  It's about a 2 mile paddle one way.  We get to the
destination, play around all day, then paddle back.  The kids typically
paddle one way, then trade off with someone who has hiked.  Some kids are
fed up with paddling and hike both ways.  Other kids are into it, and choose
to paddle both ways.  Maybe your daughter will be one of those type kids!

4. Let your daughter bring a friend.  (This is difficult if you don't have a
boat for the friend.  Maybe you can borrow one.)  My daughter is sometimes
lukewarm towards paddling with me, but if she can bring a friend she's gung
ho.  She goes from being the weak link in the pair to feeling like an
experienced paddler in contrast with her friend.  Of course, the girls often
end up paddling 200 yards out, then just floating and talking.  That's okay.
Let it go.  At least she's paddling.  If you want her to really paddle with
you the way you like to, wait 10 years!

5. Think of any paddling you do now as a foundation for the future.  I've
heard of lots of kids who were exposed to activities in their childhoods
because their parents loved them.  The kids were tepid about them, or even
opposed, but along about the time they reached college they started to get
into them.  I'm hoping this is the case with my daughter.  Lately she's been
more interested in paddling - even suggesting we go before I do!  She was
kind of tepid about backpacking for awhile, but now has been talking about
it again (especially because she has a new best friend who's spunky and
would probably like to try it.)  She still says she hates bicycling, but I
haven't given up hope.  There's always hope!

- Gordon, central coast of California


----- Original Message -----
From: <Rick.Sylvia_at_ferguson.com>
Subject: [Paddlewise] Opinions on Perception's Umiak


> My youngest daughter has FINALLY (thank you, Lord) taken an interest in
> paddling with me, and has her heart set on a Umiak, for no other reason
> than she's seen it, sat in it, she likes it, and it's available at our
> local outfitter.  But, being a 11 year old soon to be woman, once her
> mind is set, I'm finding it difficult to change, so she won't even
> discuss other boats.
>
> So, before I buy it or take a stand and not buy it (that will get ugly!)
> I should ask for input about it's suitability for her.  Here are the
> specifics.  
>
> She wants me to teach her "stuff", and is hesitant to take classes
> through a professional
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