RE:[Paddlewise] (Paddlewise) "ACA Techniques" (was Paddle Float division)

Shawn wrote:
>>>>Attributing opinions and techniques from individual Instructors and
Instructor Trainers to the entire organization is a little too much of
a generalization.<<<<<

I was not attempting to make a generalization. Perhaps I should have started
out something like: Even Roger and Jan, whose teaching and knowledge I
generally have a lot of respect for, seem to be off base (but in line with
the usual ACA teaching I've been exposed to) on the value of fixing the
paddle as an outrigger to the kayak.
If the organization is vague on this, as their curriculum seems to indicate,
then the top instructor trainer educators must be setting the agenda and the
student/instructors will likely toe their own instructor/certifier's line.
In that case the top individual certifiers are determining the teaching of
hundreds (if not thousands of ACA certified instructors). Just who decides
how these things will be taught? Jan and Roger are apparently part of the
ACA's "National Committee". Who are the other members that are involved with
sea kayak instruction. Maybe the CA segment of the ACA is setting the rescue
instruction agenda. I developed the paddlefloat rescue back in 1981 and
spent a lot of time refining it afterwards. It is very frustrating to see my
"baby" being dismissed for reasons having to do with the poor way it is
being taught by most ACA instructors, rather than for the way I developed,
refined and promoted it (instructions for which can be found in the "Rescue
Float" manual on our website). I don't know just how the hierarchy of the
ACA operates but are Instructor Trainer Educators the highest run of
instructors and do they set the agenda? How many are there and who are they?
So far I haven't been able to find that out on the ACAnet website.
That said, my baby has faired far worse in the hands of the more entrenched
sea kayak bureaucracy of the BCU.

Matt Broze
www.marinerkayaks.com

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