On 4/5/05 11:38 AM, "bonnie13_at_earthlink.net" <bonnie13_at_earthlink.net> wrote: > Good story about something that could have been a tragedy but the person had > totally all the right gear & stayed calm & did all the right things. Bonnie, Thanks for forwarding the link to the list. It is a beautiful day, and after a long, somewhat nasty winter of apartment renovations and other un-pleasantries, I have paddling fever real bad. I almost can't stand to look at the water...makes me want to spring (no pun intended) for a dry-suit. "Staying calm," is one of those phrases always included in any talk of emergencies. It's common sense, of course, that a panicky individual only exacerbates an emergency. We practice assisted and self-rescue, rolls (some of us), and carry lots of equipment for use in an emergency. But "staying calm," is an elusive little devil. There doesn't seem to be a kayaking book or class that addresses this subject, and (thankfully) there is no equipment that must be purchased to help with this problem. (Valium?) When I was a kid, I had an experience that graphically demonstrated the dangers of panic. I was carrying a smaller friend across a 30' stretch of deeper water between two sandbars. I could keep my head above water, but he couldn't and desperately wanted to join us on the outer bar. Halfway across, he went berserk and began clawing my face and pushing me under the water. Even though the water was only up to my neck, he nearly drowned both of us. I was bleeding profusely from the scratches and incredulous at his behavior. I have witnessed a half-dozen incidents while kayaking that could be classified as emergencies. The reactions of the "victims," were very different, ranging from jocular to near paralysis. These reactions didn't really seem related to the severity of the situation, but rather to personality, skill/confidence and level of fatigue. As a musician/performer with decades of experience, I know about the difficulties of stage-fright, which I think is a similar issue. I play a wind instrument, so maintaining proper breathing is the key to not falling to pieces in front of an audience. Since I'm an improviser creating music without notes, the ability to quickly adapt to the unexpected and move on is also part of the equation. For this, learning to suppress the rational thought process and rely on instincts, was the prescribed training. (Preferably without pharmacological intervention.) One of the first things I do in confronting my own fear whether paddling or playing the trombone (even more dangerous than paddling!), is focus on my breathing. This is especially difficult (but necessary) in cold water. It is also, I guess, one of the most important aspects of maintaining control while submerged. I have noticed that the first sign of panic among fellow paddlers is shallow/rapid breathing and constriction in the upper body. (There maybe some things going on with the lower body too, but those are thankfully hidden from view.) I have found yoga, tai chi and having an "attitude," to be helpful. I'm not sure if anyone offers attitude-cultivation workshops, but I think yoga and martial-arts are excellent cross-training activities for paddlers. I wonder what thoughts other list-members might have on this subject. Best Regards to all, Jeff p.s. Can it be that someone on this list was so impolite as to tell someone to STFU? Preposterous...that would never happen in Walla Walla. :<) *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
On Tuesday 05 April 2005 21.38, you wrote: > When I was a kid, I had an experience that graphically demonstrated the > dangers of panic. I was carrying a smaller friend across a 30' stretch of > deeper water between two sandbars. I could keep my head above water, but he > couldn't and desperately wanted to join us on the outer bar. Halfway > across, he went berserk and began clawing my face and pushing me under the > water. Even though the water was only up to my neck, he nearly drowned both > of us. I was bleeding profusely from the scratches and incredulous at his > behavior. Fear can make any of us into a beast, or a paralyzed log! When the ferry Estonia sank in the Baltic, those who survived were those that stepped on top of others and saw to that they got seats in the life rafts - almost all lifeboats turned turtle ... > I have witnessed a half-dozen incidents while kayaking that could be > classified as emergencies. The reactions of the "victims," were very > different, ranging from jocular to near paralysis. These reactions didn't > really seem related to the severity of the situation, but rather to > personality, skill/confidence and level of fatigue. I am normally quite nervous, but when serious things happen I am dead calm, as has happened during fires at sea, and an unfortunate capsize with our Klepper in +3 C seas. While people died in that fire, I had a great time. When our Klepper Aerius II rolled, we, the wife and I, both 50+, were very calm and swam to the nearest rock, and were eventually saved by a passing fishing boat. We could have died ten times over, but both of us kept very calm, and used the emergency equipment we had brought with us, our whistles! Since then we carry a lot of safety equipment, including VHF, flares, a rocket, and a lot more! > As a musician/performer with decades of experience, I know about the > difficulties of stage-fright, which I think is a similar issue. I play a > wind instrument, so maintaining proper breathing is the key to not falling > to pieces in front of an audience. Since I'm an improviser creating music > without notes, the ability to quickly adapt to the unexpected and move on > is also part of the equation. For this, learning to suppress the rational > thought process and rely on instincts, was the prescribed training. > (Preferably without pharmacological intervention.) It isn't that easy, as I normally suffer from stage-fright, in a great way - my only radio transmission was not that bl**dy great as I said nothing, or very close to nothing! > One of the first things I do in confronting my own fear whether paddling or > playing the trombone (even more dangerous than paddling!), is focus on my > breathing. This is especially difficult (but necessary) in cold water. It > is also, I guess, one of the most important aspects of maintaining control > while submerged. I have noticed that the first sign of panic among fellow > paddlers is shallow/rapid breathing and constriction in the upper body. > (There maybe some things going on with the lower body too, but those are > thankfully hidden from view.) I used to play the trombone (the valve-equipped variant), in my very early years, but then I didn't suffer from stage-fright ... But similar processes are at hand, I am sure, and you can by repeated exposure become used to almost anything - like being tormented, standing next to a firing 105 howitzer, or fly inverted, but many of us never get used to it. Why we act one way, or the other, is not that easy to say. And a person that have been very cool in one instant can lose his/her marbles next time, even if the situation is identical. Seen that many times, and am sure I myself isn't immune either! Tord *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
On 4/5/05 5:45 PM, "Tord Eriksson" <tord_at_tord.nu> wrote: >> As a musician/performer with decades of experience, I know about the >> difficulties of stage-fright, which I think is a similar issue. I play a >> wind instrument, so maintaining proper breathing is the key to not falling >> to pieces in front of an audience. Since I'm an improviser creating music >> without notes, the ability to quickly adapt to the unexpected and move on >> is also part of the equation. For this, learning to suppress the rational >> thought process and rely on instincts, was the prescribed training. >> (Preferably without pharmacological intervention.) > > It isn't that easy, as I normally suffer from stage-fright, in a great way - > my only radio transmission was not that bl**dy great as I said nothing, or > very close to nothing! You're absolutely right, it isn't that easy. I've been practicing and performing for 45-years. After having bombed many times, I now have the confidence to do the above. > I used to play the trombone (the valve-equipped variant), in my very early > years, but then I didn't suffer from stage-fright ... Aha, Tord...this is the problem...never play the valve-trombone! If you carry a REAL slide trombone in your kayak you will never need the flares or the VHF. Just be careful, whales sometimes become aroused at the sound of a trombone. :<) Regards, Jeff *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
On Wednesday 06 April 2005 06.33, you wrote: > > It isn't that easy, as I normally suffer from stage-fright, in a great > > way - my only radio transmission was not that bl**dy great as I said > > nothing, or very close to nothing! > > You're absolutely right, it isn't that easy. I've been practicing and > performing for 45-years. After having bombed many times, I now have the > confidence to do the above. > > > I used to play the trombone (the valve-equipped variant), in my very > > early years, but then I didn't suffer from stage-fright ... > > Aha, Tord...this is the problem...never play the valve-trombone! If you > carry a REAL slide trombone in your kayak you will never need the flares or > the VHF. Just be careful, whales sometimes become aroused at the sound of a > trombone. :<) Oh, so that's where the whales come from - I didn't know why I keep missing them - better get a new trombone! And I am impressed that you get that trombone into a hard-shell kayak, but what an excellent fog horn it must be! Better than our puny compressed air can thingy! Tord *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
DON'T PANIC The words found on the cover of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Jeff Hoyer <jkayak_at_sopoint.com> wrote: >I have found yoga, tai chi and having an "attitude," to be helpful. I'm not sure if anyone offers attitude-cultivation workshops, but I think yoga and>martial-arts are excellent cross-training activities for paddlers. >I wonder what thoughts other list-members might have on this subject. I can't remember where I read about this, but I've found "pressure breathing" helps: consciously taking slow deep, full breaths in through the mouth, and exhaling slowly through the nose. I've used it a few times when I've found myself in hairier water than I'd intended. I haven't read an explanation of why it works, but I suspect it's a combination of physical (keeps you fully oxygenated, so you don't start on the downward spiral of short, shallow gasps that don't deliver air and so make you gasp more) and mental (the act of focusing on breathing distracts you a bit from what might cause you to panic.) Cheers, Philip *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
> I can't remember where I read about this, but I've found "pressure breathing" helps: consciously taking slow deep, full breaths in through the mouth, and exhaling slowly through the nose. I've used it a few times when I've found myself in hairier water than I'd intended. Deep breathing is a part of yoga exercises, and it helps to relax, but my yoga "manual" recommends both inhaling and exhaling through the nose. *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
First of all...a big oops!!! This post was meant for another list. My apologies for mis-clicking in my email editor! It was prompted by a post in the NYCKayaker list regarding a rescue report which included a comment by the poster about the benefits of staying calm. Anyway...I would welcome commentary from the members of this list in any case. An additional comment as per Philip below: Even further, I have found that I must focus on relaxing the diaphragm in order to maintain balance. If I do not, my shoulders rise, my arms tense, the paddles come out of the water, the lower body tightens and it's time for a dunking even if the conditions are not that bad. Regards, Jeff On 4/5/05 7:37 PM, "kayakwriter_at_netscape.net" <kayakwriter_at_netscape.net> wrote: > > I can't remember where I read about this, but I've found "pressure breathing" > helps: consciously taking slow deep, full breaths in through the mouth, and > exhaling slowly through the nose. I've used it a few times when I've found > myself in hairier water than I'd intended. I haven't read an explanation of > why it works, but I suspect it's a combination of physical (keeps you fully > oxygenated, so you don't start on the downward spiral of short, shallow gasps > that don't deliver air and so make you gasp more) and mental (the act of > focusing on breathing distracts you a bit from what might cause you to panic.) *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
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