[Paddlewise] Safety and Denial

I'll chime in. . .


Scott's experience mirrors mine exactly - many, many paddlers over rate
their ability and their knowledge.  I taught for many years at a
whitewater school (Madawaska in Ontario).  We had students self rate on
their applications and then sorted them out with an easy paddling test
the first day on the water.  NONE of the 'advanced' or 'intermediate'
paddlers could pass our tests for those levels as we defined them.  ALL
of the really good students self-rated lower, often much lower, than
their true abilities. And the "how long have you been paddling" thing is
meaningless.  I have a friend who has been kayaking for fifteen years. 
He goes out about ten days a year.  I paddle more than that in one year. 

A few years ago on the Mississippi I ran into a bunch of paddlers from
Chicago.  One, the leader, had a VHF radio clipped to his pfd.  I
recognized it as not being "waterproof", so I asked him why he didn't
keep it in a dry bag.  His answer was that it never gets wet.  He looked
at me as though I had two heads when I suggested that an emergency where
the radio would be a life saver might involve his being in the water. 
I'm betting he didn't know how to use the other 'safety' gear he had as
well.

I usually don't wear a pfd for my daily flat-water-on-the-river training
paddles.  More than forty years of them and never tipped over yet.  But
I always wear one on trips and in whitewater.

So, taking both sides of the debate, I think denial, even plain
ignorance, is a big part of paddler self rating, and, thus, safety
includes a lot more than gear.

Hope that makes sense.


Jim Tibensky
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