I am not a "free climber"- one error and out! I may die while paddling; I am sometimes out alone. I have a strong feeling that if I get in trouble, there won't be anyone coming to haul me safely out. I say that based on all the cases I have studied since Brian Insley died alone on Lake Winepesaukee in November 1983, about two weeks after we paddled with him on Narragansett Bay, RI. I have several pictures of him, no PFD, from that trip. We didn't care about such things back then. He didn't have one on when he died in the wind storm, dressed in layers of fluffy crap as recommended by CANOE Magazine that fall. I still have a copy of that stupifying issue. Many boating agencies still recommend boaters dress in layers when going out on cold water. They refuse to say anything about wetsuits or drysuits even now in 2007. I have said this before on this list, I may die out on big or a small trip, but I don't plan to die without a fight. I prepare and equip myself for that fight every time I go out. It irritates me greatly when I go out with paddlers who are totally unprepared to fight- no pfd, dressed in heavy hiking boots, wearing layers of backcountry hiking clothes etc (thinking of a trip my wife and I took part in last fall). If they get in trouble, I will have to try to save them- no matter how difficult they have made the job. They brought 3 dogs, no spray skirts, one weak paddler in a (w)rec boat, unable to keep up. We terminated the trip when that paddler was too exhausted to continue and before we started out across an open section of Delaware Bay that certainly would have swamped both of their boats. Chuck Sutherland *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
It is a very human tendency to personalize the inanimate environment. We put spirits everywhere. All cultures. All human history. A distant cousin drowned in the ocean at our summer place. It seemed "weird" because this area was our old friend. On a sunny day, it seems so peaceful with the waves rhythmically arriving. How could it kill someone? One would then have thoughts that I don't want to go back there. The ocean turned against us. All irrational, but human. We rebel against the notion of an indifferent world. (It is actually beyond indifferent: that verbal construction is animating it in some way) _____________________________________ It is water; it has a temperature; it has waves. You can't breath it. It does not care because it can't care. I go places that occasionally seem like Disneyland in their "perfection". But it is not Disneyland. That rock was not placed there to create a nice surfing wave. That sea lion is not there to have his picture taken. It something goes wrong, they have not let down some part of a bargain. I love the ocean. Preserving it and the creatures that live there is a high priority for me. But the feeling is not reciprocated. *************************************************************************** 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've lost no close ones at sea, but a short handful to the mountains. All were young, talented, full of life and vigor. I see them that way when I think of them, not as they lay crushed or buried by rockfall, avalanche, or the long step. Deaths in the mountains are often violent and bloody, not peaceful. I think we paint a rosy picture of fatalities in places we enjoy as part of our process of neutralizing the reflected danger those fatalities throw on us. To allow the rose color to influence our relationship to the sea and its dangers is to invite exactly what we fear. -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Paddlewisers, Any death while kayaking is an unfortunate blemish on the sport, not to mention a personal tragedy. Duane Strosaker Friend of Len's *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Dave Kruger wrote: > I think we paint a rosy picture of fatalities in places we enjoy as > part of our process of neutralizing the reflected danger those > fatalities throw on us. To allow the rose color to influence our > relationship to the sea and its dangers is to invite exactly what we > fear. Well said, Dave. Jackie *************************************************************************** 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've already lived longer than I thought I would and given the years I spent on various vessels I always thought I'd buy it on the ocean. Lately I've begun to think it will be by some idiot on the freeway. I sure don't want to go from some stupid maneuver and have everyone on this list wonder wtf I could have been thinking. Actually, I'm not planning on going at all. Too much paperwork. Craig Jungers Royal City, WA *************************************************************************** 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've already lived longer than I thought I would and given the years I spent > on various vessels I always thought I'd buy it on the ocean. Lately I've > begun to think it will be by some idiot on the freeway. > > I sure don't want to go from some stupid maneuver and have everyone on this > list wonder wtf I could have been thinking. > > Actually, I'm not planning on going at all. Too much paperwork. > > > Craig Jungers > Royal City, WA Reminds me of the old saying, "I'm going to live forever. So far, so good...." I'm not sure there's a *good* way to go, and there is rarely a good *time* to go. Family, friends, things left undone, things left unsaid... they all conspire to make us want to hang around a little longer. -- Darryl *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
The death-at-sea of several renowned kayakers over the past year certainly provides us all with much to ponder. Andrew McAuley.... Len Goodman... Another amazing story surrounds the tragic death of 76-year-old Canadian paddler Herb Pohl on Lake Superior in July 2006. Pohl was a renowned and eccentric paddler in wilderness canoeing. His views on "risk analysis" would clearly differ from those which many of us hold. When I first read about Pohl's drowning and other accounts of his life, I was jarred by his neglect of safety basics. Larry Ricker's amazing account of a meeting Pohl several days before his death, and the gripping last photo of Pohl paddling off into Superior (sans PFD, paddling partner,etc) can be found at <http://www.network54.com/Forum/9927/message/1153616623/Herb+Pohl>. For me, that photo is the most profound and thought-provoking paddling image I have ever seen. There are many dimensions to this story, and I must acknowledge that Pohl's incredible life experiences were, to a large extent, determined by his willingness to take risks which many would call "unacceptable". This doesn't make it "right" to ignore the risks - but to fully appreciate Herb's or Andrew's or Len's story I must, for a moment anyway, suspend my focus on the single or habitual "mistake" that may have contributed to their death. Another thing that occurred to me ... While I may be jealous of exotic paddling adventures described by others, my Saturday morning flatwater paddle on a local pond is more exciting and scenic than McAuley, Goodman, and Pohl will ever again be able to enjoy. I shouldn't take an ordinary, "safe" paddling opportunity for granted. - JohnC in LondonOn *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Native American saying: May you live as long as you want to, and May you want to live as long as you do. People can die at sea for any number of reasons, just like driving a car, but that doesn't make it any more comforting to those 'left behind.' As we said in the Navy: "You are never more than 5 miles from land. Too bad most of it is straight down." and "Fair Winds and Calm Seas" my friends. mark -- # # mark zen -- fort lupton, colorado, usa #-========----============--=========--===- # ckayakr[at]dotzen[dot]org------------http://www.dotzen.org/paddler/ # o, o__ o_/| o_. o__/ # </ [\/ [\_| [\_\ [\/ # (`-/-------/----') (`----|-------\-') `\--------/--------/' #~~~~_at_~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # Semi-Random Fortune ... # A bug in the hand is better than one as yet undetected. *************************************************************************** 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 forgot to include the link below... Mea Culpa Mark Z wrote: > Native American saying: > > May you live as long as you want to, and > May you want to live as long as you do. > > People can die at sea for any number of reasons, just like driving a > car, but that doesn't make it any more comforting to those 'left behind.' This may be of some interest to you, an experience during Hurricane Hugo, along with a couple of photos, through I didn't get any of the 90-100 foot waves [~30 meter waves] http://www.dotzen.org/writing/military/tempest.html [sniparoni, the San Francisco Treat] > "Fair Winds and Calm Seas" my friends. mark -- # # mark zen -- fort lupton, colorado, usa #-========----============--=========--===- # ckayakr[at]dotzen[dot]org------------http://www.dotzen.org/paddler/ # o, o__ o_/| o_. o__/ # </ [\/ [\_| [\_\ [\/ # (`-/-------/----') (`----|-------\-') `\--------/--------/' #~~~~_at_~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # Semi-Random Fortune ... # A bug in the hand is better than one as yet undetected. *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Sometimes you just have to be the "bad guy" and say "No, you're not coming." Not always easy to do. I took a group of college students to a barrier island near Charleston this week. I laid the dress for immersion info on pretty thick, so almost all of them showed up in full wetsuits. Now, I'm thinking that I should have made that a requirement for everybody. I polled the group and everybody who had a wetsuit was happy they had worn it. And not just the sole swimmer. Steve skimmer wrote: > It irritates me greatly when I go out with paddlers who are totally > unprepared to fight- no pfd, dressed in heavy hiking boots, wearing > layers of backcountry hiking clothes etc (thinking of a trip my wife > and I took part in last fall). If they get in trouble, I will have to try to > save them- no matter how difficult they have made the job. They > brought 3 dogs, no spray skirts, one weak paddler in a (w)rec boat, > unable to keep up. We terminated the trip when that paddler was > too exhausted to continue and before we started out across an > open section of Delaware Bay that certainly would have swamped > both of their boats. -- Steve Cramer Athens, GA http://www.savvypaddler.com *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
skimmer wrote: > It irritates me greatly when I go out with paddlers who are totally > unprepared to fight- no pfd, dressed in heavy hiking boots, wearing > layers of backcountry hiking clothes etc (thinking of a trip my wife > and I took part in last fall). If they get in trouble, I will have to try to > save them- [snip] Chuck, I am mystified why you would launch with folks this unprepared. The best lesson they could get from you is a refusal to paddle with them, accompanied by a request they sign a form bequeathing all their cool gear to you in the event they expire that day while paddling. [grin ... not totally tongue in cheek, though!] On a more serious note: I have told personal friends of mine, up front, that I would not continue to paddle with them unless they invested in apropos safety gear and practiced self rescue. I also trained a guy I like to paddle with how to deal with a broaching boat, in surf, prior to paddling Clayoquot Sound, telling him the training session was a mandatory requirement for coming on the trip. [It may have save his bacon when he got caught on the wrong side of a rough crossing, coming back to camp.] My experience is that if you are firm and clear about such safety demands, people will go along with them. Oh, yeah, and if you also have a reputation as a bit of a curmudgeon! -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Dave Kruger wrote: > My experience is that if you are firm and clear about such safety > demands, people will go along with them. Oh, yeah, and if you also have > a reputation as a bit of a curmudgeon! And if you don't, this will establish it pretty well. ;) Steve -- Steve Cramer Athens, GA http://www.savvypaddler.com *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:33:44 PDT