Re: [Paddlewise] Backers of kayak bill may be paddling upstream - Framingham, MA - The MetroWest Daily News

From: John Fereira <jaf30_at_cornell.edu>
Date: Thu, 07 Jun 2007 18:22:41 -0400
At 03:31 PM 6/7/2007, Steve Cramer wrote:
>The concerns that were raised, honestly, I never really understood 
>them,said Straus. Straus said his bill would require that kayaking 
>students know how to get out of an overturned kayak before they go 
>into any water deeper than five feet.
>
>Res ipsa loquitur.
>
>I always make students do a wet exit before they do anything else, 
>but i teach in Georgia, not Massachusetts.

A university related outdoor group/club I help out with on occasion 
requires anyone new to club to demonstrate a two calm and controlled 
wet exits the first time they want to use one of the clubs kayaks 
(typically at a weekly pre-meeting paddle on a small reservoir on 
campus).  I've helped out at the beginning of the semesters many 
times as a wet exit "witness".  After listening to a brief  set of 
instructions they are asked to do a wet exit (with sprayskirt 
attached) while a witness stands next to their boat.  If I see 
someone out of their boat practically before they're upside down I'll 
make them do it again.   Once someone has demonstrated two wet exits 
to the witnesses satisfaction they are given a paddle.

I think that a performing a wet exit very early on in a instructional 
class is a very good idea.  I've seen people panic when they've 
capsized unintentionally, but when someone has gone through a wet 
exit after an intentional capsize they are almost always much calmer 
and controlled during the wet exit the first time they've capsized 
unintentionally.  Making it mandatory through legislation is another issue.


jaf30_at_cornell.edu
Ithaca, NY 
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Received on Thu Jun 07 2007 - 15:22:58 PDT

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