Re: [Paddlewise] How to ruin a perfectly good paddling day...

I've found headlamps (the LED jobbies they sell everywhere now) are way too
bright. And shining it at the oncoming boater might destroy his night vision
at exactly the time you want it to be at its best. If you're alone it's
perhaps not so bad but if you are with anyone else you will surely destroy
their night vision too.  And possibly your own.

As far as having boats follow white lights, you would be surprised. I had a
friend who served on a light ship off the Columbia River and he told me
horror stories of ship captains bearing down on them out of the fog.

I'm with Jackie. Glow sticks are your friend. They are bright enough to see
from close by but not bright enough to attract unwanted attention. I put my
flashlight under a bungee on deck.

Craig Jungers
Royal City, WA

On 7/30/07, Goffma_at_aol.com <Goffma_at_aol.com> wrote:
>
> Craig wrote:
>
> <snip>
> >Even not showing a light might be excusable under certain  circumstances.
> >I've had power boats suddenly leave from a nearby dock and  head for me
> so
> >close that I had little time. I could have turned on the  flashlight and
> sat
> >there while he ran me over or I could have paddled as  fast as I could to
> get
> >out of his way.
>
> I find that a head lamp is pretty much the perfect light for
> night  paddling.
> You can paddle towards safety while keeping your head turned  towards the
> threat, warning it off.  Shaking your head makes it blink; it  might catch
> their
> attention better.  If the threat is from directly behind  you, you will
> probably have to stop paddling in order to aim the light, but it  works
> great from
> all other angles.  You might also want a backup light  fastened to your
> kayak
> bungees in case you lose the head lamp in a capsize or it  fails in some
> fashion.
>
> Mark Goff
> Hampden, Maine
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