RE: [Paddlewise] spnonsonman 2006

From: Mark Sanders <sandmarks_at_ca.rr.com>
Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2007 18:55:39 -0700
-----Original Message-----
On Behalf Of Bob Carter
This guy is on a rant. He is upset that no one is buying his product
He is myopic in his opinions
------------------------------------------------

I own a pair of sponsons. I bought them before I ever heard of all the
controversy Tim has stirred up. I've never used them other than practice,
but they stay in my hatch in case of some catastrophic failure of my boat or
me. They seem a well made product. For a solo paddler, I think they're a
reasonable thing to have for emergencies.

However, I have used my paddle float quite often in real situations. It's
much easier to deploy in various configurations to get you back in your boat
quick. I used it in trying to learn how to roll and always carry it in my
cockpit.

It is sad that Tim's attacks and unreasonable attitude probably keep people
from being interested in a product that has it's place on the water. A
paddle float is not a panacea that will keep everyone alive who ventures out
on the water without the proper skills and training, but neither are
sponsons. I felt having sponsons to back up my paddle float was a wise
decision, but don't expect either to save me from all the situations I might
find myself in. In practice, I did not find sponsons to provide adequate
floatation to make reentry a simple act and would expect to back them up
with my paddle float if I ever needed to use them.

Ultimately you need to know your abilities and limitations and act
accordingly. Attacking anyone who tries to make kayaking a safer experience
is a wasted effort.

Mark Sanders
www.sandmarks.net
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Received on Mon Oct 01 2007 - 18:55:54 PDT

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