Re: [Paddlewise] SV: Complete Idiot's Guide to Canoeing and Kayaking

Hi Jens and others

Yes, a young Swedish kayaker died last year doing a 2 km+ crossing in his K1
racer, with no proper clothing (as he would have sweated to death that way),
in a boat with no compartments, so that it could be completely filled, with
no deck lines, so there was nothing to hold onto (it was a K1).

I have never ever in any way stated that is proper behavior. But accidents
happen - a young and fit neighbor of mine died because she fell of her bike
down a hill and her helmet caught a tree branch causing her neck to snap.
She should not have been going so fast - speed killed her, or an ill
designed helmet killed her, or ...)

The original story here was under what conditions you go winter paddling,
and I merely said that if I too had been out in the 20/20 conditions, and I
did not find that to be completely bananas - just as I do not find
rappelling and parachuting to be next to suicide. But doing crossings and
other crazy stuff in a K1 in winter in Scandinavia is indeed dangerous.

What my work life (IT University) has to do with this I cannot see.

And no, I am not a young fit kayaker, I am now 45+, 200 lb, but still does a
some K1 (actually most K2) as well as a lot of seakayaking (in the order of
about 500 miles/year total in both types of boats).

Safety is a difficult one, there are several factors going into this, the
most common ones mentioned are: personal experience, local experience, wind,
water temperature, wave conditions (current, harbors, boats,...), group
size, boat (I do judge differently in my seakayak and my K1).
The precautions necessary for cold-water paddling in the open waters of the
ost-sea, and ours in at in inland lake or fjord are very different. The
Swedish paddler knew his boat, his waters, he was not alone, he had been
doing this trip N times before (as had my neighbor).

As a kayak club member I expect you know all these factors in and out as do
I. 

Happy paddling,
    Kasper


On 10/10/07 13.15, Jens Viggo Moesmand <jensviggo_at_moesmand.dk> wrote:

> Dear Kasper and Craig,
> 
> Denmark is not so much different from the American shores in that we do
> not agree on everything.
> It was only march this year that a very experienced kayaker died on a
> swedish lake. His background much have been very much the same as
> Kaspars: young and very capable and fit. Yet he died.
> If I'm anything then in comparison I'm old and fat and belong to a group
> of peers that also enjoy paddling in the winter. We dress and equip
> ourselves more conservatively.
> The popularity of kayaking has increased a lot over the last years and
> we can only try to push "wisdom" to the new kayakers. I hope that not
> too many of them will find it sufficient to listen to Kaspar. I know
> that his institution (IT-University) harbours a lot of sound knowledge.
> It's said that a landing You can walk away from is a succesfull landing.
> I try to teach foresight but I'm also another type of kayaker than
> Kasper. I wish him a lot of fun together with succesfull landings.
> 
> Best
> 
> Jens Viggo Moesmand
> Denmark
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