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 "But so far, organized kayaking (clubs under Danish canoe union) have had next to no lethal accidents in the last 100 year, which I contribute to the fact that only experienced paddlers do winter paddling. Best Kasper " On 11/09/07 18.54, "Craig Jungers" <crjungers_at_gmail.com> wrote: > On 9/11/07, Kasper Osterbye <kasper_at_itu.dk> wrote: >> <snip>... I have even >> capsized in racing kayaks in ice water, as has many here, and that is >> without dry or wetsuit, as one would overheat in such clothing. *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
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 *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
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