Re: [Paddlewise] Inuit

Rcgibbert_at_aol.com wrote:

> Chuck and all,
>  
> I think I know what you are saying and in my heart of hearts I tend to lean  
> heavily to at least what I interpret of what you are saying....but a big 
> however  ( to follow). One of the dogmas I'd like to see permanently retired from 
> sea  kayaking is the bit about not necessarily needing to roll. 

Rob, with all due respect to a paddler with more talent in his little toe 
than I have in my entire body:  it ain't dogma, it is a different approach 
to paddling than what you believe in.  In brief, different strokes ... 
different folks.

We call all the variants of what owners of "sea kayaks" do, "sea kayaking," 
but what people actually do with these boats is very diverse.  Sure enough, 
for open ocean paddling, or "open coast paddling," having a solid, 
dependable roll is a critical skill.  Ask around and find out what 
proportion of "sea kayak" paddlers paddle open ocean conditions.  Those who 
do not, may not "need" a dependable roll to stay within a reasonable 
envelope of safety, an envelope as broad and encompassing as the envelope 
surrounding a paddler skilled in rolling who invites using it by regularly 
exploring extremely demanding conditions.

However, I am pretty sure we agree on one aspect of this:  lots and lots of 
paddlers, with or without a dependable roll, regularly engage in paddling 
waters where their safety envelope is very small ... here's the part where 
we agree, I bet ... and they do _not_ have a good grasp of how much risk 
they are taking.  That's the part of paddling safely where anybody, a 
roller or nonroller, needs to get on board.  It is the single attribute 
most common among paddlers of my acquaintance who have been "in trouble" at 
some point.

Reasons abound for a paddler not knowing how much risk he/she is taking, 
but I suspect the principal one is inability to conceptualize, in practical 
terms, and practice, how to retrieve themselves from a capsize and/or swim. 
  If we work on that, folks whose paddling demands a reliable roll will be 
mandated to get one, or change where and how they paddle.

-- 
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR
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