Re: [Paddlewise] Canoe Rescue off Point Defiance in Fast Current

On Tue, May 13, 2008 at 10:49 AM, Rich Kulawiec <rsk_at_rockandwater.net>
wrote:

>
>
> Let me draw an analogy with a situation that exists out here in the
> east.  The Shenandoah, Lehigh and (Lower) Youghiogheny rivers all have a
> substantial number of rafting companies running trips.  At nominal flows,
> the Shenandoah is II-III, the Lehigh is II-III, and the Yough is III-IV.
> On the first two it's customary to put guides in every raft; on the
> latter, guides accompany most trips but are usually not in every raft.


This is similar to many outfitters here in the PNW. The Deschutes is a
III-IV and the Wenatchee is a II-III+. The raft outfitters typically put a
guide in every raft on the Wenatchee but just turn 'em loose on the
Deschutes.

>
>
> The reason is simple: it's cheaper.  But in my opinion, it's not a
> good idea, as the Yough is a nontrivial river and features several
> complex rapids -- including Dimple, where the entire river smashes
> into a badly undercut rock that's been the site of multiple fatalities.


Ditto for the Deschutes. I'm sure some of this involves the permitting
system which is in effect for the Deschutes but not for the Wenatchee. And
I'll admit that I'm not that familiar with rafting operations. But I suspect
that if they put a guide on ever raft on the Deschutes their major cost
would be liability insurance due to the fact that it has a Class IV and
several III+ rapids and if there is a problem with a guided trip, then the
guide is going to take the fall; and the company he/she works for.

>
> So while I'm aware that upgrading their safety measures to a level
> I personally think is necessary (guides in every raft on outiftter
> trips, no rental of rafts for unguided trips) would have an impact
> on their business model, I don't care.


Well, speaking strictly for myself, I'd much rather see these unguided trips
end because the rafts themselves are full of so many drunken fraternity boys
out to show how macho they are. I've mentioned this before, but I've seen a
raft a minute go by my campsite and every third raft had a guy standing up
in the bow without a PFD on holding on to the painter with one hand and a
beer in the other yelling and hollering every time they hit a wave.

(As an aside... who was the rocket scientist that decided it was a good idea
to sell beer at cheap prices where people buy gasoline for their cars?)

The guided trips on the Wenatchee, on the other hand, are mostly families
dressed appropriately for the water (supplied by the outfitters) and having
a relatively safe adventure.

As far as sea kayaking outfitters go, we encountered a large group of young
people on a guided trip to Sucia Island from Jones Island. I don't believe
anyone was actually wearing a PFD (including the "guides"). Weather was calm
and tidal range low, but even so, it made us all uncomfortable. I was just
glad my kids weren't on that trip.

>
> More bluntly, they're screwing it up for the rest of us, because when
> the powers-that-be get involved, as we're all painfully aware, their
> lack of knowledge combined with their desire to look like they're doing
> something useful in order to score political points is likely to result
> in yet another demonstration of the law of unintended consequences.
>

Amen to that.  Politicians excel in the "paper solution" and in passing laws
that, if they were actually enforced, might do something; but no agency has
the budget. They like it even more if they can require some electronic
gadget that everyone would be required to buy and wear/mount/carry.

Of course, the customers themselves don't like to be told they can't do
something since they all seem to believe that they're elite level athletes
in practically everything. So politicians would prefer to modify a rapid to
make it "safe" rather than require outfitters to guide their customers
through it.

>
> So while I'm sympathetic to anyone running a business that gets people
> out on the water, as it helps popularize the sport as well as expose
> people to the environment and maybe hopefully gets them to care about
> it enough to write checks to American Rivers and the Sierra Club and
> so on, I'm not entirely supportive of operations that don't provide
> an acceptable safety margin.  Of course, that's just my opinion and
> I'm by nature conservative about risk, so I understand that others
> may make a different judgement call about the situation.
>

Yup. I couldn't agree more.


Craig Jungers
Moses Lake, WA
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