[Paddlewise] The Complexities of Sea Kayaking

A while back I posted an essay on my blog (www.nwkayaking.net) about the
subtle complexities of sea kayaking that may be hidden from new paddlers.
I've received some positive feedback on it and thought I would cross-post it
here, for whatever it's worth.

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It's been a long time since I've published anything new in this blog. This
is mostly due to a complete knee replacement I had done on my left leg in
June, 2010. Most of the summer of 2010 was dedicated to recovering from the
surgery and regaining motion lost some 22 years ago in an industrial
accident. Part of that recovery was done using mountain bicycles. At one
time in my life bicycling played an important role. Last summer a Trek 4500
mountain bike played a big part in my physical therapy.

As I slowly regained the ability to ride a bike I progressed from short
rides to longer rides and by the end of August I was riding alone on rough
paths into remote desert canyons. At this point I realized that if new
kayakers were approaching paddling the same way they might have approached
mountain biking they were vastly underestimating the potential danger. And
people who are teaching kayaking to new paddlers need to understand that the
complex nature of the sport is subtle and not readily apparent to new
participants.

The average outdoor enthusiast is usually aware of the dangers of outdoor
sporting activities. But the layers of danger present in kayaking far exceed
those of other sports and, worse yet, they are generally invisible and often
underplayed even by experienced kayakers. No one pooh-poohs the risks of
rock climbing or white water kayaking but who can believe a calm day in a
comfy little boat can turn life threatening?

Many, if not most, sea kayak tragedies begin on calm water in weather that
is settled. New paddlers may be used to other sports where they can stop
easily or wait out any sudden bad weather in more-or-less comfortable
conditions. If you fall off your mountain bike you probably aren't going to
die even if you are in a remote area. But if a new kayaker capsizes and
swims out of the kayak it is an instant life-threatening situation.

Most kayak fatalities involve the paddler becoming immersed in the water and
being unable to regain entry to his (or her) cockpit.  This situation is
unheard of in other sports. When I rode solo into desert canyons on my
Mountain Bike almost the worst thing that could happen to me is that I'd
have to walk the bike back out. Even sudden bad weather was not much of a
factor because I would simply look for shelter or, at worst, hunker down and
wait. A bicyclist will often not even bother to check weather forecasts
before heading out. Converting this attitude to kayaking is like asking for
trouble in many locations

Even the simple task of removing a piece of clothing like a splash coat or
getting lunch out of a day hatch can be difficult in a kayak. And answering
the call of nature is often truly dangerous. Consider the mountain bicyclist
who simply stops and finds a tree. This is the sort of thing that new
paddlers don't see when they head out for a day's kayaking on a local bit of
water.

Paddling instructors who deal with novice kayakers need to keep in mind that
the more subtle dangers of kayaking are really more akin to those you'd
associate with flying small airplanes than to other sports. In both of these
(and I do both of these) sudden changes in the environment can rapidly
deteriorate into truly tragic consequences. No one quarrels with the
expensive and intensive instruction given to budding pilots yet people
blithely set of on serious paddles without a second thought; or much
knowledge or navigation, survival, or paddling skills.

These subtle complexities of sea kayaking often lull the novice into
thinking that the sport is calm and peaceful; and, indeed, it can be and
often is. But sudden changes in circumstances can thrust the unprepared
novice into a situation they are not prepared to deal with. Unlike most
other sports people are familiar with, sea kayaking can - and does - deal
out wild cards to the complacent.


Craig Jungers

Moses Lake, WA

www.nwkayaking.net
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