Re: [Paddlewise] The Complexities of Sea Kayaking

On 23/12/2010 2:00 PM, Craig Jungers wrote:
> 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.
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> 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

Good points, well made, Craig.

-- 
   Darryl
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