On Tue, Jan 11, 2011 at 8:42 PM, Bradford R. Crain <crainb_at_pdx.edu> wrote: > > > I find it interesting that the principal actor in this scene was > paddling alone. While there may not necessarily be safety in numbers, > it probably doesn't hurt. How many of us have paddled solo in places > where we did not belong? Probably almost all of us. > > An exchange of emails with Chris Cunningham of Sea Kayaker Magazine has made me mindful of the dangers of kayaking solo this evening. Since I have a tendency towards curmudgeonry I often paddle solo and I have to be careful not to fall into the trap of complacency: "I paddled here last week and it was fine... so it will be fine this week too." I live in a town that is isolated from clubs and groups by a couple of hundred miles and have the sort of job that doesn't let me plan ahead much. But it seems to me that people with good sized groups to paddle with are both safer and more skilled than those of us who paddle mostly alone. Heck... I don't even have access to a heated pool for winter practice. But paddlers in Vancouver, BC, Victoria, BC, Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco's Bay Area, and Southern California (just to name a few that I'm familiar with) have a great advantage in being able to join friends for a paddle and have friendly competitions for skills. Impromptu rolling sessions, sudden friendly races to the next buoy, someone to check your equipment (is my PFD strap twisted?) or to offer you a new or different piece of equipment to try just to see how you like it. All these are invaluable and largely absent for the solo paddler. The camaraderie is important all by itself but more than that the mixed skill-sets of a group of paddlers is a wonderful way to ensure that complacency is less likely to occur. Had Mr. Moses been paddling with someone of more experience it's likely that they would have noticed the tidal rips ahead long before they ran into the sort of trouble that ensued for Mr. Moses. So it seems to me - a person who is pretty much a non-joiner - that the advantages of a group are not to be underestimated. If you can join CSK or BASK or CASKA or any of the other wonderful groups of paddlers offering safety and skill programs, by all means do so. It doesn't mean you can't solo but it can mean that your ability to judge conditions and your skills will be greatly enhanced. Craig Jungers Moses Lake, WA www.nwkayaking.net *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************Received on Tue Jan 11 2011 - 21:07:48 PST
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