Re: [Paddlewise] lost kayaker in tampa bay.....

   The solution to this problem is obvious, cruel, perverse, and I'm already
regreting saying it, but paddlers who don't wear dry suits or wet suits
need to be ticketed and fined big time. This is painful to bring up, because
I have never owned a drysuit, and outgrew my wetsuit years ago. I paddle to
camp and fish, and have done a lot of dumb things to get to the neat
places. I have been miles out to sea wearing only polypro and windshell, and
my friends have done the same. But we're all living in a fool's
paradise.

   In order to partially redeem myself, let me suggest that offending paddlers
be fined severely, but the fine should be rescinded upon purchase of a wetsuit
or drysuit, by demonstrating a receipt to the courts.

   Yes, I'd be sitting in my kayak on a warm, sunny day, wearing a drysuit,
grumbling to myself, but a grumbling human is better than a dead human.

-- 
Bradford R. Crain

Quoting Craig Jungers <crjungers_at_gmail.com>:

> Educating paddlers about the effects of cold water on warm days is one of
> the "layers of complexity" in kayaking that affect no other sport that I
> know of and I think needs to be emphasized in paddling magazines and
> instructors. It is VERY difficult to tell someone that they could be in
> life-threatening danger by paddling their canoe/kayak on a nice day across
> cold water. And this is complicated by the simple fact that no one is going
> to buy a $900 drysuit (or even a $120 farmer john) for a couple hours of
> time on the water. Maybe those of us who paddle 100 miles or more a year
> lose sight of this. But lots of kayakers and canoists only do it two or
> three times a year, don't read paddling magazines, don't take lessons, and
> don't understand the issues.
>
> A PFD is a simple "solution" to only one "layer" of the problem (flotation)
> but you can buy them everywhere for $50 (or even less); marinas have them on
> hooks at the head of docks for FREE!. Even with government agencies, news
> journals, blogs, magazines and word-of-mouth about PFDs we still see
> paddlers on significant journeys across quite cold water not wearing them.
> Pam and I have seen entire flotillas of kayaks crossing from James Island
> just off the west coast of Orcas Island on their way to Sucia Island (ten
> miles or more) with no one - not even the "leaders" - wearing their PFDs and
> every youth (it was some sort of youth group) in swim suits or tee shirts
> and shorts!
>
> There is really nothing out there that we can tell them to wear that they
> can simply buy at a local store.  Maybe we should start to promote those
> little "water skier" shorty-wet-suits that you can buy at Costco for $39.95.
>
> I really don't know the solution to this. Or if there even is a solution.
> People look at you like you're crazy when you suggest it.
>
> I can understand Chuck's frustration but if they don't even wear their PFDs
> when wearing them is so highly publicized getting them to wear fleece or wet
> suits or anything other than a cotton tee shirt and jeans with sandals is
> going to be a struggle.
>
> Maybe you just can't cure stupidity.
>
>
> Craig Jungers
> Moses Lake, WA
> www.nwkayakng.net
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