In a message dated 2/24/2011 9:11:46 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, nick_at_guillemot-kayaks.com writes: I don't see much point in finding ways to keep other people from being stupid. I have enough trouble keeping myself from being stupid. Does anyone have any advice on how to overcome our own weaknesses? Nick ............................................................................ ............. I try to keep in mind a quote publicized by NRS _www.nrsweb.com_ (http://www.nrsweb.com) Click on Boating resources, click on Safety, click on Coming back. The quote is "Going out is optional, coming back is mandatory". The question is, are you determined to come back, willing to work to be sure you will come back, and willing to not go out if you are not sure you will come back? If you can't answer yes to these questions, you are not determined to come back. You are trusting the weather rather than checking it, you are trusting your boat though you haven't had it out for months, you are trusting your drysuit gaskets even if they are torn. You are trusting your companions even though you have never paddled with them before. You are trusting people who were up late last night drinking a lot of beer. In other words, you are trusting other people to be smarter than you are. That's a sad situation. (I was going to say the exception is with a qualified instructor, but these youngsters had a qualified instructor- though perhaps not qualified in these exact circumstances). I have certainly failed to observe the quote. Someone on this list who shall remain nameless has twice put me in a leaky boat and/or one with insufficient floatation and no bulkheads, and I let him do it. I hope I have learned better now. No crisis either time but at least once, some of that was luck. So, I have that quote on my kayak instructor business card, and it has, on occasion, gotten some laughs. Too bad for them. If I have it in front of me like that, I can always just say no. It isn't fun, but I don't have to add to others mistakes. It's when I fail to think that I suffer the consequences. I'm not sure this is what you have in mind. However, if you are going to walk the walk and talk the talk, it's a starting point. Pam in Washington State *************************************************************************** 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 Thu Feb 24 2011 - 21:11:54 PST
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