Sorry to get all analytical again, but there is a whole section in the book Managing the Risks of Outdoor Activities that dealt with this exact topic - what happens when your perception of risk is different from the real risk. For example if your perception of risk is higher than the real risk, you might be avoiding something that you are capable of and would enjoy doing. On the other hand, if your perception of risk is lower the the real risk (inexperience, over confidence, etc.), you may be putting yourself in danger doing things you shouldn’t.
I think most of us are pretty good at matching real and perceived risk, but this is something that you only get with experience, so I would say its an intermediate skill. Once you see someone doing something that you thought was overly risky, you might say “I can do that”. At the other end of the spectrum, there is nothing like a good “beat-down” to teach you the limits of your abilities.
I suspect that us older folks are probably more conservative and error on the side of “avoidance” more then we need to (at least I have been accused from my kayaking friends). That’s OK. We’re doing it for the right reasons.
I’ve been paddling 51 years. and in everything from flat-water to class IV.
If you ask me, what I am I’m a beginner.
Why, mindset. call yourself an expert - there is nothing left to learn, Intermediate still a bit to learn but you have mastered the basics.
but being a beginner mindset, you’re open to learn and adapt to new ways of thinking. You’re going to keep practicing the basics which 9 times out of 10 is all you really need. Most importantly your going to adapt to your own limitations of your skills and body. So you are always open to learning something about your own skills and or technique.
As an example of this, I pretty much could roll any boat you gave me if I had a skirt for it. Then my spine went all to hell and I had to have surgery and have the 8" scar as a souvenir… Now I can’t roll anything anymore, I get 50% of the way but can’t get the hip snap to finish the maneuver.
So I gave up whitewater.
Then learned how to exit flip the boat and re-enter with a minimum of effort Solo or with help. In flat water and rough water. In the event I do flip.
Then I practiced my emergency bracing techniques to prevent the flip in the first place.
then I learned better how to spot the waves that have the potential to make me flip.
So I got myself better at those basics. Those basics were beginner at best when I started why because I had mastered the roll a more intermediate technique, and my mindset was well if I flip I can just roll easy-peasy.
Then life happened. and I realized I had the wrong mindset.
Now I’m proud to say I am 51 year experience beginner and still learning.
I read accident reports all the time. News media frequently describe the victim as an “experienced” paddler and base that on years in the saddle. Ditto personal assessments that I hear from a lot of paddlers. Seldom are they accurate. It seems like humans have a default setting when it comes to self-assessment and risk assessment. They tend to overrate their skills and underrate the hazards. This may not make any difference when driving to the grocery store, but in wilderness activities it often produces fatal outcomes.
OP here. Great discussion.
I’ve been in and out of one boat so far this spring.
Ironically, I took my back out a few days ago gardening. It is slowly recovering.
I loved growing things long before paddling. Fresh air ,sunshine ,and dirt!
SB, that was a great trip. Hontoon/ Dead River as I recall.
Your inflatable convinced me that I didn’t want one.
Lots of water under many keels since then.
I’ve almost finished planting the flower garden.
It was 2007! Spiritboat in a deflatable, you in a Placid Boatworks RapidFire, and me in a Swifty. Liratoad was there with her Tempest. Was your brother there, too? Or do I have this confused with a Thanksgiving paddle we did on the Econ?